Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed on Sunday that the spring football league developed in a merger in between the XFL and USFL will be rebranded as the United Football League– dropping “Xtreme” and “States” from each of their names, respectively. They will kick things off with the very first video game on March 30.
Johnson made the statement with his fellow league co-owner and longtime movie producing partner, ex-wife Dany Garcia, on Fox’s NFL pregame program. Johnson and Garcia, together with RedBird Capital Partners, had actually bought the XFL for $15 million from Johnson’s previous WWE employer Vince McMahon after the latter’s effort to restore the league in 2020 was foiled by the COVID-19 pandemic, ending the season suddenly.
Johnson stated on Fox that he thought there’s a cravings for a spring football league not just amongst fans, however gamers who wish to show they deserve playing in the NFL if they didn’t get discovered by scouts while playing in college. That was Johnson’s own background before rotating from Canadian football into professional fumbling as “The Rock.”
“I believe in the UFL … these gamers are going to play hard-nosed, extreme football, enthusiastic football,” Johnson stated. “You inform them you’ve got another shot in the UFL and after that to go on to the NFL possibly, how do you believe they’ll play? They’re going to ball out.”
The UFL will bring the broadcast partners from both of the combining leagues– ESPN/ABC for the XFL, Fox/FS1 for the USFL– together for the upcoming season. Ross Brandon, previous CEO for the XFL, will serve the very same function for the UFL, while USFL will bring over its head of football operations, Daryl Johnston.
“Fox is football, and the success of the USFL has actually shown that there’s a brilliant future for spring football,” FoxSportsCEO Eric Shanks stated in a declaration. “The chance to combine our 2 leagues– each with a dedication to advancing broadcast practices, guideline developments and the neighborhood– just advances the capacity of the United Football League and strengthens its area on the sports calendar.”
“The United Football League, an effective mix of the XFL and USFL, will offer enthusiastic sports fans with an amusing, ingenious and action-packed season,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro included. “With engaging storytelling throughout standard and digital platforms, fan-friendly developments and incredible reach, this visionary league is well-positioned, and we eagerly anticipate our ongoing cooperation.”
“This brand-new endeavor is possible since of a shared visionary frame of mind, an extensive enthusiasm for the video game and first-hand experience living and developing the chances that football enables,” included Garcia. “As a unified spring league, we have the ability to deepen our dedication to opening and exceeding the imagine our gamers, coaches, personnel and fans. This league represents continued tradition and advancement, and we anticipate constructing deep space of spring football.”
View Johnson’s statement in the clip above.