The Xfl 2020 rumors have been a hot topic since last week, as it appears that the eight different team locations for the returning league were leaked online. A number of those city locations will be making returns after having teams in Vince McMahon's original league. Several of the locations will provide a competing football product in NFL areas that weren't tapped into with the 2001 XFL. Here are some more details on where teams might play and how the league may be set up.
XFL unlikely to use NFL venues
The eight XFL cities revealed online came through an accidental posting on the XFL website contact page.
Locations included major sports cities such as New York, Houston, and Los Angeles. Each of these regions has teams in professional baseball, basketball, and football. New York and LA also have hockey teams there. Another common thread amongst most of the XFL cities is Major League Soccer (MLS). That's led to the speculation of where XFL teams will host their games: inside MLS venues.
For example, the Los Angeles Galaxy play in the StubHub Center, which seems destined to be the home of the currently unnamed Los Angeles XFL team.
BREAKING: XFL's Los Angeles team will play at StubHub Center, home of the LA Galaxy and the Chargers.#XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/CBXZbDTu1w
— XFL Radio (@XFL_Radio) December 1, 2018
The speculation includes other soccer venues.
Another report indicated that Dallas/Arlington had been the registered location for an XFL website domain name. That could indicate that Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas is going to serve as a home for the region's XFL team, per a Dallas News' Sports Day report.
Other teams are rumored to be heading to Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Washington, DC areas.
If the XFL teams generally take venues associated with the pro soccer league it could mean DC's XFL team plays at Audi Field and New York's team takes Red Bull Arena as its home.
Houston would take the BBVA Compass Stadium, home of the Dynamo, while the Dallas team would use FC Dallas' Toyota Stadium. Exceptions might include Seattle and St.
Louis. The Seattle Sounders share their stadium with the NFL's Seahawks. In Seattle, the former home of the NFL's Rams, The Dome at America's Center, may be the home of Seattle's XFL squad. Those are circulating guesses at the moment with an official press conference coming Wednesday (December 5).
XFL conferences, schedule, and playoffs
With eight teams to be part of the "inaugural" XFL 2020 league, it will provide a relatively simple structure for the first season. There are expected to be just two conferences, consisting of four teams apiece. In the East Conference, it would be New York, Tampa Bay, Washington, DC, and Dallas. The West Conference would consist of Houston, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Seattle.
The teams are also expected to have a 10-game season. That's six games fewer than the NFL uses in their regular season. There would be a quick playoff format consisting of four teams. That would feature two semifinals matchups with the two winning teams battling for the XFL 2020 Championship.
Until Wednesday (December 5), most of the ongoing discussion of XFL teams, their host cities, venues, and other details are merely speculation until confirmed by the league itself. Still, the excitement is clearly building up for a product that may offer unhappy NFL fans something else to cheer for.