XFL (2020)
The XFL was a professional American football minor league consisting of eight teams located across the United States in mid-sized to major markets. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the United States Football League (USFL). The league headquarters were in Arlington, Texas.
| Most recent season or competition: 2023 XFL season | |
| Classification | Spring football league |
|---|---|
| Sport | American football |
| Founded | January 25, 2018 |
| Founder | Vince McMahon |
| Inaugural season | 2020 |
| Ceased | December 31, 2023 (Merged into UFL) |
| Owner(s) |
|
| President | Russ Brandon |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Centerfield Office Building Arlington, Texas U.S. |
| Most recent champion(s) | Arlington Renegades (1st title) |
| Most titles | Arlington Renegades (1 title) |
| TV partner(s) |
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| Related competitions | Direct: UFL, USFL, TSL Affiliated: IFL Other: NFL, CFL |
| Official website | XFL.com |
The league was founded by WWE executive Vince McMahon in 2018, as a successor to the league of the same name he founded in 2001. McMahon founded the new XFL to create a league with fewer off-field controversies and faster, simpler play compared to the bigger National Football League (NFL), and one without the features inspired by professional wrestling or entertainment elements of its predecessor. The league and its eight teams were originally owned by McMahon's Alpha Entertainment. Seasons ran from February to May, with each of the league's teams playing a ten-game regular season, and four progressing to the playoffs to crown a season champion.
After only five weeks of play in its inaugural 2020 season, the league abruptly ceased play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and filed for bankruptcy on April 13. In August 2020, actor and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson, along with longtime business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia, led a consortium to purchase the XFL for $15 million. The league returned to play on February 18, 2023, positioned as a minor league.
The XFL operated in the winter and early spring months, after the end of the NFL season and before the start of the USFL season. The league had a player personnel partnership with the Indoor Football League (IFL), with the IFL functioning as the XFL's de facto minor league.
On September 28, 2023, the XFL announced its intention to merge with the USFL. On November 30, 2023, the leagues issued a statement that they "completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement". On December 31, the name of the combined league was confirmed as the United Football League, with each component league surviving as a conference within the UFL.