Vince McMahon Announces XFL Relaunch For 2020

“The new XFL will kick off in 2020. And quite frankly, we’re gonna give the game of football back to fans,” Vince McMahon said this afternoon during a live stream event as he announced the revival of the XFL.

At the start, there will be eight teams, 40-man rosters, a 10-game regular season, and a postseason with two semifinals and a championship game. They haven’t decided on which cities will have teams yet, but the league won’t be using a franchise model and there won’t be individual owners.

Plans are for the season to start in January or early February, which is at the end of the NFL calendar.

There will be a multi-platform approach to presenting games, with them available on big screens and mobile devices. McMahon said there’s been no initial talks with broadcast partners but claimed there’s interest out there.

On the subject of WWE, McMahon said the XFL revival will have no effect on his current role. There will also be no crossover of talent between both organizations. McMahon said WWE isn’t involved with the XFL because the initial $100 million investment was too rich.

McMahon said the quality of the human being will be as important as the quality of the player when it comes to who plays in the XFL. Later, he said the game will have nothing to do with politics and will stay out of social issues.

The XFL will be hiring experienced executives and McMahon won’t be the public face of the league.

McMahon said they’d be listening to fans, players, coaches, medical experts, technology executives, members of the media, and anyone else who loves football. He mentioned eliminating halftime, having fewer commercial breaks, making the game faster, and simplifying the rules as possible ideas.

The original XFL ran for one unsuccessful season in 2001. An ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on the league premiered last year.

The following statement was issued on the revival of the XFL.

New XFL kicks off in 2020

STAMFORD, CONN. – Professional football will be reimagined when the new XFL kicks off in early 2020, Vince McMahon announced in a live stream event today.

The XFL will deliver a fan-centric, innovative experience, including shorter, fast-paced games and a family-friendly environment, complemented by cross-platform viewing options and real-time fan engagement.

Plans for the XFL at launch include eight teams, 40-man active rosters and a 10-week regular-season schedule, with a postseason consisting of two semifinal playoff games and a championship game.

“The new XFL is an exciting opportunity to reimagine America’s favorite sport,” said McMahon. “As we move towards kickoff, we look forward to listening and implementing innovative ideas from players, coaches, medical experts, technology executives, the media and most importantly football fans.”

McMahon, a visionary and an accomplished business executive, is personally funding this venture through Alpha Entertainment, a new private entity. McMahon will continue as WWE Chairman & CEO.

Relive the full streamed announcement at XFL.com and YouTube (youtube.com/xflofficial). For the latest updates, follow the XFL on Facebook (facebook.com/xfl), Twitter (@xfl2020) and Instagram (@xfl), and be sure to join in on the conversation using #XFL2020.