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The XFL reveals new names and logos for its 8 teams Monday morning ahead of the 2023 season.
The league was first launched in 2001 by WWE and NBC to compete with the NFL. It faced some initial success but eventually closed down after one season. The XFL was relaunched in 2020 as a Spring football program two decades later. Their hope was to target football fans during the NFL season. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit five weeks into the season. Eventually, the league closed and filed for bankruptcy.
In August 2020, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners bought the league out of bankruptcy and have been working on the revamp of the league. The XFL is set to return in February 2023.
What Changed?
The wait is finally over! Meet your eight #XFL2023 teams…
ARL @XFLRenegades
DC @XFLDefenders
HOU @XFLRoughnecks
ORL @XFLGuardians
SA @XFLBrahmas
SEA @XFLSeaDragons
STL @XFLBattlehawks
VEG @XFLVipersWhich team are you most excited for? pic.twitter.com/lvUCjoDiY3
— United Football League (@TheUFL) October 31, 2022
Three of the teams return as the same from the 2020 season. These teams are the D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, and the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Two of the teams only have minor changes to the names. The Seattle Dragons are now the Seattle Sea Dragons. And, the Renegades are now the Arlington Renegades as they are based in Arlington, Texas instead of Dallas.
The Orlando Guardians and the Vegas Vipers did exist back in 2020. However, the Guardians were based in New York while the Vipers were based in Tampa Bay.
The only new team is the San Antonio Brahmas. The name references the Brahman beef cattle in the region which are known for their tolerance to the heat.
“Each team’s identity represents the fabric of their local community while also embodying the XFL’s vision and ethos: they are authentic, dynamic, modern, and unapologetically bold,” said Dany Garcia in a statement.
“Every one of these logos has a unique energy, intensity, and electricity that each team and their fans will bring on game day. Now is the time for our fans to get behind a team – THEIR team – and wear these logos and represent their city with pride,” Dwayne Johnson added.
What’s in Florida?
The Orlando Guardians are as unforgiving as the beating Florida sun. From the still waters of Central Florida, they lay ready to devour anything that ventures into their territory.#XFL2023 pic.twitter.com/VzQPAzcZnw
— Orlando Guardians (@XFLGuardians) October 31, 2022
The Orlando Guardians will be replacing the Tampa Bay Vipers from the 2020 season. Their stadium will be the Camping World Stadium with Terrell Buckley as the head coach.
Buckley played football at Florida State from 1989 to 1991. He left as the school’s all-time leader in interceptions (21) and interception return yards (501). In 1992, Buckley entered the NFL and played in the league for 13 years, including the Super Bowl XXXVI champion New England Patriots in 2001. Buckley worked as a college coach for 15 seasons after retiring as a player.
What’s Next?
The XFL will kick off on February 18, 2023 after the end of the NFL season. The Walt Disney Company and ESPN will be their exclusive partners to broadcast all the games of the season.
