Spring Football: Will It Truly Catch On?

In 2001, the first edition of the XFL folded. A brainchild of Vince McMahon and his WWE empire, the league opened and closed within the blink of an eye. Then in 2020, McMahon announced the XFL was back, but then the upstart league was canceled due to financial constraints caused by the pandemic. Just when all hope was lost, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson bought the league and decided to change it. A minor league system hoping to become a player-development football league. Subtle rule changes like the 3-point conversion line add an extra layer of intrigue. That certainly makes games tougher for coaches to manage. But it gives fans something new to marvel about. 

And perhaps that's why McMahon and The Rock have pursued this lucrative, springtime football venture. Because Americans LOVE football. We complain a lot about the NFL (terrible reffing, conspiracies about rigging, head trauma, players' legal issues, etc.), but we always tune in on Sunday for the best sports league in North America. But when the Super Bowl ends, there's no football until August. Sure, there's basketball and hockey in mid-season action, baseball right around the corner, and plenty of European soccer to watch. But football is the sport we dedicate a full day of the weekend to from September through February. What about February to July?

The XFL 3.0 is joined by the second season of the new USFL. This league carried the shady legacy its 1980s predecessor left behind. The first USFL produced talented players like Herschel Walker and Jim Kelly, who would become NFL legends. The goal of the new USFL is to do the same, all while appearing as a serious football league. The inaugural season of the new USFL had decent TV ratings, but they pale in comparison to the NFL. XFL 3.0 ratings have yet to be published, but I imagine they are not much higher. The novelty will wear off, and this is where trouble arises. 

The USFL was successful enough that it got a 2nd season, even when it seemed like it was not appealing to fan culture. XFL 2.0 had figured out how to relate to the modern sports audience, adding in things like live betting odds in their graphics, beer snakes (unfortunately, this has stopped this week), and unfiltered sideline interviews. In fact, players are what made XFL 1.0 so popular. Need I remind you of "He Hate Me?" A USFL team cut a player last year for wanting pizza over chicken salad...no I am not making that up. Antics like that will not attract an audience, and while I understand the beer snake debacle, that's one way to lose your early fanbase quickly. 

There's a disconnect between these leagues' executive branch and the fans. The XFL and USFL want to be taken seriously. They want fans to root for the teams the way they would an NFL team. They want storylines, narratives, YouTubers making dedicated segments about the week in football, and of course, a culture. Building that organically takes time. Team locations also matter; perhaps one of the reasons both leagues set up teams in cities like Birmingham, AL, and San Antonio, TX - places where the NFL (and even college football to an extent) doesn't have as much influence on the sports scene. To the fans, early signs point to them seeing this more as entertainment than a league they'd follow every waking minute of every day. It's cheap fun, and you get to watch football in more hospitable weather. 

Quality of play is another factor in the success story of the XFL and USFL. Many former NFLers play in the XFL. There are some former NFL players in the USFL, and its first-ever college draft took place on February 21. But the fact is most of the elite college football talent will go to the NFL. Those who don't make the cut have two new leagues to fall back on, albeit while collecting a smaller salary. When you field a team of 4th to 7th-round pick players, the quality of play is not going to be that high. Lots of missed passes, conservative playcalling, more run-based offense, and blown defensive assignments. You can mount that to growing pains and working with the players available. Still, they need that one guy like Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady - the hero or villain of the league. Yet, neither league has it...yet. 

Spring football has struggled in the States for a while. It's one thing to watch 18 weeks of NFL action on top of the college game, but at some point, football fever has to break. Why do we need more of it? That's the thing: we don't need it. There's an assumption we want it. 

The first edition of the USFL wanted to challenge the NFL, and that ultimately killed it. The first XFL wanted to provide a new, looser football experience before it lost its way. Since then, spring leagues like the AAF came and collapsed before they even got the chance to take off. Arena football tried to establish itself, but couldn't. Canadian football has earned broadcast deals with ESPN for American viewership but that's never come close to rivaling the NFL. Why should we think the XFL and USFL are any different? 

This time, there is a lot more potential for these leagues. Both have changed from being an NFL competitor to an NFL player pool. The goal is no longer to steal NFL viewers; it's to showcase the unseen talent waiting for their chance at the top. It's worked in some capacity. Carolina Panthers' QB PJ Walker was one XFL 2.0 player to make it. You can comment on Walker's play all you want, he's thrown more NFL passes than you and me. He's a testament to what these spring leagues want: to show there is plenty of talent outside the NFL...and plenty of talent for the NFL to choose from. 

So will spring football catch on for real this time? My answer: yes...but not with captivating audiences. They might provide some entertainment for a party with friends or a new betting line to talk with the fellas, but I don't see it becoming a household name. Spring leagues may make it big, but not in 2023.