On Oct. 22, the XFL released the official schedule for its first year of existence. Here’s a breakdown of what’s in store for the new league.
The official XFL schedule was released on Oct. 22. It laid out the exact matchups for the upcoming season, along with dates and times. Games will be played on Saturdays and Sundays, with the first game kicking off at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, in Washington, D.C. The league debut will feature the Seattle Dragons and the DC Defenders.
The Divisions: East and West
The eight XFL teams will be divided into two conferences: XFL East and West. The Eastern Conference includes the New York Guardians, Tampa Bay Vipers, DC Defenders, and St. Louis Battlehawks. Of those four cities listed, St. Louis is the only one currently without an NFL team. The Western Conference includes the Los Angeles Wildcats, Seattle Dragons, Houston Roughnecks, and Dallas Renegades. All Western Conference cities are currently home to an NFL team.
The Season: 79 Action Packed Days
Each team will play a total of ten games. Teams will play in-conference opponents twice, and teams from the opposite conference once. The regular season begins on Feb. 8, and the championship game will take place on Sunday, April 26. All games will be nationally televised on ABC, ESPN, FOX, and FS1. All teams will play a total of five home games and five away games. The top two teams from each conference will advance to the playoffs, with the higher seed hosting the conference championship games. The entire season will last less than 80 days, which fits with the fast-paced experience that the XFL wants to give to its fans.
The Stadiums
Dallas Renegades: Global Life Park, Arlington, Tex.
The Renegades will play home games at Global Life Park, home to the Texas Rangers for most of the year. The seating capacity is 48,114, making it the fifth-largest venue in the XFL.
DC Defenders: Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
Audi Field is typically home to the DC United soccer team. With a seating capacity of 20,000, it is the smallest venue in the XFL. With the inaugural XFL game being hosted at Audi Field, tickets could be scarce.
Houston Roughnecks: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Tex.
The Roughnecks will be playing their home games where the University of Houston Cougars normally prowl. The stadium will hold 40,000 rowdy Roughneck fans, making it the third-smallest venue.
Los Angeles Wildcats: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.
Dignity Health is the temporary home of the Los Angeles Chargers and is the permanent home of the L.A. Galaxy. Seating capacity is 27,000 to 30,000, making it the second-smallest venue in the league.
New York Guardians: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
MetLife is the largest of all the venues, as it is the home of both the New York Giants and New York Jets. The seating capacity is 82,550.
Seattle Dragons: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.
Home to the Seattle Seahawks during the NFL season, CenturyLink Field seats 69,000. Seattle has a rabid football fan base, so expect home games to be a huge advantage for the Dragons.
St. Louis Battlehawks: The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
The Battlehawks will play their home games in front of a crowd of 67,277. Being the only city with no NFL team, St. Louis should have close to capacity crowds.
Tampa Bay Vipers: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Sharing a home field with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Vipers will have 65,618 fans cheering and hissing in the stands. It will be interesting to see what the Vipers decide to do with the large pirate ship in one of the end zones. Snakes on a boat?
4 Responses
Hi Mr.Taylor
Hi Mr.Taylor
Good work David. We are all amazed at the knowledge you have about these teams and players. I think you are very much on track to what is going on.
Good work David. We are all amazed at the knowledge you have about these teams and players. I think you are very much on track to what is going on.