Could the XFL Eventually Overtake the NFL?

The Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL’s reigning Super Bowl Champions. Just two weeks after Pat Mahomes and Travis Kelce reached football immortality. Eight other teams are trying to do the same, just in another league - the XFL.

The XFL originally began in 2001, and was operated by the World Wrestling Federation. Nearly two decades later, Vince McMahon, decided to revive the league. Four teams make up each conference as they compete over the course of ten weeks and have a two-week playoff process.

The major selling point for the XFL is that it is nearly the same level of talent as the NFL, just with rules that encourage more competitive, hard-hitting football. Their slogan is “less stall, more ball”.

Rather than kicking an extra point after a touchdown with an option of a two-point conversion, there are a few options for XFL players to put more points on the board. Each team has the option of running a play from the 2, 5 and 10 yard-lines for 1, 2 and 3 points respectively.

Rule changes like these are meant to make the game much more high scoring and to maintain fan-interest. Opening weekend proved to do just that.

The league debuted with a battle between the D.C. Defenders against the Seattle Dragons. This matchup drew an average of 3.3 million viewers and even peaked at 4 million. The game (like every other game in the XFL) was televised nationally on ABC, and outperformed the competing NBA and college basketball games going on at the same time.

Fans are falling in love with the opportunities the league offers for redemption. Guys in the XFL are embodying the league’s mantra - “For the love of the game”.

Nick Holley, former Los Angeles Rams running back, has torn his ACL on three separate occasions and has even broken his back. He does it all for one simple reason, “I love football!”, he says.

If McMahon’s league continues progressing, it could provide a serious alternative for football fans who are fed up with the NFL. As the NFL seems to give more attention to CTE and injuries all together, the XFL prides itself on hard hits. This can be all fans need to tune into the XFL and out of the NFL.