According to an official announcement made on the XFL Twitter account, the beleaguered football league has pushed off its return until the spring of 2022.
The announcement comes following the purchase of the XFL by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and several other business partners in August.
There were rumors that the league might resume action as soon as the spring of 2021, using a “bubble” format similar to what the NBA and NHL have done.
The league president and chief operating officer Jeffery Pollack explained the decision in a statement: “For the love of football and for the safety of our players and fans, we'll be back on the field in 2022," Pollack said. "The opportunity in front of us, with our new ownership, is simply too big to rush back. We want to do this properly with care and thought for everyone who loves football, especially our players, coaches, partners and fans."
This delay gives the league time to evaluate a lot of important factors, including players, coaches, and even locations of teams. Many have called for the Tampa Bay Vipers to be relocated, citing poor attendance for the two games they played, and because of a bigger market down in Orlando that would be more than happy to house an XFL team.
Whatever happens, at least the XFL is doing the smart thing, both business-wise and in regards to public health.
It might be a long year-and-a-half, but hopefully we’ll all still be here, itching to watch some more weird-but-fun football with some guys we’ve probably never heard of.
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