Vince McMahon is reviving the Xtreme Football League, otherwise known as the XFL.
The current professional wrestling executive started the XFL in 1999, but the league folded in 2001. The XFL was marketed as a tougher and more extreme version of the original NFL. The brief stint of the XFL doesn’t paint a good outlook for the reincarnation of the league in a couple of years. Luckily for McMahon and the XFL, now is a good time to move in on the market.
The XFL can function in one of two ways relative to the NFL. As a feeder league, the XFL can be a sort of minor league to the NFL. Young players can begin their careers in the XFL after their college careers before making the transition to the big league. The NFL would likely support the idea of a feeder team, which could potentially increase the level of talent currently in the NFL.
The second way the XFL can exist is as a direct competitor to the NFL. Like before, the XFL should be playing during the NFL’s offseason, which lasts from February until August. McMahon’s excellence in marketing will prove vital. The XFL needs to live up to its name by being more gritty, relaxed and flashy than the already established NFL. Now is a good time to capitalize on the market as recent anthem protests and ticket prices have been hurting the NFL for a while. Poor moves by NFL owners and management have made fans disillusioned with the league. The XFL can easily capitalize on the faltering NFL, especially now that NFL ratings are on the decline.
The XFL can potentially survive past one season this time around. Times are much different from the early 2000s. The NFL’s constant mistakes have allowed a more open market for the XFL to squeeze into. It’ll be difficult to compete with the NFL, but it isn’t impossible.
Vince McMahon, active owner of the WWE, in the ring at a wrestling event. (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
