8 50 player teams, no kickoffs....
The XFL is planning a return in 2020, but football fans looking for gridiron action when the NFL hits the offseason won’t have to wait that long.
Charlie Ebersol directed an ESPN 30 for 30 about the first iteration of the XFL, which was a partnership between his father Dick as head of NBC Sports and Vince McMahon, and he announced on Tuesday that the Alliance of American Football will kick off following the Super Bowl in February 2019. Hall of Famer Bill Polian will help oversee the league, which aims to have eight 50-man teams playing a 10-week schedule.
“There are 28,000 Division I football players,” Ebersol said, via ESPN.com. “Only 1,700 have NFL jobs. We’re looking for those Kurt Warners working in grocery stores and we think we will find them.”
One twist planned is the elimination of kickoffs as teams will start on their 25-yard line. Teams that want to try an onside kick will instead get one play from their 35 to gain 10 yards and keep possession of the ball.
Dick Ebersol, Troy Polamalu Hines Ward and Justin Tuck will also be involved with the league, which is set to air its first game and title game on CBS. Other games will appear on CBS Sports Network and streaming on the league’s app.
The league, which has financial backing from Peter Thiel and The Chernin Group, is expected to announce the locations of the eight teams in the coming months.
The XFL is planning a return in 2020, but football fans looking for gridiron action when the NFL hits the offseason won’t have to wait that long.
Charlie Ebersol directed an ESPN 30 for 30 about the first iteration of the XFL, which was a partnership between his father Dick as head of NBC Sports and Vince McMahon, and he announced on Tuesday that the Alliance of American Football will kick off following the Super Bowl in February 2019. Hall of Famer Bill Polian will help oversee the league, which aims to have eight 50-man teams playing a 10-week schedule.
“There are 28,000 Division I football players,” Ebersol said, via ESPN.com. “Only 1,700 have NFL jobs. We’re looking for those Kurt Warners working in grocery stores and we think we will find them.”
One twist planned is the elimination of kickoffs as teams will start on their 25-yard line. Teams that want to try an onside kick will instead get one play from their 35 to gain 10 yards and keep possession of the ball.
Dick Ebersol, Troy Polamalu Hines Ward and Justin Tuck will also be involved with the league, which is set to air its first game and title game on CBS. Other games will appear on CBS Sports Network and streaming on the league’s app.
The league, which has financial backing from Peter Thiel and The Chernin Group, is expected to announce the locations of the eight teams in the coming months.
