The XFL officially revealed all eight team names and logos for their upcoming 2023 season on Halloween. The DC Defenders, one of the league’s identities from 2020, are returning with a new primary look. Beer snakes will undoubtedly be back at Audi Field this coming February. But they won’t be incorporated into the team logo.
XFL 2023 8 Team Reveals: DC Defenders
“We’re excited that the Defenders logo was kept,” “Obviously, ownership, our great people that work in the XFL, knew that the fans wanted that. … We were really pulling for that. Everybody embraced the name and the shield from 2020.”
DC Defenders Head Coach Reggie Barlow in a phone interview to the Washington Post’s Jake Russell
Head Coach: Reggie Barlow
“The D.C. Defenders are back to unite, defend and protect our capital. We are fearless, full of passion and heart, and determined to make our fans proud. We are bringing the football; you bring the noise. Let’s go, D.C.!
Reggie Barlow in today’s XFL press release.
The return of the DC Defenders in XFL was a no-brainer and was no surprise. Like the St. Louis BattleHawks, there was outstanding equity in the brand. The DMV embraced the Defenders and had extremely enthusiastic crowds in 2020. The team, like the BattleHawks, became an excellent advertisement for the XFL.
The new primary logo is a slight tweak from the old one. The Red and White colors remain; perhaps the shield itself will become a secondary logo in the branding. It would be a shame if the great shield from 2020 didn’t return in some form. *Update: it appears that DC’s secondary logo will be a shield with a slight alteration from the last one. The 2023 version has more of a rigid pentagon look.
The league hasn’t announced when team uniforms will be unveiled. But the XFL’s first player draft is scheduled for mid-November. (tentatively on the week of 11/14-11/17) With the late word that it could take place in Texas rather than the rumored Vegas). It’s possible that the team attire could be revealed at some point around that period.
The XFL today revealed the brand identities, names, and logos for its eight teams as the League prepares for its season kickoff on February 18, 2023, on ABC/ESPN. Featuring both new and returning team names, each market has a dynamic logo and distinct team identity that aligns with its community’s culture and history.
Seven of the XFL’s eight-team names have returned. Two of them (Vipers/Guardians) are in different cities. Vegas and Orlando. The new brand to the XFL bunch is the San Antonio Brahmas. The bull theme is a time-honored tradition in Texas, but this moniker takes on an aspect of one of the league’s owners, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
The XFL has not formally announced all eight teams’ divisions. DC, St.Louis, and Orlando figure to be in the same division. But it will be interesting to see which city joins them. Provided that the new iteration of the XFL decides to go with a traditional divisional alignment. The league has three teams in Texas and two west coast teams in Seattle/Vegas. Perhaps the XFL could follow the NFL model and have an Eastern division that doesn’t quite match up geographically. See the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
November figures to be a very active month for the XFL. Now that team names and logos have officially arrived. Uniforms, team schedules, the TV schedule, and draft/player details should all be forthcoming.
The XFL is back for the third time. And they are bringing the DC Defenders with them.
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