How Vince McMahon Re-imagined the XFL

Nadia Harman, Writer
October 24, 2019

Have you ever watched a WWE show, maybe Monday Night RAW or SmackDown and wondered, “What if the WWE and Football where merged together.” You might not have thought that but WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon definitely had that in mind. Not many would think McMahon would attempt to have his own league in 2001. After the league completely flopped after only one season they got rid of the entire association after they became the laughing stock of professional sports. 18 years later, McMahon believes that he can revise the league and get a fresh start on restarting the football league which is set for a 2020 debut.

The league is set to have a 10 week schedule with eight teams to play. At the end there will be play offs to a championship game. The league announced that no WWE superstars or anyone else associated with the WWE universe will be involved or have any relations with the league besides McMahon. For all anyone knows that can be subject to change as the McMahon family likes to cross over and advertise the other companies they have as often as possible. The league promises “less stall, more ball” as the official statement on their website puts it. They will still have a regular football game, 11 vs. 11 on a 100 yard field. The entire game is exactly how you would see it on an NFL game but instead of stall time in between or so many breaks in the game, they want a smooth flowing football game that goes faster than a normal game. They promise “a faster,entertaining brand of football.” Coaches for this league will be recruited from former NFL teams and college teams. The XFL will definitely not be lacking in the coaching department. Players have not been announced as of yet, Tues. Oct. 15 and Wed. Oct 16 will be the first player draft of the new XFL.

McMahon discussing the original XFL in 200

In 2001 McMahon teamed up with NBC for a 50/50 ownership of this league. The league was promised to be just like this one but was ahead of its own time. The ratings at the beginning of the 10 week long season where very high and things were looking up for this new league. Soon after the first few weeks, ratings dropped rapidly and football fans began to laugh at the league. Now, people are uneasy about whether this will be a repeat of what happened 18 years ago. The league is also gaining back many fans willing to give the XFL a second chance. The XFL is set to start in 2020 and will air on ABC, ESPN, Fox Sports and FS1.