Football fans could be seeing an interesting partnership with the XFL and the CFL very soon. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, both leagues are in talks to play an interleague championship game. This would happen after both leagues finish out their respective seasons and determine champions. It’s also possible that teams from both leagues could play each other during the regular season.
“Both leagues would play their regular seasons — there could be ‘interleague’ games, similar to MLB — and once the respective XFL and CFL champions are crowned, they’d face off in an interleague championship game,” McCarthy wrote who also mentioned an All-Star Game could be played between the two leagues. Ultimately, the long-term objective is the merge both the XFL and the CFL.
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In March, the XFL and CFL agreed to work together to collaborate and “grow the game of football,” according to a press release. XFL co-owner Dany Garcia said: “Since we first acquired the XFL, we have focused on identifying partners who share our vision and values on and off the field. A vision filled with opportunity, innovation and the highest level of entertainment value for the benefit of our athletes, fans and communities. The CFL has expressed that similar sentiment and jointly we recognize a great opportunity to build exciting innovative football experiences that make the most of each league’s unique strengths.”
Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Garcia’s business partner and co-owner of the XFL, shared his thoughts on the new partnership. “As an owner of the XFL, our discussions with the CFL have been very exciting,” Johnson wrote in an Instagram post. “There’s a real pulse here because you can feel the unique opportunity we can potentially create together. Wherever it all leads, I can tell you this one is personal to me and is driven by all my passion – because me being cut by the CFL was the greatest thing that happened. It set me on a path that years later would lead me right back to the league.”
Garcia, Johnson and RedBird Capital purchased the XFL out of bankruptcy for $15 million last year. The league was brought back by Vince McMahon in February 2020 but called off the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CFL has been around since 1958 and features nine teams. McCarthy reports that the CFL generates $240 million of revenue each year.
