Mere weeks after the second iteration of the XFL canceled the remainder of its debut season and later filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, its commissioner, Oliver Luck, sued league founder Vince McMahon for wrongful termination, The Athletic reported.
Luck served as the public face of the XFL since 2018, often speaking with the media and public as the league took its time preparing for its 2020 debut. He was present at the league’s inaugural game in February in Washington, D.C., between the DC Defenders and Seattle Dragons.
“Despite fulfilling his obligations as Commissioner and CEO since May 30, 2018, Mr. Luck was wrongfully terminated by Alpha Entertainment LLC (“Alpha”), an affiliate of Defendant, on April 9, 2020,” the lawsuit reportedly says. “Thus, Alpha has repudiated Mr. Luck’s employment agreement. Mr. Luck brings this action for breach of contract and declaratory judgment against McMahon.”
Luck’s complaint also said that he “wholly disputes and rejects the allegations set forth in the Termination Letter and contends they are pretextual and devoid of merit,” implying he was fired for cause.
Before the XFL, Luck’s career included serving as the president of NFL Europe, the athletic director at West Virginia University and one of the first members of the College Football Playoff Committee. He played five seasons in the NFL and his son, Andrew Luck, was a longtime star quarterback for the Colts.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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