XFL announces future plans for new era

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - It may be time to practice belting out “Ka-Kaw”.

At 11 a.m., the official relaunch of the XFL was announced, alerting fans that the new season will kick off in February 2023. The pro football franchise said its new brand is strong, dynamic, and modern that embodies its vision of pushing football forward.

“We have a passion and vision to push the boundaries of sport and entertainment, to grow the game of football – and most importantly – unlock the dreams of all the talented and hungry football players out there,” said Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Johnson bought the assets of XFL, from Alpha Entertainment, a private company founded by WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, alongside two other partners in 2020. Alpha filed for bankruptcy in April 2020 after ending the XFL season early because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are proud to unveil the new identity of the XFL – a strong, dynamic and modern look that embodies our vision of pushing football forward and unleashing the dreams that football makes possible,” said Dany Garcia, Co-Owner and Chairwoman of the XFL.

However, St. Louis will have to wait a few more months before learning the fate of the BattleHawks returning. The franchise is not releasing details about the teams and venues. There is a lot of speculation online that having a team the last go-around doesn’t ensure one now. But the BattleHawks did see a good amount of success when the XFL first launched.

For the home opener in February 2020, nearly 30,000 fans came out to the dome. By mid-March, the team announced they would sell upper deck seats as demand surged. The pandemic forced the entire league to shut down before the team could return home to 40,000 fans. The former president of the BattleHawks said there were season ticket accounts from 47 different states - that’s proof the fans weren’t just the immediate St. Louis area.

And the team drew some of the best television ratings among all XFL teams. So there is hope that the positive showing back in 2020 could mean the Gateway to the West could once again see the return of professional football.

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