The XFL is returning in 2020, minus all of the gimmicks

The XFL is returning.

World Wrestling Entertainment chairman and chief executive officer Vince McMahon on Thursday announced the XFL is coming back.

ESPN documented the short-lived professional football league that McMahon and former NBC executive Dick Ebersol led in its 30 for 30 documentary series.

The episode, “This was the XFL,” aired in February 2017.

Now, about 17 years after the alternative pro football league came to an end, the XFL is getting a reboot.

The new XFL is scheduled for early 2020 with plans to launch with eight teams — all owned by the league — for a 10-game regular season with rosters set at about 40 players.

Cities and markets for the rebooted league are not known. Those will get decided in the coming months, McMahon said during Thursday’s press conference.

The first XFL incarnation did not include a team in Tampa, but did have one in Orlando.

“The new XFL is an exciting opportunity to reimagine America’s favorite sport,” McMahon said. “As we move toward kickoff, we look forward to listening and implementing innovative ideas from players, coaches, medical experts, technology executives, the media and, most importantly, football fans.”

An aspect of that is how the XFL will get distributed for audiences.

McMahon said that could mean a mix between airing games on a traditional TV network or through streaming services.

McMahon said he had the plan for giving the XFL a second try for quite a while, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the NFL or football in general facing concerns over CTE and other health risks facing players.

Ratings this NFL season have seen a dip with player protests during the national anthem and other issues have come to the forefront.

McMahon sold $100 million of WWE stock in December 2017 to fund a separate entity called Alpha Entertainment.

That entity is how McMahon is personally funding the new XFL. He said he’ll continue in his role as WWE Chairman and CEO.

The lone XFL season in 2001 struggled with TV ratings and saw reported losses of $35 million, though spawned popular players for their nicknames on their jerseys.

That included Rod Smart, who went by “He Hate Me” during the 2001 season. McMahon said the league won’t have those type of gimmicks this time around.

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 4:04 PM with the headline "The XFL is returning in 2020, minus all of the gimmicks."