Vince McMahon is rolling the dice a second time on the XFL. The WWE CEO and Chairman confirmed speculation earlier today during a press session with members of the media.
According to McMahon, the league will begin play in 2020 and consist of eight teams, with forty players on each roster. The plan is to introduce a ten game regular season, starting in late January or early February, and feature two semifinal playoff games, and one championship contest. The cities where each franchise will be play and the broadcast outlets where the games will air have not yet been decided.
Given his involvement with the WWE, many assumed McMahon would use the wrestling company’s talent and mainstream appeal to create buzz for his new football league. However, he said the league will look and operate different from the one that launched in 2001. Part of that includes not involving WWE stars in the XFL’s programming and promotional plans. Broadcast talent from the wrestling company will also not be utilized. McMahon says he’s looking to create separation between the two brands, and made the point on numerous occasions that the new XFL will be more family friendly than reliant on aggressive language, stunts, sex,and violence.
One of the decisions which is likely to garner heavy media attention was McMahon’s announcement that players with arrest records would not be hired by the league, and all who participate will stand for the national anthem.
“We want to entertain — that’s what we do,” McMahon told The Daily. “There are not going to be any politics involved with this thing. We’re not going to have any social issues involved. People want to be entertained. It’s the entertainment value that sometimes is lost.”
To make the XFL a reality, McMahon is funding the league through Alpha Entertainment, a private equity company he recently created to fund sports and entertainment opportunities. The company will start with $100 million in funding, but McMahon believes it will require going beyond that number to deliver a successful product.
“This is an opportunity to re-imagine football — not reinvent it,” added McMahon. “Sitting in front of a television for three-and-a-half hours for a game is a lot of time to devote. We want a faster game. We want a more exciting game. We want rules that are simplified. In the end, we want it to be more fan friendly with more engagement.”
Among the ideas being discussed for the new league are eliminating halftime, simplifying the rule book, and producing a game from start to finish in two-hours and with less commercials breaks. To get a stronger understanding of what fans want, McMahon says he will be involved in upcoming listening tours asking fans, football experts and media figures to come up with the best way to stage football games. The WWE promoter plans this time to remain in the background rather than appear as the face of the league, even if he is the sole owner and founder of it.
To see the new logo for the league, click here.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
