XFL announces eight cities that will host league's reincarnation
The XFL is making a comeback in 2020, and on Wednesday the league announced the eight cities that will host franchises for its incarnation.
All but one of the cities currently hosts and NFL team.
Dallas, New York, D.C. make the cut
Here are the eight cities the XFL chose, and the stadiums the as-yet-unnamed teams will play in: Dallas (Globe Life Park), Houston (TDECU Stadium), Los Angeles (StubHub Center), New York (MetLife Stadium), St. Louis (The Dome at America’s Center), Seattle (CenturyLink Field), Tampa Bay (Raymond James Stadium), and Washington, D.C. (Audi Field).
Los Angeles and New York are the only teams that were original XFL cities, in 2001.
XFL commissioner Oliver Luck – yes, Andrew Luck’s father – said that the league put out a call for proposals in May and around 30 cities showed interest. From there, the list was whittled to 18 cities before the final eight were chosen.
40-man rosters
The eight teams will have 40-man rosters with player salaries averaging $75,000, and the league’s 10-game season and playoffs will be held during the NFL’s offseason, from February to June.
Team names, logos and colors and coaches will be announced in the coming months.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Luck said Vince McMahon, the pro wrestling tycoon and XFL owner, has committed the financial resources for a longer run than the one season XFL had its first time around.
“This is a start-up, of course. And Vince has made a substantial commitment in terms of capital he’s going to put into the league,” Luck said. “We’ve got financial plans, budgets for a five-year run. I’m of the opinion that you have to really have multiple years to have a sense of whether it’s working.
“I know we’re fighting history to a certain degree when you look back at all the alternative leagues that have existed. But I do think we’ve got an excellent opportunity to be around for a long, long time.”
XFL, AAF competing
The XFL isn’t the only upstart football league coming together: the Alliance of American Football, or AAF, begins play in February 2019.
That league also has eight teams, mostly in cities that don’t currently host NFL teams: Birmingham, Ala., San Antonio, Orlando, and San Diego among them.
The AAF held a quarterback-only draft last week, with 32 quarterbacks chosen.
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