XFL/USFL merger?

[Blue In BC]

It appears these two spring leagues will be merging into a single new league for 2024. A last gasp effort to make something work. lol

The good news is that there will be a few more players available and fewer CFL players that will look south in free agency.

I wonder how much money The Roc will lose?

[Blue In BC]

News that the XFL / USFL leagues are going to merge for 2024 season. What a cluster****.

[TecnoGenius]

News that the XFL / USFL leagues are going to merge for 2024 season. What a cluster****.

Merge as in there will be double the number of teams but in one league now?  Or merge as in most of the players from one merge into the existing teams of the other?

It's the smart move.  There isn't enough room in the market for so many silly leagues.  This buys them another year or 3 before they are all bankrupt.

This only helps the CFL.  How could any good player look at a secure and steady CFL contract vs a league-could-disappear-tomorrow contract?

[theaardvark]

It will be interesting to see what this looks like.  Who owns it, who is on the hook for the losses, who broadcasts it...

Logistics, too... empty stands looked horrible, where will they play?

[Blue In BC]

Merge as in there will be double the number of teams but in one league now?  Or merge as in most of the players from one merge into the existing teams of the other?

It's the smart move.  There isn't enough room in the market for so many silly leagues.  This buys them another year or 3 before they are all bankrupt.

This only helps the CFL.  How could any good player look at a secure and steady CFL contract vs a league-could-disappear-tomorrow contract?

Just a guess on my part but I think of the 16 teams they will be down to 10 or 12. I'd guess the USFL name tag has slightly more credibility and that league will " draft / absorb " the XFL rosters. USFL had a better TV deal IIRC so this is just a buy out of the XFL ( $12 and a bag chips ).

I didn't see too many actual details other than it was probable that they merge.

Too many teams for all 16 to survive IMO.

[theaardvark]

Just a guess on my part but I think of the 16 teams they will be down to 10 or 12. I'd guess the USFL name tag has slightly more credibility and that league will " draft / absorb " the XFL rosters. USFL had a better TV deal IIRC so this is just a buy out of the XFL ( $12 and a bag chips ).

I didn't see too many actual details other than it was probable that they merge.

Too many teams for all 16 to survive IMO.

Well, if they merge and have 9 teams... maybe they can survive long term... worked for the CFL...

[Blue In BC]

There was an interesting comment on the other site. It suggested an XFL and a USFL division. I don't really think that works either since they're are different rules in the two leagues. Different salary sizes etc etc. At some point when they play a " championship" game that mucks up the works even more.

IMO there has to be a winner and a loser in this outcome with only one name surviving. There may be some sort of change to ownership etc. However did either league make a profit? Does anyone expect any iteration in 2024 to make a profit?

I smell toast.

[theaardvark]

There was an interesting comment on the other site. It suggested an XFL and a USFL division. I don't really think that works either since their are different rules in the two leagues. At some point when they play a " championship" game that mucks up the works even more.

IMO there has to be a winner and a loser in this outcome with only one name surviving. There may be some sort of change to ownership etc. However did either league make a profit? Does anyone expect any iteration in 2024 to make a profit?

I smell toast.

Different rules, different SMS, different ownership, different broadcasters, city overlap, making one out of two and retaining ANY of both of the leagues would be a clusterpooch.

XUSFL where everything from one league is thrown out but the players might work.  Consolidating FOX's spring football content might enhance the NFL part of their offering.  Would instantly increase the level of play, getting rid of the bottom half of the talent pool.  And with only one league vying for the NFL Feeder title. maybe some strategerie manifests there.  Each NFL team can contribute a handfull of PR/development players 8 XUSFL teams consisting of 20 NFL development players (5 each from 4 regional teams) and 33 hopefuls...  give a much better story line to follow, gets NFL fans to buy in following "their" players.  And those NFL assigned players would be paid by NFL teams, making overheads lower. 

And the league tests out all the new technology and new rules for the NFL.  Testing over a full season / playoffs vs. a preseason makes a big difference.

There could be a chance if egos don't get in the way.  I can see the Rock just taking his football and going home.  Which wouldn't lose teh USFL anything if XFL just shut down.  FOX has deper pockets than the Rock

[Blue In BC]

I wonder if there is any info on fan interest on each team in either league. Which teams attracted the largest audiences and what revenue did they generate?  That's a starting point of which teams aren't viable in either league. TV views, live audience and merch revenue all come into play.  I think there were more fans in the stands for USFL games but I didn't watch much of any team or league. Lost interest about 10 minutes into the 1st game.

[Blue In BC]

Best I can tell is that the plan a new name and only 4 XFL teams make the cut along with the 8 USFL. That would suggest rules from the USFL will be the prominent choices.

The XFL and United States Football League (USFL) have announced their intention to merge.
Confirmed:

    Move will create one single spring American football league
    Unified competition aims to cement ?the future of professional spring football? and enhance development of players, coaches and staff
    Merger remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and ?does not come with any guaranteed outcomes?

Context:

It was reported earlier this month that the XFL and USFL were nearing an agreement to merge their operations in a move that should provide greater financial stability for the pair. The prospect of both leagues competing during the spring and actually thriving seemed unlikely, especially since several previous competitions, including two incarnations of the XFL, have failed to last. The USFL was the first spring league ?at scale? in about 40 years to return and play a second season.

The XFL, which reportedly lost an estimated US$60 million in its 2023 comeback season, is currently backed by an ownership group fronted by Dany Garcia and Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson, while the USFL is owned by Fox Sports. It has not been disclosed how the merger affects players or teams in both leagues.
Comment:

?We realise this news creates many questions, and we will continue to communicate with all of you as new information becomes available throughout this process?, read a USFL statement.

?We are excited about the future and hope [to] be able to share more details regarding the new league at a later date?.
Coming next:

Details on the new league, including its name and schedule, have not been announced but the XFL and USFL said more information would be announced at a later date. The USFL has filed 22 trademark applications for ?NSFL? and ?National Spring Football League?. Both could raise eyebrows from within the National Football League (NFL).
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[theaardvark]

So, a reduced drain on potential CFL talent.  Good.

Wonder how much ownership The Rock will retain, or if FOX just takes on a bunch of his debt in exchange for the whole enchilada, maybe with him agreeing to some free marketing appearances/endorsements.

I guess the "54th man" theme of giving players a second chance to earn their way into the NFL didn't really pan out. Not sure how many parlayed their XFL/USFL stints into pro deals.  A few ended up here, for sure, but nothing earth shattering. 

And certainly didn't do anything to create any fan bases or any value there.

 

[Blue In BC]

More details to be announced this week or early next week. Could be 10 or 12 teams in the final concept.

[Blue In BC]

Leagues merged with 8 teams remaining. Four teams from each league survived for the moment. There is going to be a lot of players looking for new employment.

EDIT: The two leagues will be providing a list of about 200 players from each of XFL or USFL that are going to hit free agency. I would have thought there might be some sort of draft into the new league to absorb some of those players. In any case, some of those players will land back in the surviving  8 teams I suppose. That will still displace a lot of players.

Could see a bunch of them in CFL TC's but how many actually make rosters?

The bigger question is how long does the new league last?