The XFL, whose latest revival as a spring alternative to the NFL was led by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, is merging with the USFL.
Today’s brief announcement pointed to this plan but did not provide any details, saying more information would be announced “at a later date.”
Both leagues operate not only in the shadow of the NFL, which occupies vast territory in terms of player talent and public attention, but also their own backstory.
Before it was acquired by Johnson, Garcia and RedBird Capital for $15 million in 2020, the XFL was the passion project of longtime WWE executive Vince McMahon. Echoing a previous venture with NBC, which sought to adopt the edgy prowess of WWE but ended up being one of the biggest turkeys on primetime television, XFL 2.0 was more subdued. Despite this, the new league sought to shake things up with a slew of new rules and a looser approach than the NFL.
Meanwhile, the USFL also sought to challenge the NFL, but a little more forcefully. In its first incarnation in the 1980s, the league self-destructed when it tried to go downhill and face off against the NFL. This first iteration ended in legal confusion. It was revived decades later through an unusual joint broadcast agreement with NBC and Fox, with Fox also taking a minority stake in the league.
“Subject to customary regulatory approvals and the transaction being completed, the new league will create best-in-class operations based on the recent seasons of both leagues,” today’s announcement said. “This historic combination will provide professional spring football with significant opportunities and resources to ensure future growth and further development of the collective players, coaches and staff that come together.”
The eternal hope is that a challenger will emerge and gain enough momentum to survive as the legitimate “other” professional football league, but history is littered with failed attempts such as the WFL and AAF. While the NFL’s TV audience remains gigantic, it’s far from clear that viewership numbers will be nearly the same for players and teams populated by far less big names. The USFL Championship last July drew about 1.16 million viewers on NBC, about double the regular season average. A few weeks later, the XFL title game drew 1.43 million viewers on ABC.
“Rome was not built in a day. This league is not going to be built in a day,” Johnson told USA Today last summer. “It happens day after day, year after year.”