The XFL debuted in 2001 and returned in 2020. It will be back in 2023, and it will have a new logo.
Now owned by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia, the XFL unveiled a simple look this week.
Launched by NBC and Vince McMahon’s WWE, the original XFL started strong but then faltered. The reboot, led by McMahon in 2020, did well until the pandemic intervened. McMahon took the league into bankruptcy, from which the new owners bought it.
The XFL arrives one year after the USFL debuts next month on Fox and NBC. The spread of legalized gambling could result in enough interest in both leagues. The challenge could come from getting the best non-NFL players. Surely, the USFL nor the XFL will try to pay NFL-style wages.
Thanks to gambling, the revenue should be there. The biggest challenge will be minimizing expenses. The USFL will keep costs low by playing all regular-season games in Birmingham, Alabama and all postseason games in Canton, Ohio.
If/when either the USFL or the XFL turn a profit, the NFL could swoop in and buy one or both leagues. The NFL pulled the plug on its European minor league 15 years ago for one reason -- money. If/when spring football can be proven to make money, the masters of pro football in the fall surely will be sniffing around.
