COVID-19 has claimed another victim in the sports world as the Xtreme Football League (XFL) announced that the league has no plans on returning next year.
The XFL, along with the NBA, NHL and other professional sports leagues, suspended then rest of the their schedule in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The XFL managed to complete the fifth week of their schedule before suspending operations. All players were guaranteed their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season, according to the XFL’s website,
However, the situation for the XFL deteriorated since their initial suspension of the regular season. The league announced that it has laid off nearly all of its staff , excluding a few executives, and has no plans on returning in 2021, per ESPN.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), whose owner Vince McMahon also owns the XFL, said in a statement, “Given the uncertainty of the current environment, the XFL has suspended operations and is evaluating next steps.”
The XFL pledged to return to the sports world next year, but chief operating officer (COO) Jeffery Pollack held a 10-minute conference call to announce the mass layoffs in the organization.
XFL commissioner Oliver Luck, father of former NFL quarterback (QB) Andrew Luck, did not speak on the call and its unknown if he still remains with the organization.
This incarnation of the XFL folded after a shorter amount of time then McMahon’s first venture into the spring football market. The original XFL began in 2001 and folded after one full season. The Alliance of American Football (AAF), which notoriously folded in the midst of their inaugural season in 2019, even lasted longer than the second version of the XFL.
While the XFL has closed their doors for a second time, multiple former XFL players were able to sign with NFL teams, including P.J. Walker (QB, Houston Roughnecks), Jordan Ta’amu (QB, St. Louis Battlehawks), Deatrick Nichols (defensive back, Houston Roughnecks) and Dravon Askew-Henry (defensive back, New York Guardians), according to NBC Sports.
