With the final XFL Summer Showcase taking place this weekend in St Louis, the next logical step in the XFL’s evolution is team names and logos. The question on everyone’s mind is when.
Every press conference, every article, every interview, and for us in the XFL media. Every time we talk XFL to none junkies, we get asked over and over again. When are the XFL team names coming?
Well, today via the XFL’s official Twitter account we got a little more confirmation that it will be soon.
Tomorrow marks the last stop of our #XFLShowcase tour in St. Louis.
Next up: team names and logos, player signings, Draft, training camp and more!
It is a painful and lengthy process to acquire them. Lots of legal deals, trademark searches, lawyers, negotiations for web domains, and social media accounts. It is not a quick transaction once the league selects a team name.
The head coaches already know the team names. Several of the XFL coaches and team presidents have mentioned during interviews they know what the team name is and can’t say.
XFL Seattle has a block of names ready to go. We reported on the Trademark by Alpha Entertainment of the five XFL Seattle names earlier.
Oliver Luck, other coaches, and team presidents have said we will know in July. But we have also heard May and June in the past.
So the question is when;
If they are going to pull the trigger on names, which is a huge deal, they need to do it during a slow sports news cycle. July 8th to July 17th is known as the quietest sports news cycle of the year. Nothing but the MLB All-Star game and this year women’s soccer. This is also a big summer vacation time in the US around July 4th. Perfect time to strike and take up that space.
NFL training camps start July 17th for four teams. The Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. Once NFL camps begin, all the focus will be back on fall football. The rest of the training camps open the week of July 22nd.
If the XFL does not want to lose the news cycle to the NFL, they need to announce the team names by July 16. The question becomes, will it all be in one fell swoop with all eight teams announced in New York or LA? Could it be like they did the coaching announcements, one in each city?
My prediction is next week, before NFL training camps in one fell swoop. They would have the sports news cycle all to themselves. This would peak NFL fans interest before their season begins and hopefully keep that hook in before the XFL kickoff in 2020.
The more this drags into the NFL season, the less focus the football fan will have. With NFL and college games being played in August, there is only so much attention to go around.
I could be wrong, and we wait and wait. But XFL super fans like us, we are ready for our tribe and start repping our gear. Fans not part of the eight cities are also ready. Fans can’t be all in, without a team to root for, they have been patiently waiting.
How would you handle the announcements of the XFL team names? What is more import to you, names, or logos? Leave us a comment.
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Mark Perry, a devoted sports journalist and founder of XFL News Hub, has been a key figure in XFL coverage since its 2018 revival. Launching XFL News Hub soon after the league's return announcement, Mark has established the platform as a primary source for comprehensive XFL updates. Renowned for his in-depth knowledge and commitment to sports journalism, Mark actively engages the XFL community, welcoming interactions at [email protected].
