XFL Co-Owner Dany Garcia Says Plan Is to Play in 2021

Dany Garcia is responsible for the XFL being purchased by herself, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and [...]

Dany Garcia is responsible for the XFL being purchased by herself, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and RedBird Capital, and if things go according to plan, football fans could see the league return to action next year. Kevin Seifert of ESPN spoke to Garcia when the purchase was announced and told him the plan is to play in 2021. Additionally, she said the eight teams in the league could play in a bubble if the pandemic is still going on, or it can be used as a cost-cutting measure.

"The audience is getting used to watching these games without fans," Garcia said. "That's super, super, super important, too." If the XFL goes the bubble route, every team would practice and play in one city without fans. Nothing is set in stone and the sale isn't officially final yet, but with Garcia and Johnson at the helm, the third stint of the XFL could be the most successful. "Our expectation is that we will just continue that and continue that with intent," Garcia said. "We will have the best people in the best positions, and it will be diverse and inclusive and that's how it should be."

When Vince McMahon brought back the XFL earlier this year, there were some changes from the traditional game, including new kickoff alignment and three options for the point after touchdown attempts. Garcia said those concepts is something they can build on when the league returns. "The roots and the bones of what were there were excellent," she stated. "I like the speed of play. I loved the access. I think there is probably some elegance that can be added so that maybe it's not as disruptive. But being in the box when they're reviewing the calls, and reviewing the penalties? Those were moments when you really felt that you were with and knew the players. So that was amazing to bond with that football experience."

The eight XFL teams are the Dallas Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Los Angeles Wildcats, Seattle Dragons, DC Defenders, New York Guardians, St. Louis BattleHawks and Tampa Bay Vipers. The 2020 season was canceled in March due to the pandemic, and the league filed for bankruptcy in April. Garcia said they will look into bringing back XFL employees who were laid off days before the league filed for bankruptcy.

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