XFL 2020 rebooted on February 8th, 2020. Let’s take a look at everything we need to know heading into the new season.
The XFL was the brainchild of Vince McMahon back in 2001.
(Related – XFL 2020 OPENING ODDS & PROPS)
With a 50 percent stake owned by NBC, the league was set to launch as the “extra fun league,” and the rules were outrageous.
For one, coin tosses were not in the original XFL. Instead, one player from each team would line up at opposing goal lines and run a 50-yard dash to pick up a resting ball. The winner got the ball first.
In the first game, a player broke his collarbone going for the ball.
… wow.
The league failed, but there was some semblance of hope in the league rebooting with better rules.
Now, 19 years after the end of the original XFL, the league is ready to reboot. There is a whole new plan in place, and the league is taking major strides to ensure the success of XFL 2020.
There is so much promise in this product, and I see major success in the future.
Several things are different about this new league, so let’s take a look at the differences from the first year.
What is the XFL 2020?
The XFL is a new football league created by WWE owner, Vince McMahon. Consisting of eight teams, the league will start play in February 2020.
What does XFL stand for?
According to Vince McMahon, the XFL stands for, “Extra fun league.”
What are the 2020 XFL teams in the relaunch?
The XFL teams are the Defenders, the Guardians, the Vipers, the Renegades, the BattleHawks, the Roughnecks, the Wildcats and the Dragons. Check out more details on XFL teams on the league website.
What are the XFL cities and XFL team names?
XFL New York- New York will be home of the Guardians at the start of 2020.
XFL Dallas- Dallas will be home of the Renegades at the start of 2020.
XFL St. Louis- St. Louis will be home of the BattleHawks at the start of 2020.
XFL Houston- Houston will be home of the Roughnecks at the start of 2020.
XFL DC- DC will be home of the Defenders at the start of 2020.
XFL LA- Los Angeles will be home of the Wildcats at the start of 2020.
XFL Tampa Bay- Tampa Bay will be home of the Vipers at the start of 2020.
XFL Seattle- Seattle will be home of the Dragons at the start of 2020.
Who are the XFL coaches?
Out of the eight XFL teams, five of them will be coached by individuals with NFL or NCAA experience. Many of the XFL 2020 assistant coaches are household names.
XFL NY Guardians Coaches
Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Gilbride, Super Bowl champion and former Offensive Coordinator of the New York Giants
Defensive Coordinator: Jim Herrmann
XFL Tampa Bay Vipers Coaches
Head Coach: Marc Trestman, former head coach of the Chicago Bears
Offensive Coordinator: Jamie Elizondo
Defensive Coordinator: Jerry Glanville
XFL Dallas Renegades Coaches
Head Coach: Bob Stoops, former coach of Oklahoma University and the only coach of the BCS era to win the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl
Offensive Coordinator: Hal Mumme
Defensive Coordinator: Chris Woods
XFL LA Wildcats Coaches
Head Coach: Winston Moss, former defensive assistant of the Green Bay Packers
Offensive Coordinator: Norm Chow
Defensive Coordinator: Pepper Johnson
XFL Seattle Dragons Coaches
Head Coach: Jim Zorn, former head coach of the Washington Redskins, and Seahawks great– The first QB in franchise history and a one-time team MVP.
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Riley
Defensive Coordinator: Clayton Lopez
XFL Houston Roughnecks Coaches
Head Coach: June Jones
Offensive Coordinator: Chris Miller
Defensive Coordinator: Ted Cottrell
XFL DC Defenders Coaches
Head Coach: Pep Hamilton
Offensive Coordinator: Tanner Engstrand
Defensive Coordinator: Louie Cioffi
XFL St. Louis Battlehawks Coaches
Head Coach: Johnathan Hayes
Offensive Coordinator: Chuck Long
Defensive Coordinator: Jay Hayes
Who are the notable XFL players?
The XFL draft is broken into two “phases.” Rumor had it that Johnny Manziel and Tim Tebow might make the leap but have not yet. Landry Jones was the first former NFL player to sign a deal. Former Giants Super Bowl winning WR Hakeem Nicks will also be in the league.
Other known players taken in Phase 1 included running back Christine Michael (BattleHawks), receiver Sammie Coates (Roughnecks), quarterback Tyree Jackson (Defenders) and running back Andre Williams (Roughnecks).
Former Ohio State star Cardale Jones will play for the D.C. Defenders.
Phillip Walker will play for the Houston Roughnecks.
Former Penn State and Oakland Raiders QB Matt McGloin will play for the New York Guardians.
Former Georgia Bulldog and Chiefs QB Aaron Murray will play for the Tampa Bay Vipers.
When does the XFL start?
Game play for the XFL started on February 8th, 2020, and the draft happened in mid-October of 2019.
What is the XFL salary?
The following is how players will be paid in the XFL in year one. The XFL salary has four tiers:
- Tier 1: $25,000 to $60,000 per game: 1 franchise designation
- Tier 2: $15,000 to $17,500 per game: 3 slots per team
- Tier 3: $6,000 to $10,000 per game: 23 slots per team
- Tier 4: $5,000 to $6,000 per game: 18 slots per team
What is the XFL 2020 schedule?
Week 1
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| Feb. 8 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Feb. 8 | 5 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Feb. 9 | 2 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Feb. 9 | 5 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Week 2
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| Feb. 15 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Feb. 15 | 5 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Feb. 16 | 3 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Feb. 16 | 6 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Week 3
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| Feb. 22 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Feb. 22 | 5 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Feb. 23 | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Feb. 23 | 6 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Week 4
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| Feb. 29 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Feb. 29 | 5 p.m. ET | Fox |
| March 1 | 4 p.m. ET | FS1 |
| March 1 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN 2 |
Week 5
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| March 7 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| March 8 | 5 p.m. ET | Fox |
| March 1 | 3 p.m. ET | FS1 |
| March 1 | 7 (or 9:30) p.m. ET | ESPN |
Week 6
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| March 14 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| March 14 | 5 p.m. ET | FS2 |
| March 15 | 4 p.m. ET | FS1 |
| March 15 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2 |
Week 7
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| March 21 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| March 21 | 5 p.m. ET | Fox |
| March 22 | 3 p.m. ET | ABC |
| March 22 | 6 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Week 8
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| March 28 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| March 28 | 5 p.m. ET | Fox |
| March 29 | 3 p.m. ET | ABC |
| March 29 | 6 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Week 9
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| April 2 | 8 p.m. ET | Fox |
| April 4 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| April 5 | 12 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| April 5 | 6 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Week 10
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| April 9 | 8 p.m. ET | Fox |
| April 11 | 2 p.m. ET | ABC |
| April 12 | 12 p.m. ET | FS1 |
| April 12 | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Playoffs
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| April 18 | 3 p.m. ET | Fox |
| April 19 | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN |
XFL 2020 Championship Game Date/TV
| Date | Time | TV channel |
| April 26 | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Does the XFL have a TV deal?
Yes it does. The XFL landed a television deal with the Walt Disney Company and Fox. Games will be shown on ABC, Fox, Fox Sports One, Fox Sports Two, ESPN and ESPN2.
Is Oliver Luck in the XFL 2020?
Oliver Luck, father of former (sigh) Colt Andrew Luck, is the CEO of the XFL.
Is Bob Stoops in the XFL?
Bob Stoops came out of retirement to be the head coach and general manager of the Dallas Renegades for the 2020 season. Stoops had an illustrious career as the coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. Stoops was the head coach of the Sooners from 1999-2016, compiling a national championship, 10 Big 12 titles and a career record of 190-48.
