The Failure of the XFL and How the UFL's Avoided the XFL's Failures

An insightful way to explore why the XFL failed is to compare it with a more recent alternative league: The United Football League (UFL) completed its first season with four teams, a modest TV deal on the Versus cable network and very low paid attendance numbers. Yet the league is financially comfortable and has confirmed plans for a second season and expansion in future seasons.

How did the XFL, the football brainchild of pro wrestling mogul Vince McMahon, fail despite a larger cash infusion, more teams in more major markets, a better television deal with NBC and far more hype... than the UFL, which has reported enough success to ensure a second season? Here are four key reasons:

1. The XFL played during a time of year when fans were burned out on and disinterested in football. Football is very popular in the US, but part of football's popularity is the relative brevity of its season: September through December with a postseason in January. The 7-8 months without comeptitive football before the August NFL preseason cultivates anticipation for the NFL and collegiate football product. But after 17 weeks of NFL football, most of which run alongside 14+ weeks of college football, four rounds of postseason football cultivating in the Super Bowl and a post-playoff Pro Bowl, fans have typically had their fill of American football. By debuting their lesser brand of football soon after this long season, McMahon and NBC were trying to cultivate a fanbase that had seen enough football for one year.

2. By playing during a time that drew focus to the league and maximizing its exposure, the XFL exposed the glaring weaknesses in its brand of football. In playing weekend games during the offseason, McMahon and NBC wanted to draw attention to their league during a time when few other major sporting events were running. The irony is that the focus of attention they did receive as a result helped bring the league down, as after all the hype, they were still watching sloppy minor league football played by NFL castoffs.

The UFL's modest ambitions have them flying under the radar. Even though they are playing minor league football, it's done during the football season, when fan interest in American football is peaked, and when there are other football products (college and NFL football) to compete with, minimizing attention for the league and any weaknesses its product currently presents.

3. The XFL broadcast their league too heavily, with a sub-par broadcast over three networks. NBC's product had the visual flash and dash, but not only lacked the substance on the field, but in the broadcast booth as well. McMahon made the mistake of commissioning his WWE wrestling broadcasters, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Jesse Ventura and Jonathan Coachman, to call the games. There are stark differences between calling worked wrestling matches and actual football games, and all four announcers sounded no better than minimally competent while clearly showing a lack of knowledge in how to call a football game. Even as other more seasoned broadcasters were cycled in (such as Matt Vasgerian and Craig Minervini), their efforts were pedestrian at best. The broadcast did little to help promote an overexposed league with gimmicky rules and serious flaws.

The UFL, meanwhile, has a modest TV deal to broadcast one game a week on the fringe-level Versus sports network. Games are called by Dave Sims, an experienced sportscaster with significant candor and knowledge that adds to the viewing experience... alongside former football star Doug Flutie, who despite lacking broadcasting experience shares Sims' level of candor and knowledge. The XFL's crackpost play by play and analysis added nothing to the product and may even have detracted from it, while the UFL's broadcast adds to the viewing experience and helps promote the credibility of the product.

4. The XFL took an adversarial approach to the NFL. The only league ever to manage a successful rivalry to the NFL was the AFL of the 1960's, whose product helped produce the Super Bowl and a lucrative merger. The only other standard professional league to manage multiple competitive seasons was the USFL from 1983 to 1985, and while several pro players parlayed their experience into great NFL careers (Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Reggie White), the league folded without a merger. Both those leagues had a quality product that drew a fanbase.

The XFL had no such quality and no such stars. Though they had unique rule differences, the quality of play was sloppy and unappealing. The best examples of players who parlayed their XFL roles into significant NFL roles were quarterback Tommy Maddox (Steelers), receiver Mike Furrey (Lions) and the infamous "He Hate Me", Rod Smart (as a Panthers' kick returner)... hardly stars by any definition.

The UFL, likely recognizing the long odds of challenging the NFL, agreed to play alongside the league between Wednesday and Saturday. Players are paid modest salaries, with a max annual salary of $35,000 and max bonuses of $10,000. UFL teams only play six games each, before a championship game. UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue referred to the four team league's debut as a "soft launch" and has stated that the league may never have more than eight teams due to the league's modest financial situation. The competitively benign situation has led the NFLPA to encourage players cut by NFL teams to seek out the UFL as an alternative.

*

The UFL's modest goals and solid funding base ($30 million started the league, and the league has the support of sports mogul Mark Cuban) minimizes its chances of failure, while maximizing its chances of profitability and eventual success.

The XFL wanted to compete with the NFL, but they couldn't even compete with the viewing interest of fans. Vince McMahon and NBC set the XFL's goals far too high for the scope of its talent and funding sources. Once the final ratings came in, NBC saw the forest for the trees and cut ties with the XFL, effectively ending the league after its 2000 debut season. Fans saw the forest for the trees as well: After high attendances and ratings in its debut, the inferior brand of football could not retain their already burned-out interest, and attendances plummeted alongside the ratings. The XFL not only offered an inferior product but overexposed itself, helping seal its own fate.