Jeffrey Pollack, Former Chairman of The Epic Poker League (EPL) & Former LA Chargers Executive, was named President & Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The XFL. Pollack will be overseeing the management of the league’s eight teams as well as the strategic planning and business operations. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon would comment on the addition of Pollack to The XFL, as seen below:
“Just as Oliver Luck is perfectly suited to be Commissioner & CEO, so too is Jeffrey Pollack suited perfectly to be XFL President & COO with his extraordinary experience and diverse background across a variety of global sports properties,” said XFL Chairman Vince McMahon, XFL Founder & Chairman. “I have no doubt that Oliver and Jeffrey will successfully reimagine the game of football and guide the XFL to long-term success.”
Pollack’s Background
Pollack is a 25-year veteran in the sports industry with experiences in The NBA as The Vice President Of Marketing & Corporate Communications and NASCAR as The Managing Director Of Broadcasting & New Media For The Racing Outfit’s Digital Operations. In 1994, Pollack founded “The Sports Business Daily.” Pollack was previously also The Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and Special Advisor For The Los Angeles Chargers of The NFL. Pollock would also comment on his addition to The XFL, as seen below:
“It’s not often that a new professional sports league is positioned for success like the XFL,” said Pollack. “There’s a clear vision for what we will offer our fans, players and partners, and I look forward to working closely with Vince and Oliver to bring that vision to life.”
Vast Sports Industry Experience
Pollack was put into this position by The XFL due to his vast experiences and knowledge in the sports industry. Aside from the positions he held with The LA Chargers, The NBA & NASCAR, Pollack also served as The President & The Commissioner of The World Series Of Poker. Under his leadership, The WSOP became a worldwide sports and entertainment phenomenon and crossed The $1 Billion mark in total prize money awarded.
Pollack has also served as The Executive Chairman of The Professional Bull Riders and as a Senior Advisor to a number of sports and media ventures. He began his career as a Crisis Communications Strategist & Political Campaign Manager at Winner + Associates and The Affiliated Firm of Winner + Mandabach Campaigns.
Primetime Emmy Award Winner
In addition to receiving one of the very first Primetime Emmy Awards presented for Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Television Programming and a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Innovative Technical Achievement, Pollack received The First-Ever Billboard Digital Entertainment Award for Best Interactive Television Programming. He has also appeared twice on The Sporting News’ List of “The Top 100 Most Powerful People in Sports,” and he was named by The Sports Business Journal to the inaugural list of “Forty Under Forty.”
Pollack was also a Director of The Los Angeles Sports Council and served on The Board Of Advisors of The Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission and The Executive Committee of The USC Sports Business Institute. He was also a member of The Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences and an Accredited Member of The Public Relations Society Of America. Pollack was also a Regional Board Member of The Northwestern University Leadership Circle and a mentor at Amplify LA — a startup accelerator and entrepreneurial campus in Venice.
Land TV Deal
Pollack will be tasked with helping the league secure a media partner. NBC aired the one and only season in 2001 of The Original XFL. During a press conference in December, Commissioner Luck said that the league has had “meaningful and deep conversations” with potential broadcast partners, with the plan for games to be available on multiple platforms.
The XFL is set to relaunch on February 8th & February 9th, 2020, which will be right after The Super Bowl. The XFL recently announced that the following eight cities will be the host teams for The 2020 season: New York (MetLife Stadium), Dallas (Globe Life Park in Arlington), Houston (TDECU Stadium), Los Angeles (Dignity Health Sports Park), St. Louis (Dome at America’s Center), Seattle (CenturyLink Field), Tampa Bay (Raymond James Stadium) & Washington, D.C. (Audi Field).
Official XFL Press Release
Below is the full press release that was sent out naming Jeffrey Pollack as The President Of The XFL:
JEFFREY POLLACK NAMED XFL PRESIDENT
The XFL announced that sports industry veteran Jeffrey Pollack has been named President & Chief Operating Officer and will oversee the league’s strategic planning and business operations, as well as the management of its eight teams.
“Just as Oliver Luck is perfectly suited to be Commissioner & CEO, so too is Jeffrey Pollack suited perfectly to be XFL President & COO with his extraordinary experience and diverse background across a variety of global sports properties,” says Vince McMahon, XFL Founder & Chairman. “I have no doubt that Oliver and Jeffrey will successfully reimagine the game of football and guide the XFL to long-term success.”
“It’s not often that a new professional sports league is positioned for success like the XFL,” says Pollack. “There’s a clear vision for what we will offer our fans, players and partners, and I look forward to working closely with Vince and Oliver to bring that vision to life.”
Pollack comes to the XFL from the Los Angeles Chargers, where he was Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and Special Advisor.
With a 25-year track record, Pollack began his career in sports in 1994 when, as the founding President and Publisher, he created and launched The Sports Business Daily. He then joined the National Basketball Association in 1998 as a Strategic Communications Consultant and also served as the league’s Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications. In 2001, he was named Managing Director of Broadcasting and New Media for NASCAR Digital Entertainment.
From 2005 to 2009, Pollack served as Commissioner of the World Series of Poker and Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Marketing for Caesars Entertainment. He has also served as Executive Chairman of the Professional Bull Riders and Executive Chairman of Federated Sports and Gaming.
Pollack has a Bachelor’s degree from The Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, a Master’s degree from The Graduate School of Political Management, and a Master’s degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Unleash the Action: Sign up for XFL Insider and Fuel Your Passion for Football!
