TSN CFL Insider Dave Naylor talked with Rod Smith on TSN about the latest details surrounding the potential collaboration between the CFL and XFL. He said a collaboration if it happens, wouldn’t start until 2023. He also discusses how there are several Committees between XFL and CFL officials talking about the different parts of their partnership.
It is important to note that these discussions are under non-disclosure agreements so not much has been said. But he does know a little bit about how the structure behind these talks are taking place.
“different committees that involve people from the CFL and from the XFL side of things, including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who’s involved in this, where they’re looking at different areas, trying to study the business and see what the benefits are for either side of what a collaboration would look like. And so before they get to some of the logistical issues, they need to drill down and say, OK, how does this affect the bottom line business of the XFL side, of the CFL side?”
He goes on to talk about how the likely hood of a collaborative XFL/CFL season would not happen until 2023.
“Based on my conversations, I think there’s a strong likelihood that if the two leagues were to come together, we’re talking about a 2023 collaboration. Just as we look at where we are on the calendar right now.
In May, if a season was to start, say, in March or April between the CFL and XFL, that gives us less than a year. You can look at the latest incarnation of the XFL. They had all their coaches hired within 10 months of the start of the season.
So I think when you look at the challenges, the CFL now going to play the Grey Cup, hopefully, this season in mid-December, I think it’s much more likely that we would see a collaboration if it happens for 2023.”
This coincides with reporting from our own Mike Mitchell that the idea of a 2022 season is a no-go.
That doesn’t mean in 2022 there will be no XFL news. In the build-up to the 2020 kick-off in 2019, Bob Stoops, Pep Hamilton, and other XFL Head Coaches were announced in February. Also, Team Presidents started being put in place in March as well. So there will be a lot of action with the XFL at the beginning of 2022.
XFL fans should enjoy the CFL 2021 season because soon after, lots of announcements from the XFL should start to happen. Especially if both leagues plan to play together in some capacity in 2023.
