So, here we go. With just under two years before kickoff, the XFL is now back in operation and working towards a revival. Eight teams again, set on winning the….X-Bowl? Who knows. It’s not important now. The eight teams will compete in the East and the West – we think – and it’s time to start that age old hobby for any true pro wrestling fan; the fantasy booking.
Here’s what we know about the original XFL – people in San Francisco couldn’t get enough. They packed the pews at the AT&T park and got ready for some football. However that stadium is massive and it looked awful to see it only at 1/3 capacity every…….whenever game day was. That was really a problem for a lot of stadiums; they looked like shit. Many teams used MLB and NFL stadiums for when they played to avoid that problem. However, with the rise of Major League Soccer, the problem of the low level football attendance is over! As you can see below, the eight original teams are listed with their average weekly attendance. As you can see, that big cities did well; but not really. San Francisco and the East Rutherford area are massive, catering to millions of people. Two of the largest cities and two of the largest football fan-bases and that’s all they brought in?
In comparison, the Orlando Rage did rather well. The city is still big, but it’s not a football town. In fact they only have one major pro team (The Magic). So pro sports, when they go to Orlando do well. It’s also clear that no one, ever, should put a new team in Chicago ever again. For shame!
San Francisco Demons – 34,954
NY NJ Hitmen – 28,000
Orland Rage – 25,563
Los Angeles Xtreme – 22,679
Las Vegas Outlaws – 22,618
Memphis Maniax – 20,396
Birmingham Thunderbolts – 17,0002
Chicago Enforcers – 15,710
So here’s our takeaway from the numbers and modern NFL trends;
– Two teams in L.A. is too much, so avoid them like the plague.
– Las Vegas really only has room for one pro football team, and you don’t want to compete with the inbound Raiders, stay clear.
– Memphis and Birmingham are too far in the ‘deep south’ to really garner too much interest
– Booo pro team cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
– Only cities with smaller venues should even be considered, save for an exception or two.
With that, I’ve gone through some regional places. I’ve looked at several smaller venues, college towns, pro cities with only one or two teams (and no football at all) and have compiled a list of your top eight most likely cities, with a few ‘expansion’ teams to consider down the road. YES, I’ve included nickname options. Feel free to use them at your leisure.
*Note: NO baseball field will be considered. The XFL can’t guarantee that their games won’t disrupt or ruin any baseball games or fields. So instead of trying to make it work, just find soccer and football stadiums that work. The cleats used on both are far more similar than the spikes in baseball. It’s easier to maintain, and it could have fewer or less daunting scheduling issues.
Also, baseball is too pure, keep Vince away from it all costs.
Possible Cities;
San Antonio, Texas (Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium – 6,000/ Alamo Stadium – 18,5000)
Nickname – Outlaws
Colors – Silver and Black
– It’s a huge location, but no established history of pro football for the city makes it too risky now. Not too mention the venues are uninspiring. However, if the XFL sees a second season, they should consider this city first or second.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Taft Stadium – 7,500/ Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – 86,000+)
Nickname – The Herd
Colors – Orange and White
– Can Oklahoma City support the Thunder and the Sooners? The folks from Norman aren’t that far away. Like San Antonio, they are your first call if a season two happens. But like San Antonio, the venues just aren’t that appealing.
San Jose, California (Avaya Stadium – 18,000)
Nickname – Gold Coast Quakes
Colors – Gold and Brown
– With the Rams, Raiders and possibly an XFL team in San Diego, it doesn’t make sense to load up in the southern part of California. Call us after the Raiders leave, then we’ll talk.
Louisville, Kentucky (Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium – 55,000+)
Nickname – Cardinals
Colors – Red and Yellow
– Never been a region in recent memory with a pro sports team. The area is pretty happy with their college teams, like the Louisville Cardinals football and men’s basketball teams. Not to mention the Kentucky Wildcats. They’re definitely not to be considered until you expand to 12.
Starting Eight
8) St. Louis, Missouri (Hermann Stadium – 6,000+/ The Dome at America’s Center – 69,000+)
Nickname – The Rams (or Nu Rams, Nova Rams, Real Rams, whatever)
Colors – Gold and Silver
– It makes sense, right? The Rams get pulled over to Los Angeles and are left with a 100 million dollar note to still pay off of their massive stadium. Yes, the reason why St. Louis is so low is due to a lack of adequate facilities. 70k seats to fill is huge. They have the Dome; the former home of the Rams, but does anyone think that they’ll draw 40,000 fans, let alone near 70,000? It’d look bad. You can always tarp off the top but won’t that just look silly? However, there’s always a chance that the folks in St. Louis show up in mass for a team that they thought they’d never see again. Is it possible? Who knows, but if all else fails, there’s the far smaller Hermann Stadium. Less size to worry about, but not as nice looking. Yet if the cities willing to invest in it, it could just work.
7) East Hartford, Connecticut (Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field – 40,000+)
Nickname – The Pack
Colors – Blue and White
– Uconn isn’t known as a football powerhouse. Yet, with the WWE located in the state, and this being the only place in the state with a large enough football facility, it just makes sense. With the history of Vince McMahon in Connecticut, and the long standing color scheme of the Lady Huskies and men’s Huskies basketball team; it’d make a nice tribute to dawn the blue and white to honor the school. The New England area does very well for football, so why not add something to the region? The team can draw from the same region as the Patriots, and could possibly get strong following by drafting Uconn, Boston College and other New England region college athletes. It’s sound logic.
6) Boise, Idaho (Albertsons Stadium – 36,000+)
Nickname – Brahma Bulls
Colors – Blue and Orange
– I know, how original? The city of Boise isn’t huge, and the state of Idaho isn’t known to be a hub for sports fans outside of the Boise State Broncos. However, in that region pro sports are non-existent. They’re mostly red states, probably voted 80% (at least) for Republicans. Vince McMahon and his wife Linda are huge Republicans, and could appeal to their more Earthy way of life. Not just that though, as that region is rife with pro talent that often gets overlooked by the NFL. If a Bronco great could navigate his way to a pro league, even if it’s the XFL, one would think the fans would be watching.
5) Salt Lake City, Utah (Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah – 20,000)
Nickname – Saints
Colors – Purple and Neon Green
– Ah soccer stadiums, you make this job so much easier. In Utah, you got the Jazz and that’s it for pro sports leagues. You got the MLS, yay for you, but we’re talking big boy sports now. The folks of Salt Lake deserve the right to showcase their love of football. They deserve to let people know that they’re not just a one and a half-trick-sports-pony. They can support something new, something real, something….that might be gone in a year. But they deserve a chance, dammit. It also doesn’t hurt that BYU and The Utah Utes have had success with their fan bases in the past. Would the very Mormon state be so kind to the over-the-top McMahons? Who knows. That’s why we have standby cities!
4) Orlando, Florida (Orlando City Stadium – 25,000)
Nickname – Dream Makers
Colors – Purple and Yellow
– Orlando did pretty well the last time around with their support of the first team. And that was when Tracy McGrady was with the Magic and were a perennial fan favorite team to watch. So that’s saying something. Football works in that region but for more reasons than most. WWE, IMPACT Wrestling and other regional pro wrestling spots are in Orlando, not to mention Disney and Universal operate theme parks in Orlando. You have a constant stream of fresh eyes. If you co-promote through Disney or Universal, while giving away tickets at NXT events, you could easily get sellouts at the very beautiful Orlando City Stadium. Miami, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville suffer from an engorged sense of self worth and routinely fail to draw the big crowds. Yet, in a smaller venue, in the always football-weather-friendly city of Orlando – you might just become the king of Florida Football.
3) Portland, Oregon (Providence Park – 22,000)
Nickname – Trendsetters
Colors – Rose Red and Yellow
– A hipster and douchey name, for a city full of hipster and douchey people. It’s still better than the Portland Timbers though, you gotta admit that. The city is on the rise, and with the Trailblazers always one bad season away from obscurity, the city could use a lift. The Timbers are actually quite the draw, averaging a near sellout every game in the last few years. So clearly the town could support a football team of about the same size. And with the Oregon Ducks being less than two hours away, you would have a built in fan system if you go after regional college players that get passed by the NFL. If you argue that two hours is far away, I’d tell you to look at the Ohio NFL teams. Both the Bengals and Browns are told by fans every year to chase after Ohio State players. Both cities are about two hours away from said Ohio State. So if the Ducks have any real fan support, the folks in Portland would want as many Ducks as possible.
2) San Diego, California (Torero Stadium – 5,000/SDCCU Stadium – 70,000+)
Nickname – The Bolts
Colors – Blue and Yellow
– I mean, come on. The big issue here is the same issue St. Louis has; lack of viable stadiums. You could go to PETCO Park, but naw. Let’s not let Vince anywhere near that. The SDCCU Stadium is in fine shape. And like St. Louis, there’s always the possibility of a strong fan presence with a pro football team coming back into the city. As I mentioned on SportsCorp recently, I think the XFL should stick to 20,000 seat outdoor venues, and if they get funding from city, should build stadiums no larger than 40,000. American soccer stadiums are the new model for inspiration. That’s why cities like San Diego and St. Louis make it hard for me to consider them; the size of the stadiums are daunting and can look awful on television. However, I’m wiling to let each city get a shot because their fan-base may show up. If they do then it’s a win/win. If they don’t, relocate.
1) Columbus, Ohio (Mapfre Stadium – 20,000+)
Nickname – The Empire
Colors – Scarlet Red and White
– Yes, I know. I’m the “Ohio Guy” and I pick an Ohio city at the top of the list. Sue me. However, this is the perfect storm of events. Firstly, Columbus’ soccer team – The Crew – is more than likely on it’s way out of the state. Which leaves the Mapfre Stadium open to a new tenant. Secondly, the city is clamoring for more sports as it becomes more and more viable for new families. The fans supported the Crew, nearly sell out the NHL Blue Jackets games (despite never being any good), and they’re always in strong support of the Cleveland Indians AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. Thirdly, there are strong football roots in Columbus. If you promote a team of ex-Ohio State Buckeyes, fans will turn out to see them play in Columbus. Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.