Grim news for the reboot of the XFL and sports fans.
Following the Coronavirus outbreak, many sports leagues including the NBA and the NHL suspended their seasons. The XFL was no different.
Amid reports of one of the players on the Seattle Dragons football team contracting the virus, it was officially announced that the 2020 season would not continue but the league looked forward to playing many full seasons for years to come.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, XFL COO Jeffrey Pollock announced on a call today that the league is officially suspending operations and, as such, has laid off all of its employees.
NEWS: on a call today with COO Jeffery Pollock, XFL employees were just informed that the league is suspending operations and all employees have been laid off. Another sport impacted further by the current COVID-19 crisis.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 10, 2020
The XFL just held a conference call in which all employees were told the league is suspending operations. Said one: "The word they used was 'shut down'."
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 10, 2020
One former employee, Bailey Carlin, has already taken to social media to confirm that he has been laid off.
The XFL just laid me off.
— B. W. Carlin (@BaileyCarlin) April 10, 2020
I really think I did some of the best work in social media this year, so this really hurts. If you need someone for social, written content, meme goofin’ or anything at all, I’m your guy.
DMs are open.
Email: baileywrightcarlin[at]gmail.com pic.twitter.com/FMt79teeMx
The revamped league only held its first game in February of 2020 and was unfortunately unable to make it through an entire season due to COVID-19.
The reboot of the league was a concentrated effort to provide an alternative to the NFL during the offseason, while also allowing a second chance for the league to rise above the legacy of its original incarnation which was seen as a tremendous flop, following its initial season in 2001.
Fightful will continue to monitor the story and report any and all updates
