XFL Founder Vince McMahon To Announce New Pro Football League

Who’s ready for some more football? The defunct XFL is being brought back to life, according to multiple reports. An announcement is set for 3PM ET Thursday. Vince McMahon, who founded the original XFL in 1999, is also the mastermind behind the new version. The new XFL will debut in 2020 under McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment company, not the WWE.

The original XFL was marketed as brash and considered controversial for the many ways it differed from the NFL. Among the many rules (or lack thereof):

• There were no kickoff. Players would simply scramble for the ball at midfield.
• Players could put what they wanted on their jerseys. He Hate Me was the most notorious nickname. Other fun ones included “DRUCK” for QB Jim Druckenmiller, “OX” for RB Ken Oxendine and “DEATH BLOW” for DB Jamal Duff.
• There were no extra points.
• Defenders could bump opponents downfield.

The original XFL only lasted one season (2001) due to low television ratings, though attendance was closer to expectations.

Details on the new league are yet to released but expect it to position itself as a competitor to the NFL, not a feeder league.

A reports suggests that signing Johnny Manziel is at the top of McMahon’s list.