XFL Returns In 2020

AP Photo/Ed Bailey, File – XFL
In this Feb. 3, 2000, Vince McMahon, chairman of the World Wrestling Federation, speaks during a news conference in New York. The XFL is set for a surprising second life, McMahon announced Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. McMahon said the XFL would return in 2020 but offered few other details about the late winter/early spring football league.

Vince McMahon announced Jan. 25 that his notorious XFL professional football league will come back in 2020.

“The new XFL is an exciting opportunity to reimagine America’s favorite sport,” McMahon said in a statement. “As we move towards kickoff, we look forward to listening and implementing innovative ideas from players, coaches, medical experts, technology executives, the media and most importantly football fans.”

The WWE Chairman and CEO is bankrolling the project through his investment company Alpha Entertainment. The initial announcement indicates that not all the details have been worked out and it was not clear whether the games would be played in stadiums or arenas, though the product was promised to be “a fan-centric, innovative experience, including shorter, fast-paced games and a family-friendly environment.”

The XFL played only one season in 2001, when it was a joint venture between McMahon’s WWF and NBC. The league died when NBC pulled its support after a roller-coaster first season.