XFL is No Longer a One-Hit Wonder

Wacky rules highlight opening weeks of XFL

The early 2000s saw an alternative football league called the “XFL” originate in hope of making the sport of football more fun and violent.  

This upstart football league brought in 14 million viewers during the first week, but the low quality of play led to the league’s quick demise.However on Feb. 8, 2020, a new-look XFL debuted in a much more mild manner as the Seattle Dragons hosted the Washington D.C. Defenders in the XFL’s first game in 19 years.

The new-look league hopes to be less of an entertainment sideshow and more of a viable professional sports league.

As the National Football League (NFL) season extends from September until the beginning of February, the XFL attempts to bridge the football-less gap for both diehard and casual football fans.   

“We did an in-depth study on the American football fan,” XFL President Jeffrey Pollack said. “That led to our conclusion that there are approximately 40 million avid football fans in the United States who want more football when there is otherwise none.” 

Starting the week after the NFL Super Bowl allows the XFL to capitalize on retaining fans' attention before they mentally switch over to rooting for their favorite basketball, hockey and baseball teams.  The XFL provides a few rule changes that shorten the game durations, engage the fans on every play and promote player safety.

The typical NFL game lasts longer than three hours, and with the XFL’s shortened game clock, halftime and the elimination of coaching challenges, the overall game time has been drastically cut down. 

Additionally, the league eliminated the extra point and replaced it with varying options for post-touchdown points. 

Teams can try for one point from the 2-yard line, two points from the 5-yard line or three points from the 10-yard line. Teams can score nine points in one possession, increasing the possibility of major comebacks 

Along with quirky rules, the XFL brought in some former collegiate and professional players who have all seemingly missed their chances of chasing their NFL dreams. Notable players include Cardale Jones, and Marquette King.  Jones, drafted in the NFL’s fourth round by the Buffalo Bills, brings only one-quarter of NFL experience but won a National Championship at Ohio State University in 2015. King brings flash to the league, as he is known for the post-punt celebrations he displayed in his 6 year NFL career as a punter for the Oakland Raiders. 

Despite having some attention-grabbing names, the XFL missed grabbing bonafide celebrity football players who struggled to find a home in the NFL. Quarterbacks like Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel spent minimal time in the NFL, but have significant fan followings that could have boosted the XFL’s audience.  

The league was in contract negotiations with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, but his salary demands were too high for the upstart league.  

By missing on these major players, the XFL's best bet for maintaining their success relies on becoming a farm system for the NFL. Much like how Major League Baseball has Minor League Baseball as a developmental system for their players, the XFL could serve the NFL in the same way.  

If the league wishes to continue more than one year, unlike their XFL predecessors, they will have to foster a system that gives overlooked players a chance to prove themselves until they are ready to become a feasible alternative to the NFL.

Contact Kieran Bradford at kbradford@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.