RIP XFL

Probably. I mean, he clearly shielded it from his WWE operations - that's worth a couple billion now, so he could pay off creditors in a variety of ways (cash, stock in WWE, liquidating some assets) to get rid of the XFL debt if he wanted.

 

XFL returns in 2022 - ProFootballTalk

 

It seemed to be doing OK before the pandemic, at least to me. Here would be my thing, if I was them - why not aggressively go after high school seniors? Set yourself up as a true minor league and try to cut the legs out from the NCAA.

 

Bump!

CFL, XFL discuss collaboration - ProFootballTalk

 

So the 2022 season is "on hold," much like my plans to buy a new Ferrari are.

 

I wouldn’t be shocked if the CFL is done in three years.

 

The CFL's biggest problem is that it needs Toronto but Toronto doesn't need the CFL.

 

Very true, the league does well elsewhere but in Toronto it is barely an afterthought and I say that as a son of the Argos season ticketholder in the glory days before the Jays, Raptors and Toronto FC when you couldn't get a ticket at the Ex, and if you didnt bring a mickey with you they'd give you one on the way in

 

I’ve been shocked for a whole that it’s still going. A guy I work with was the controller at the league office back in the 90s, and would agree the league lives in spite of itself. His stories about Larry Smith era in particular are quite entertaining.

Then again, I think the league still draws good numbers on TSN, so as long as that’s the case they’ll probably stumble along for a while.

 

Will the CFL introduce an American division like they did in the 1990s?

I could see a western division of Salt Lake, Oakland and San Diego joining the BC Lions.

 

One thing I think the XFL has to do is embrace second-year college football players that aren't eligible for the NFL Draft yet. I didn't think this version of the XFL was bad at all. They got a horrible stroke of luck at the worst possible time. The crowds didn't seem to be awful. The St. Louis team in particular was drawing pretty strong numbers. The ratings weren't great, but the games weren't a complete struggle to watch like the first version of the league.

 

Possible markets:

New Jersey
Orlando
St. Louis
San Antonio

Oakland
San Diego
Salt Lake City
Portland

Existing CFL franchises
Montreal
Toronto
Ottawa
Hamilton
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Winnepeg
Edmonton
Vancouver BC