XFL Files for Bankruptcy, Cites COVID-19 Crisis

The XFL has filed for bankruptcy, likely spelling the end of the second iteration of the league. The WWE-backed XFL canceled the rest of its return season last month because of the coronavirus pandemic. It suspended operations and laid off its employees Friday. The league says in a news release that it wasn’t insulated “from the harsh economic impacts and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 crisis."

It's a disappointing end for the most successful alternative football league (to the NFL) since the old AFL nearly  50 years ago. The TV ratings were solid, stadiums sold well, usually at least 25-35 thousand fans or more, and people enjoyed watching it.  Unlike the USLF in the 80's, this wasn't considered a joke.

But it's gone now, headed to footnote status. We're sad.