Vince McMahon is giving football another shot.
The WWE founder announced Thursday he is restarting the XFL — 17 years after running the once one-and-done league. The late winter/early spring football league will return in 2020 and will launch with eight teams, 40-man active rosters and a 10-week regular season schedule.
The league will be funded through Alpha Entertainment, a company owned by McMahon. McMahon funded Alpha Entertainment last month by selling $100 million worth of shares in the WWE. McMahon will continue to be chairman and CEO of WWE.
McMahon says he will have an open forum for fans to contribute ideas to the new league.
ESPN earlier reported that Alpha Entertainment filed to use the XFL trademarks.
he original XFL premiered to massive TV ratings. But the audience did not stick around on Saturday nights to watch second-rate football, lascivious cheerleader shots, sophomoric double entendres and other gimmicks that quickly doomed the league.
— Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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