XFL Officially Suspends All Operations; Three Former Vanderbilt Commodores Laid Off

The XFL gave it a go but like most every other business in 2020, the COVID-19 cornavirus pandemic has taken its toll, forcing the fledgling football league to suspend all operations on Friday.

Let's be clear, this COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic stinks. It stinks more than perhaps anything else other than 9/11 in my lifetime. 

The virus claimed another casualty on Friday- no, I'm in no way comparing the closing of a football league to the loss of a humans life- as the XFL football league announced the suspension of all operation for the entire league.

In a statement, the league said it was "committed to playing a full season in 2021," but "It is unclear if the XFL will return in 2021."

The league also announced that all players would receive their base pay for the 2020 season and all benefits associated with the league for the year.

Three former Vanderbilt Commodores were part of the league when the stoppage occurred on March 12. All three, while continuing to be paid for the season, must hope for a shot at an NFL training camp invitation if their football careers are to continue.  

Bruno Reagan was a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks while LaDarius Wiley was with the Los Angeles Wildcats and Charles Wright with the New York Guardians. 

It was the second attempt by the Vince McMahon led XFL to provide a spring football league. This will be the fourth spring football league to have tried and failed to sustain itself through a spring season, with the XFL now falling shorts for the second time.

Despite the newness and the differences in rules from the college or NFL games, it seemed that the league was beginning to gain momentum and a fan following outside of only those in their city. Now we will never know how much it might have grown.

Fans of the league and those who were just starting to watch, or take an interest in the league, along with all football fans are now left with that same old void without football, and just when it seemed this offering might have the potential to work out for more than just a season.