XFL owners Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital are sure to be pumped ahead of the newly resurrected league’s draft.
For the past five years, the owners of the AAF and XFL have made sure the leagues start and end before the end of their first season.
They both made their debuts in the spring and ended their seasons before the Championship could be played, but their reasons differed.
The AAF ran out of money while the XFL grappled with the pandemic.
According to Forbes, however, with the resumption of operations in various industries around the world, the Springtime Football League is trying another chance.
The XFL, now owned by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital, will begin shortly after the 2022 NFL season ends.
The league is scheduled to air over the next five years on the same channels the NFL regularly uses.
All 43 games will be broadcast live on a combination of ESPN, ESPN+, FX and ABC. There will be eight teams in the league, including the Vegas Vipers, St. Louis Battlehawks, Seattle Sea Dragons, San Antonio Brahmas, Orlando Guardians, Houston Roughnecks, DC Defenders and the Arlington Renegades.
San Antonio, Orlando, St. Louis, and Arlington are all first-time cities that don’t have a professional football team. Of course, St. Louis was once home to the NFL Rams. Texas holds three of the teams.
XFL female owner Dany Garcia says organization has hit ‘sweet spot’
In an interview with Axios earlier this year, Garcia said she’s been excited for the league since 2020.
She says:
“I saw an opportunity to take this world of football and wrap it with layered storytelling, bring it closer to the public, invest even more in athletes, bring in more technology, create ownership and extend it as if it were a live IP.”
Gerry Cardinale also pointed out that the XFL would not compete with the NFL. He added that their league would fill a painful void between the spring period when there is no football played.
Dwayne Johnson’s XFL ownership convinced Cardinale to go all-in
In the same interview, Cardinale opened up about what ultimately convinced him the league was the real deal.
He said:
“So I look at these leagues, and I say, ‘these events, a big aggregation of entertainment properties and IP.’ In the end, what really convinced me was when I got the call from Danny and Dwayne.
With the XFL Draft set to begin Nov. 15 with quarterbacks, morale is clearly high in camp.
The league’s first match, however, will be played on Saturday, February 18.
Who plays in the XFL?
The inaugural XFL draft is underway at the time of writing. Notable players drafted include former NFL quarterbacks Kyle Sloter, AJ McCarron and Ben DiNucci, according to Pro Football Network.
Sloter was a practice squad and preseason legend for the Denver Broncos. During their search for a franchise quarterback, fans pressured the team to give the quarterback a chance in a regular season game.
AJ McCarron, meanwhile, has played in numerous NFL games. Ben DiNucci played games with the Dallas Cowboys and was in the running to be the team’s backup this season.
As for the coaches, FB Schedules reports that the coaches will also feature NFL alumni. Notable former NFL names include Wade Phillips, Hines Ward and Rod Woodson.