Potential XFL Return Could Open Door for More Opportunity
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It didn’t seem like the XFL would ever get a chance to become a mainstay league in professional sports, but for the third time, there’s an opportunity for a rebirth.
News broke on Monday that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, former WWE superstar, and Gerry Cardinale’s private equity investment firm, RedBird Capital, have teamed up to buy the XFL for $15 million.
“This is a Hollywood ending to our sale process and the start of a fantastic new beginning for the XFL with the best possible ownership group going forward,” XFL President Jeffrey Pollack said.
The XFL’s second attempt at a season made it halfway in 2020. It had to shut down its operations on April 10 and laid off its entire staff. The league cited the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic as its main reason and then filed for bankruptcy three days later.
The original owner Vince McMahon, who is the current chairman of WWE, said he didn’t plan on buying back the league.
But now with Johnson’s new investment, the league could get another shot. The XFL was doing well through its first five weeks in 2020, averaging about 1.9 million viewers on FOX per game.
Johnson played football at the University of Miami, and when his NFL career fell short, he went to WWE and ascended to stardom.
“The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that's rooted deeply in two things — my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans,” Johnson said in the press release. “With pride and gratitude for all that I've built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.”
The league allows for a number of opportunities for former NFL players or college players who don’t make an NFL roster.
For Indiana, there were five former Hoosiers playing in the XFL last season. Linebacker Tegray Scales was the only Hoosier drafted, and it was by the Dallas Renegades. The other players got picked up after the draft ended. Wide receiver J-Shun Harris and linebacker Robert McCray went to the New York Guardians, defensive end Bobby Richardson was signed by the Tampa Bay Vipers and offensive lineman Andrew McDonald joined the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Tegray Scales makes a tackle against the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
From this past season, three Indiana players pursued NFL careers. Simon Stepaniak was drafted in the sixth round by the Green Bay Packers and Nick Westbrook went undrafted and was signed by the Tennessee Titans. The only Hoosier from last year to not be signed yet is Reakwon Jones.
When those three players spoke to the Indiana media in early April before the XFL shut down its operations, Jones was asked about the option of having the XFL.
“Yeah, the XFL I thought it was a good league this year. I definitely tuned into a few games. That's something that could be very positive for players,” Jones said. “Especially during times like these with what's going on, it makes it a bit harder to evaluate certain players. You just don't know how they're going to approach this whole situation, so I think the XFL is a good asset to have in our toolbox.”
That asset was gone for a few months, but now that it’s back and there’s a lot of uncertainty with how sports will move forward, the XFL could create even more opportunity for players trying to find their footing.
