Houston Roughnecks kickoff inaugural XFL season
While the 100th season of the NFL has come to a close with the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LIV, there will still be professional football games airing on Sundays with the start of America’s new professional football league, the XFL. The XFL is entirely separate from the NFL and seeks to bring professional football to fans during the NFL’s off-season, with the XFL season running from Feb. 8 to the championship game on April 26, while also giving former NFL players and undrafted college players a chance to prove themselves.
The XFL is comprised of eight teams in eight different cities: Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington D.C.; and is split between two conferences: East and West. The general rules of the XFL are the same as those of professional football, however, the XFL is implementing a few new rule changes to the game in hopes of making the game more exciting.
For example, there are no extra-point kicks after a team scores a touchdown, instead, teams can choose between a one-point, two-point or three-point conversion attempt, with the ball being placed further from the endzone based on which conversion try is being attempted.
Fans may recognize this is not the first time the XFL has made headlines, as it is a reboot of the first attempt at a secondary football league following the first iteration of the XFL in 2001. However, the XFL in 2001 was more sports entertainment than professional football as it was heavily tied to the World Wrestling Federation. This iteration, while still tied to Vince McMahon of the WWE, seeks to be a legitimate professional football league.
The XFL is also seeking to become a true development league for the NFL, as the NFL is the only major American sports league without a secondary league that allows players to develop. XFL game broadcasts will alternate between Fox Sports and ESPN, with two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday of each week during the season.
Houston’s local XFL team, the Houston Roughnecks, will play on weekends during the 2020 XFL season. The Roughnecks play their home games at University of Houston’s TDECU Stadium, and the team is led by former Southern Methodist University head coach June Jones, who is both the head coach and the general manager, offensive coordinator Chris Miller and defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell.
The Roughnecks held a press event in Houston on Thursday, Feb. 6, to introduce the players and coaching staff to any fans who wished to attend. The event also featured the XFL’s broadcast team from Fox Sports including Joel Klatt, Brock Huard and Curt Menefee.
Fans in attendance were introduced to several Roughnecks players, some of which have previous NFL experience, as well as head coach Jones, team president Brian Cooper, and the director of player personnel Randy Mueller. At the event, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt spoke on how the XFL can become a development league for players wishing to return to the NFL.
“This is the league where you can go and get film behind you as a player; you can really develop and grow as a player,” Klatt said.
The event had many Roughnecks fans in attendance, some of whom were sporting Roughnecks apparel, while all seemed to be excited for the Roughnecks opening game on Saturday, Feb. 8. Roughnecks fan Dalton Wiggins said he was most excited to be able to watch football in the spring.
“It’s great that we will be able to watch football during the NFL’s offseason,” Wiggins said. “Also, watching these guys develop and hopefully make it into the NFL one day will be fun.”
The Roughnecks have several players with NFL experience including Wide Receiver Sammie Coates, who previously played for the Houston Texans; Quarterback Connor Cook, previously of the Oakland Raiders; and Defensive End Kony Ealy, a former Carolina Panther, all of whom are looking to bring a positive, entertaining, professional football experience to the city of Houston. Ealy spoke on why he was excited to get back to playing football.
“The opportunity to be out here with the fans, playing football, and being a part of something really special,” Ealy said.
The Roughnecks went on to win their debut game against the Los Angeles Wildcats 37-17 in Houston on Saturday, Feb. 8, at TDECU Stadium and will play their next home game on Sunday, Feb. 16, against the St. Louis Battlehawks.
