View source for XFL (2001)

{{short description|Former American football league}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{About|the original XFL|the subsequent XFL|XFL (2020–2023)}}
{{redirect|Xtreme Football League|other uses|Extreme Football League (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox sports league
|title=XFL
|logo=Logo of the XFL (2000-2001).svg
|pixels=200px
|sport=[[American football]]
|founded=1999<!--DO NOT add 2020, as the new league is a new entity, see new entity's page-->
|founder=[[Vince McMahon]]<br/>[[Dick Ebersol]]
|inaugural=2001
|folded=2001<!--DO NOT add 2020, as the new league is a new entity, see new entity's page-->
|country=United States
| champion       = [[Los Angeles Xtreme]]<br/>[[Million Dollar Game|(2001)]]
|teams=8
|owner= [[WWE|WWF]] (50%)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1091907/000144530513000441/wwe-2131x2012xex211.htm |title=WWE-21.31-2012-Ex.21.1 |publisher=[[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission|Sec.gov]]|access-date=December 17, 2015}}</ref><br/>[[NBC]] (50%)
| website         = [https://web.archive.org/web/20010118212500/http://www.xfl.com/ XFL.com]
}}

The '''XFL''' was a professional [[American football]] league that played its only season in 2001. The XFL was operated as a joint venture between the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF, now WWE) and [[NBC]]. The XFL was conceived as an outdoor football league that would begin play immediately after the [[National Football League]] (NFL) season ended, to take advantage of the perceived lingering public desire to watch football after the NFL and [[college football]] seasons conclude. It was promoted as having fewer rules to encourage rougher play than other major leagues, while its telecasts featured [[sports entertainment]] elements inspired by [[professional wrestling]] (and in particular, the WWF's then-current "[[Attitude Era]]"), including [[heat (wrestling)|heat]] and [[kayfabe]], and suggestively-dressed [[cheerleader]]s. Commentary crews also featured WWF commentators (such as [[Jesse Ventura]], [[Jim Ross]], and [[Jerry Lawler]]) joined by sportscasters and veteran football players. Despite the wrestling influence, the games and their outcomes were [[Legit (professional wrestling)|legitimate]] and not based on scripted storylines.

The XFL operated as a single entity with all teams owned by the league, in contrast to most major professional leagues, which use a [[Professional sports league organization|franchise]] model with individual owners. The league had eight teams in two divisions, and each franchise was based in a market that either currently had an NFL team (New York/New Jersey, Chicago, San Francisco); had previously supported other pro leagues like the [[United States Football League]], the original [[NFL Europe|World League]], or the [[CFL USA|Canadian Football League]] (Memphis, Orlando, Birmingham, Las Vegas); or was the largest market without a professional franchise (Los Angeles). Co-owner NBC served as the main carrier of XFL games, with [[UPN]] and [[Paramount Network|TNN]] also carrying selected games.

The first night of play brought higher television viewership than NBC had projected, but ratings exponentially plummeted for subsequent games, with criticism directed toward its overall quality of play, on-air presentation and connection to the WWF, prompting NBC to pull out of the venture after one season. While plans were made to continue without NBC (with plans for expansion teams as well), UPN allegedly made inordinate demands of the league, which hastened its demise. The league ceased operations entirely in May 2001. Its closure was announced just a few weeks after the [[Million Dollar Game|league's season championship game]], in which the [[Los Angeles Xtreme]] defeated the [[San Francisco Demons]], on April 21, 2001, at the [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]].

Despite its short-lived existence, the XFL did pioneer several on-air technologies that would later become commonplace in football telecasts, such as aerial [[skycam]]s, and on-player microphones. WWE owner [[Vince McMahon]] maintained control of the XFL brand after the league ceased operations, despite many, including McMahon himself, considering the original league to be a "colossal failure."<ref>{{cite web |title=Why the XFL failed |website=sportinglife360.com |url=http://www.sportinglife360.com/index.php/why-the-xfl-failed-19101/ |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202105859/http://www.sportinglife360.com/index.php/why-the-xfl-failed-19101/}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/2001/05/11/0511topnews.html |series=Top of the News |title=XFL exterminated |magazine=[[Forbes]] |date=May 11, 2001 |access-date=December 17, 2015}}</ref>  Interest in the league was revived when [[ESPN Films]] released a ''[[30 for 30]]'' documentary surrounding the league, and shortly after the film debuted, McMahon began preparing for a [[XFL (2020)|new iteration of the league]] in 2020. The new XFL was run by a new McMahon-controlled company independent from the present-day [[WWE]], and did not utilize the sports entertainment elements featured in the previous incarnation. The second iteration of the XFL's [[2020 XFL season|inaugural season]] was aborted due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and the league suspended operations and filed for bankruptcy in April 2020, with McMahon relinquishing the XFL brand in a sale to his former WWE wrestler [[Dwayne Johnson]] and [[Dany Garcia]] that August.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/29021347/xfl-suspends-operations-lays-employees-no-plans-return-2021|title=XFL suspends operations, lays off employees and has no plans for 2021 season|last=Siefert|first=Kevin|date=April 10, 2020|work=[[ESPN.com]]|access-date=April 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/29030763/xfl-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy-suspending-operations|title=XFL files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after suspending operations|last=Seifert|first=Kevin|date=April 13, 2020|work=ESPN.com|access-date=April 16, 2020}}</ref>

==Founding==
Created as a 50–50 joint venture between [[NBC]] and WWE-owned subsidiary WWE Properties International, Inc.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/otherfb/news/2001/0327/1163009.html |title=DeVito says NBC not necessary for next year |date=March 27, 2001 |website=[[ESPN]] |publisher=[[ESPN Inc.]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=January 23, 2014}}</ref> under the company name "XFL, LLC", the XFL was created as a "[[Legal entity|single-entity league]];" instead of the [[sports franchising|franchise model]] used by the NFL and other major leagues, or the hybrid model where investors in the league are given operations over teams (as used in [[Major League Soccer]]), the XFL uniformly owned and operated all of its teams as one corporation, with no individual owners. [[Vince McMahon]]'s original plan was to purchase the [[Canadian Football League]] (after the CFL initially approached him about purchasing the [[Toronto Argonauts]]) and "[[Canadian Football League in the United States|have it migrate south]],"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania23/2007/03/29/3862428.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222215158/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania23/2007/03/29/3862428.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |title=Vince McMahon Q&A |first=Tim |last=Baines |website=Canoe |agency=[[Ottawa Sun]] |date=March 27, 2007 |access-date=August 31, 2014}}</ref> which was quickly rejected by the CFL.

NBC had lost their broadcast rights to the NFL's [[American Football Conference|American Football Conference (AFC)]] to [[CBS]] in 1998, ending a business relationship that had its origins with the AFC's predecessor, the [[American Football League]] (this having also come about after NBC had previously lost the rights to the pre-[[AFL-NFL merger|merger]] NFL, also to CBS). Prior to McMahon's announcement, NBC was moving ahead with [[Time Warner]] to create a football league of their own.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/129418/time-warner-and-nbc-to-form-new-pro-league |title=Time Warner and NBC to form new pro league |website=SportBusiness |date=September 28, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826132230/http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/129418/time-warner-and-nbc-to-form-new-pro-league |archive-date=August 26, 2012 |access-date=August 31, 2014}} (Note that contrary to the 2001 date on the article, it was written in 1998.)</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20352535.html |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105000642/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20352535.html |title=TNT, NBC consider new football league}}</ref>

The concept of the league was first announced on February 3, 2000. The XFL was originally conceived to build on the success of the NFL and [[professional wrestling]]. It combined the traditional game of American football with the [[kayfabe]] and stunts of professional wrestling. As [[WWE|WWF]] was, at the time, in the midst of its "[[Attitude Era]]" (which marked a shift in a mature and provocative direction for its content), the XFL's presentation likewise would reflect that approach toward football.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/346025 |title=What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From the XFL's Second Attempt at Victory |last=Womack |first=Josh |date=February 7, 2020 |website=Entrepreneur |language=en |access-date=March 15, 2020}}</ref> It was hyped as "real" football without penalties for roughness and with fewer rules in general. Keen to avoid any perception that XFL games would [[match fixing|somehow be predetermined]] in the sort of manner long established in professional wrestling, McMahon repeatedly emphasized that whereas the WWF was "100% (scripted) entertainment" the XFL would be "100% sport" i.e. the winners of its games would be determined on the field. XFL games were to feature players and coaches with microphones and cameras in the huddle and in the [[locker room]]s. Stadiums featured [[trash-talk]]ing public address announcers and scantily-clad [[Cheerleading|cheerleader]]s who were encouraged to date the players. Instead of a pre-game coin toss, XFL officials put the ball on the ground and let a player from each team scramble for it to determine who received the kickoff option. The practice was dubbed "The Human Coin Toss" by commentators, and one player ([[Orlando Rage]] defensive back [[Hassan Shamsid-Deen]]) famously separated his shoulder on the first scramble, missing the rest of the season.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/this-is-the-xfl-again-controversial-football-league-set-to-return-in-2020/ |title=This is the XFL, again: Controversial football league set to return in 2020 |work=CBSSports.com |access-date=January 25, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

The XFL featured extensive television coverage, with three games televised each week on [[NBC]], [[UPN]], and [[Spike (TV channel)#The National Network and The New TNN (2000-2003)|TNN]]. To accommodate this, it placed four of its teams in the four largest U.S. media markets: [[New York metropolitan area|New York City/North Jersey]], [[Chicago metropolitan area|Chicago]], the [[San Francisco Bay Area]], and [[Greater Los Angeles]] (this was during the [[History of the National Football League in Los Angeles|NFL's 21-year absence from the Los Angeles metro area]]). The remaining four teams were placed in markets that had previously hosted teams in second-tier and/or rival major leagues: Birmingham, Memphis, Las Vegas, and Orlando. All of the XFL's markets except Las Vegas had hosted teams in the [[United States Football League]] in the 1980s; Las Vegas, along with Birmingham and Memphis, had hosted short-lived CFL teams in the 1990s.

The XFL chose unusual names for its teams, most of which either referenced images of uncontrolled insanity ([[Memphis Maniax|Maniax]], [[Orlando Rage|Rage]], [[Los Angeles Xtreme|Xtreme]], [[San Francisco Demons|Demons]]) or criminal activity ([[Chicago Enforcers|Enforcers]], [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|Hitmen]], [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Outlaws]], and the [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|Birmingham Blast]]). After outrage from Birmingham residents who noted that Birmingham had a history of notorious "blasts", including the [[16th Street Baptist Church bombing]] in 1963 and [[Eric Rudolph]]'s 1998 bombing of a local abortion clinic, the XFL changed the name of the Birmingham team to the more benign "Birmingham Thunderbolts" (later shortened to "Bolts").<ref>{{cite web|title=Bolts for short |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2000/08/24/xfl_birmingham_ap/ |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |publisher=[[Time Inc.]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=August 25, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010185318/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2000/08/24/xfl_birmingham_ap/ |archive-date=October 10, 2008 |access-date=August 31, 2014}}</ref>

Contrary to popular belief, the "X" in XFL did not stand for "extreme", as in "eXtreme Football League".{{sfn|Forrest|2002|p=9}} When the league was first organized in 1999, it was originally supposed to stand for "Xtreme Football League"; however, there was already a league in formation at the same time with that name, and so promoters wanted to make sure that everyone knew that the "X" did not actually stand for anything (though McMahon would comment that "if the NFL stood for the 'No Fun League', the XFL will stand for the 'e'''x'''tra '''f'''un '''l'''eague'"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/04/sports/sports-business-wwf-alters-script-and-looks-to-football.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |series=Sports Business |title=SPORTS BUSINESS; W.W.F. Alters Script And Looks to Football |first=Richard |last=Sandomir |date=February 4, 2000}}</ref>). The other Xtreme Football League, which was also organized in 1999, merged with the [[Arena Football League]]'s minor league [[AF2]] before ever playing a single game. In a much later article describing the origins of the league's name, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' stated: "The F and the L act to indicate, if only indirectly, a football league. But the X is a variable. It could mean anything."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/05/01/new-xfl-wwe-football-league-2020-oliver-luck-commissioner |title=Oliver Luck and XFL 2.0: What's different this time |date=May 1, 2019 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>

==Draft==
{{Main|2001 XFL draft}}

The only main draft for the league took place over a three-day period from October 28 to 30, 2000. A total of 475&nbsp;players were selected initially, with 65&nbsp;additional players then selected in a supplemental draft on December 29, 2000.

==Teams==
[[File:XFL-USA-states.svg|thumb|right|250px|
{{Legend|#000000|Eastern Division}}
{{Legend|#ED171F|Western Division}}]]
'''Eastern Division'''
* [[Birmingham Thunderbolts]]
* [[Chicago Enforcers]]
* [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen]]
* [[Orlando Rage]]

'''Western Division'''
* [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Las Vegas Outlaws]]
* [[Los Angeles Xtreme]]
* [[Memphis Maniax]]
* [[San Francisco Demons]]

==2001 season==
[[File:XflNight.JPG|thumb|250px|A [[Chicago Enforcers]] XFL game at [[Soldier Field]]]]

===On the field===
The XFL's opening game took place on February 3, 2001, one year after the league was announced, less than one week following the NFL's [[Super Bowl XXXV]]. The first game was between the [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen]] and the [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Las Vegas Outlaws]] at [[Sam Boyd Stadium]] in [[Whitney, Nevada]].

The league's regular season structure was set up so that each team played teams in its own division twice in the season, home and away (the same as the [[National Football League]]) and played against teams in the other division once. The season ran ten weeks, with no [[bye (sports)|bye weeks]].

The league's western division was far more competitive than the east, with the four teams' records ranging from 7–3 (for eventual champion Los Angeles) to 4–6 (Las Vegas, who finished last after losing its last three games to end up one game out of a playoff spot). In the East, New York and [[Chicago]] both were hampered by slow starts and ineffective starters before making personnel changes that improved their play, while Orlando, under quarterback [[Jeff Brohm]], who owned the league's highest QB rating at 99.9 during the 2001 XFL season, soared to first place, winning its first six games before Brohm suffered a career-ending injury and the team regressed (the team went 2–2 in his absence). Birmingham started the season 2–1 before a rash of injuries (and tougher competition, as its two wins were against New York and Chicago) led to the team losing the last seven games. Injuries were a major problem across the league: only three of the league's eight Opening Day starting quarterbacks—Los Angeles's [[Tommy Maddox]], San Francisco's [[Mike Pawlawski]] and Memphis's [[Jim Druckenmiller]]—were still starters by the end of the season. Birmingham and Las Vegas were both on their third-string quarterbacks by the end of the ten-week season.

The XFL postseason format was essentially identical to the one adopted by the AFL for its [[1969 American Football League season|final season]] in 1969. The top two teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. To avoid teams having to play each other three times in a season prior to the championship game, the league set up the semifinal round of the playoffs so that the games would feature teams from opposite divisions: the east division champion (Orlando) hosted the west division runner-up (San Francisco), and likewise for the west champion and east runner-up (Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively). Los Angeles and San Francisco each won their playoff games to advance to the [[Million Dollar Game|XFL championship]].

===Off the field===
The opening game ended with a 19–0 victory for the Outlaws, and was watched on NBC by an estimated 14 million viewers. During the telecast, [[NBC]] switched over to the game between the [[Orlando Rage]] and the [[Chicago Enforcers]], which was a closer contest than the blowout taking place in Las Vegas. The opening night drew a 9.5&nbsp;[[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]].{{sfn|Fritz|Murray|2006|page=171}}

The opening-week games actually delivered ratings double those of what NBC had promised advertisers (and more viewers than the [[2001 Pro Bowl]]). The audience declined to a 4.6 in week&nbsp;2,{{sfn|Fritz|Murray|2006|page=172}} still an acceptable rating for NBC, but further ratings declines eventually led to the network abandoning the league after the season.

A further problem was that the XFL itself was the brainchild of Vince McMahon, a man who was ridiculed by mainstream sports journalists due to the stigma attached to [[professional wrestling]] as being "[[Work (professional wrestling)|fake]]"; many journalists even jokingly speculated whether any of the league's games were [[Match fixing|rigged]], although nothing of this sort was ever seriously investigated.

Ebersol was disappointed with the opening game's poor quality of play.<ref name="ap20190213">{{Cite news |url=https://triblive.com/pghtrib/localsports/14610673-94/aafs-officials-pleased-with-opening-weekend-tv-ratings-but-remain-cautious |title=AAF's officials pleased with opening weekend TV ratings but remain cautious |date=February 13, 2019 |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |access-date=February 14, 2019 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Even longtime NBC sportscaster [[Bob Costas]] joined in the mocking of the league. Ebersol purposely allowed Costas and other NBC Sports veterans to opt out of the network's coverage of the league (hence with the exception of former ''[[NFL on NBC]]'' analyst [[Mike Adamle]], its coverage was helmed mostly by younger unknowns and professional wrestling figures), and Costas in particular did not like McMahon's approach to the sport. In an appearance on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' in February 2001, after the league's second week of play, Costas joked: "It has to be at least a decade since I first mused out loud, 'Why doesn't somebody combine mediocre [[high school football]] with a tawdry [[strip club]]?' Finally, somebody takes my idea and runs with it."<ref>FitzGerald, Tom, [http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/TOP-OF-THE-SIXTH-2952184.php Top of the Sixth], ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' online edition (SFGate.com), February 15, 2001. Retrieved May 26, 2014.</ref> Costas interviewed a defiant McMahon for an episode of his [[HBO]] show ''[[On the Record with Bob Costas|On the Record]]'' as the league was in decline, an interview that the 2017 documentary ''This Was the XFL'' portrayed as being an omen of the league's collapse.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rueter |first=Sean |date=December 1, 2021 |title=The Vince McMahon/Bob Costas feud enters its third decade |url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2021/12/1/22812876/vince-mcmahon-bob-costas-beat-the-shit-out-of-steroids-insinuation-hbo-xfl-interview |access-date=January 20, 2024 |website=Cageside Seats |language=en}}</ref>

===2001 schedule===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! colspan="28" style="background-color: #000000; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; color:#ffffff" | 2001 XFL schedule
|-
!colspan="1" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| Home
!colspan="1" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| Away
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 1
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 2
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 3
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 4
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 5
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 6
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 7
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 8
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 9
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Week 10
|-
! style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| Win
! style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| Loss
<!--
|-
! style="background-color: #FFFFCC"| Tie
! style="background-color: #CCCCFF"| Scheduled
-->
|-
! colspan="28" style="background-color: #ffcbcb ; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; color:#000000" | Eastern Division
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=2|l=8}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 20–22
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 19–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 14–3
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 6–30
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 10–39
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 26–35
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–34
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 0–13
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 24–29
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 0–22
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[Chicago Enforcers]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=5|l=5}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 29–33
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 30–32<br><small>(2OT)</small>
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 3–14
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 0–13
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 15–13
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 23–29
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 25–19
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 13–0
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 23–18
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 23–6
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=4|l=6}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 0–19
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–19
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–18
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 13–0
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 7–22
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 20–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 16–15
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–17
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 18–23
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 22–0
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[Orlando Rage]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=8|l=2}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 33–29
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 26–14
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 18–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 30–6
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 21–19
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 27–15
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 6–31
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 17–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 29–24
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 6–23
|-
! colspan="28" style="background-color: #ffcbcb ; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; color:#000000" | Western Division
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Las Vegas Outlaws]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=4|l=6}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 19–0
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 25–3
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 9–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 16–9
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 13–15
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 15–27
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 34–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 26–35
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 9–14
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 3–16
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=7|l=3}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 13–15
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 32–30<br><small>(2OT)</small>
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 12–9
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–18
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 22–7
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 35–26
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 31–6
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 35–26
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–27
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 24–0
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[Memphis Maniax]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=5|l=5}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[San Francisco Demons|{{abbr|SF|San Francisco Demons}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 22–20
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 3–25
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 6–13
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 18–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 19–21
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 29–23
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 15–16
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–21
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 27–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 16–3
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"| [[San Francisco Demons]]<br>({{Win–loss record|w=5|l=5}})
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Orlando Rage|{{abbr|ORL|Orlando Rage}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|{{abbr|BIR|Birmingham Thunderbolts}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|{{abbr|NY|New York/New Jersey Hitmen}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Chicago Enforcers|{{abbr|CHI|Chicago Enforcers}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCCCCC"| [[Memphis Maniax|{{abbr|MEM|Memphis Maniax}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|{{abbr|LV|Las Vegas Outlaws}}]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF"| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|{{abbr|LA|Los Angeles Xtreme}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 15–13
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 14–26
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 13–6
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 9–16
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 39–10
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 12–20
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 19–25
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 21–12
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #CCFFCC"| 14–9
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFCCCC"| 0–24
|}

===2001 standings===
{{col-begin|width=100%}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Regular season
{|class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ffcbcb;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| '''Eastern Division'''
|-
!Team||Won||Lost||Pct.||GB
|-
| y-[[Orlando Rage]] || 8 || 2 || {{winpct|8|2}} || –
|-
| x-[[Chicago Enforcers]] || 5 || 5 || {{winpct|5|5}} || 3
|-
| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen]] || 4 || 6 || {{winpct|4|6}} || 4
|-
| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts]] || 2 || 8 || {{winpct|2|8}} || 6
|- style="background:#ffcbcb;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| '''Western Division'''
|-
!Team||Won||Lost||Pct.||GB
|-
| y-[[Los Angeles Xtreme]] || 7 || 3 || {{winpct|7|3}} ||–
|-
| x-[[San Francisco Demons]] || 5 || 5 || {{winpct|5|5}} || 2
|-
| [[Memphis Maniax]] || 5 || 5 || {{winpct|5|5}} || 2
|-
| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Las Vegas Outlaws]] || 4 || 6 || {{winpct|4|6}} || 3
|}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Playoffs
{{4TeamBracket-info
| RD2 = [[Million Dollar Game]]

| RD1-text1 = April 14&nbsp;– [[Camping World Stadium|Citrus Bowl]], Orlando
| RD1-seed1 = W2
| RD1-team1 = '''[[San Francisco Demons|San Francisco]]'''
| RD1-score1 = 26
| RD1-seed2 = E1
| RD1-team2 = [[Orlando Rage|Orlando]]
| RD1-score2 = 25

| RD1-text2 = April 15&nbsp;– [[LA Memorial Coliseum|Memorial Coliseum]], LA
| RD1-seed3 = E2
| RD1-team3 = [[Chicago Enforcers|Chicago]]
| RD1-score3 = 16
| RD1-seed4 = W1
| RD1-team4 = '''[[Los Angeles Xtreme|Los Angeles]]'''
| RD1-score4 = 33

| RD2-text1 = April 21&nbsp;– Memorial Coliseum, LA
| RD2-seed1 = W2
| RD2-team1 = [[San Francisco Demons|San Francisco]]
| RD2-score1 = 6
| RD2-seed2 = W1
| RD2-team2 = '''[[Los Angeles Xtreme|Los Angeles]]'''
| RD2-score2 = 38
}}
{{col-end}}

===Awards===
<!-- This section is linked from Los Angeles Xtreme -->
* Most Valuable Player: [[Tommy Maddox]], QB, [[Los Angeles Xtreme]]
* Million Dollar Game MVP: [[José Cortez]], K, [[Los Angeles Xtreme]]
* Coach of the Year: [[Galen Hall]], [[Orlando Rage]]

===Statistical leaders===
* Rushing Attempts: 153 [[James Bostic]] ([[Birmingham Thunderbolts]])
* Rushing Yards: 800 [[John Avery (American football)|John Avery]] ([[Chicago Enforcers]])
* Rushing Touchdowns: 7 [[Derrick Clark (American football)|Derrick Clark]] ([[Orlando Rage]])
* Receptions: 67 [[Jeremaine Copeland]] ([[Los Angeles Xtreme]])
* Receiving Yards: 828 [[Stepfret Williams]] ([[Birmingham Thunderbolts]])
* Receiving Touchdowns: 8 [[Darnell McDonald (American football)|Darnell McDonald]] ([[Los Angeles Xtreme]])
* Passing Attempts: 342 [[Tommy Maddox]] ([[Los Angeles Xtreme]])
* Passing Completions: 196 Tommy Maddox ([[Los Angeles Xtreme]])
* Passing Yards: 2,186 Tommy Maddox ([[Los Angeles Xtreme]])
* Passing Touchdowns: 18 Tommy Maddox ([[Los Angeles Xtreme]])
* Passing Interceptions: 10 [[Brian Kuklick]] ([[Orlando Rage]])
* Interceptions: 5 [[Corey Ivy]] ([[Chicago Enforcers]])
* Quarterback Sacks: 7 [[Antonio Edwards]] and [[Kelvin Kinney]] (both [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Las Vegas Outlaws]])

===Statistics===
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2014}}
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+'''Attendances'''
!Team||Stadium||Capacity||Avg. Att.||Avg.% Filled
|-
|[[San Francisco Demons]]||[[Pacific Bell Park]]||41,059||35,005||85%
|-
|[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen]]||[[Giants Stadium]]||80,242||28,309||35%
|-
|[[Orlando Rage]]||[[Citrus Bowl (stadium)|Citrus Bowl]]||36,000<sup>A</sup>||25,563||71%
|-
|[[Los Angeles Xtreme]]||[[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]]||92,000||22,679||25%
|-
|[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Las Vegas Outlaws]]||[[Sam Boyd Stadium]]||36,800||22,618||61%
|-
|[[Memphis Maniax]]||[[Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium]]||62,921||20,396||32%
|-
|[[Birmingham Thunderbolts]]||[[Legion Field]]||83,091||17,002||20%
|-
|[[Chicago Enforcers]]||[[Soldier Field]]||55,701||15,710||28%
|}
<sup>A</sup> The Citrus Bowl, which had a total capacity of 65,438 at the time, had its upper decks closed off for XFL games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/from-the-sports-editor/os-xfl-orlando-rage-0125-story.html|title=XFL, fast-paced and fan-friendly, returning in 2020; Orlando interested in getting team|first=Roger|last=Simmons}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+'''Passing leaders (over 100 pass attempts)'''
!Name||Team||Att||Comp||%||Yards||YDs/Att||TD||TD %||INT||INT %||Long||Sacked||Yds lost||Rating
|-
|[[Tommy Maddox]]||[[Los Angeles Xtreme|LA]]||342||196||57.3||2186||6.39||18||5.3||9||2.6||63||14||91||81.2
|-
|[[Mike Pawlawski]]||[[San Francisco Demons|SF]]||297||186||62.6||1659||5.59||12||4||6||2||35||16||141||82.6
|-
|[[Jim Druckenmiller]]||[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||199||109||54.8||1499||7.53||13||6.5||7||3.5||49||15||89||86.2
|-
|[[Casey Weldon]]||[[Birmingham Thunderbolts|BIRM]]||164||102||62.2||1228||7.49||7||4.3||5||3||80 (TD)||7||44||86.6
|-
|[[Kevin McDougal]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||134||81||60.4||1168||8.72||5||3.7||3||2.2||56||8||69||91.9
|-
|[[Brian Kuklick]]||[[Orlando Rage|ORL]]||122||68||55.7||994||8.15||6||4.9||10||8.2||81 (TD)||7||42||64.7
|-
|[[Jeff Brohm]]||[[Orlando Rage|ORL]]||119||69||58.0||993||8.34||9||7.6||3||2.5||51 (TD)||11||78||99.9
|-
|[[Wally Richardson]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||142||83||58.5||812||5.72||6||4.2||6||4.2||33 (TD)||17||107||71.1
|-
|[[Ryan Clement]]||[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|LV]]||138||78||56.5||805||5.83||9||6.5||4||2.9||46||10||59||83.2
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+'''Passing leaders (under 100 pass attempts)'''
!Name||Team||Att||Comp||%||Yards||YDs/Att||TD||TD %||INT||INT %||Long||Sacked||Yds lost||Rating
|-
| [[Tim Lester (American football coach)|Tim Lester]] || [[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||77||40||51.9||581||7.55||4||5.2||5||6.5||68 (TD)||13||68||67.1
|-
|[[Graham Leigh]]||[[Birmingham Thunderbolts|BIRM]]||97||44||45.4||499||5.14||1||1||6||6.2||36||8||62||39.0
|-
|[[Marcus Crandell]]||[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||69||33||47.8||473||6.86||1||1.4||2||2.9||53||9||62||63.3
|-
|[[Jay Barker]]||[[Birmingham Thunderbolts|BIRM]]||65||37||56.9||425||6.54||1||1.5||5||7.7||92 (TD)||10||64||49.8
|-
|[[Charles Puleri]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||64||29||45.3||411||6.42||2||3.1||2||3.1||77 (TD)||4||39||64.0
|-
|[[Mark Grieb]]||[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|LV]] ||78||37||47.4||408||5.23||3||3.8||4||5.1||41 (TD)||5||44||54.9
|-
|[[Pat Barnes]]||[[San Francisco Demons|SF]]||80||36||45.0||379||4.74||3||3.8||2||2.5||34||5||38||61.4
|-
|[[Corte McGuffey]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||48||25||52.1||329||6.85||0||0||2||4.2||54||5||38||56.7
|-
|[[Mike Cawley]]||[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|LV]] ||38||17||44.7||180||4.74||1||2.6||2||5.3||26||10||83||45.9
|-
|[[Scott Milanovich]]||[[Los Angeles Xtreme|LA]]||9||2||22.2||45||5||0||0||1||11.1||39||0||0||8.3
|-
|[[Craig Whelihan]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]/[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||5||4||80.0||30||6||0||0||0||0||12||0||0||91.7
|-
|[[Paul Failla (athlete)|Paul Failla]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||5||1||20.0||5||1||0||0||0||0||5||2||12||39.6
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+'''Rushing leaders'''
!Name||Team||Att||Yds||Ave.||Long||TDs
|-
|[[John Avery (American football)|John Avery]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||150||800||5.3||73 (TD)||5
|-
|[[Rod Smart]]||[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|LV]]||146||555||3.8||31||3
|-
|[[James Bostic]]||[[Birmingham Thunderbolts|BIRM]]||153||536||3.5||56||2
|-
|[[Rashaan Salaam]]||[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||114||528||4.6||39 (TD)||5
|-
|[[Derrick Clark (American football)|Derrick Clark]]||[[Orlando Rage|ORL]]||94||395||4.2||19||7
|-
|[[Saladin McCullough]]||[[Los Angeles Xtreme|LA]]||88||384||4.4||22||5
|-
|[[Joe Aska]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||82||329||4.0||42||3
|-
|[[Micheal Black]]||[[Orlando Rage|ORL]]||83||320||3.9||20||0
|-
|[[LeShon Johnson]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||72||287||4.0||41||6
|-
|[[Rashaan Shehee]]||[[Los Angeles Xtreme|LA]]||61||242||4.0||28||0
|-
|[[Kelvin Anderson]]||[[San Francisco Demons|SF]]||53||231||4.4||39||1
|-
|[[Jim Druckenmiller]]||[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||31||208||6.7||36||0
|-
|[[Juan Johnson]]||[[San Francisco Demons|SF]]||33||172||5.2||19||0
|-
|[[Wally Richardson]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||26||148||5.7||24||0
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+'''Receiving yardage leaders (over 175 yards)'''
!Name||Team||Rec||Yds||Ave.||Long||TDs
|-
|[[Stepfret Williams]]||[[Birmingham Thunderbolts|BIRM]]||51||828||16.2||92 (TD)||2
|-
|[[Charles Jordan (American football)|Charles Jordan]]||[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||45||823||18.3||49||4
|-
|[[Jeremaine Copeland]]||[[Los Angeles Xtreme|LA]]||67||755||11.3||34||5
|-
|[[Dialleo Burks]]||[[Orlando Rage|ORL]]||34||659||19.4||81 (TD)||7
|-
|[[Aaron Bailey (American football)|Aaron Bailey]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||32||546||17.1||50||3
|-
|[[Quincy Jackson]]||[[Birmingham Thunderbolts|BIRM]]||45||531||11.8||36 (TD)||6
|-
|[[Darnell McDonald (American football)|Darnell McDonald]]||[[Los Angeles Xtreme|LA]]||34||456||13.4||39||8
|-
|[[Daryl Hobbs]]||[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||30||419||14||49 (TD)||5
|-
|[[Jimmy Cunningham]]||[[San Francisco Demons|SF]]||50||408||8.2||26||3
|-
|[[Kirby Dar Dar]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||22||405||18.4||77 (TD)||2
|-
|[[Kevin Swayne]]||[[Orlando Rage|ORL]]||27||400||14.8||51 (TD)||2
|-
|[[Brian Roberson]]||[[San Francisco Demons|SF]]||36||395||11||35||2
|-
|[[Kevin Prentiss]]||[[Memphis Maniax|MEM]]||25||383||15.3||53||0
|-
|[[Mario Bailey]]||[[Orlando Rage|ORL]]||27||379||14||49 (TD)||3
|-
|[[Zola Davis]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||29||378||13||26||4
|-
|[[James Hundon]]||[[San Francisco Demons|SF]]||28||357||12.8||34||0
|-
|[[Zechariah Lord]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||20||301||15.1||46||0
|-
|[[John Avery (American football)|John Avery]]||[[Chicago Enforcers|CHI]]||17||297||17.5||68 (TD)||2
|-
|[[Yo Murphy]]||[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|LV]]||27||273||10.1||35||3
|-
|[[Anthony DiCosmo]]||[[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|NY/NJ]]||26||268||10.3||30||0
|-
|[[Latario Rachal]]||[[Los Angeles Xtreme|LA]]||24||254||10.6||24||0
|-
|[[Rod Smart]]||[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|LV]]||27||245||9.1||46||0
|-
|[[Mike Furrey]]||[[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|LV]]||18||242||13.4||41 (TD)||1
|-
|[[Ed Smith (XFL)|Ed Smith]]||[[Birmingham Thunderbolts|BIRM]]||25||195||7.8||16||1
|}

==XFL rule changes==
Despite boasts of a "rules-light" game and universally negative reviews from the mainstream sports media early on, the XFL played the standard brand of 11-man American outdoor football that was recognizable, aside from the opening game sprint to determine possession and some other changes, some of which were modified during the season as it progressed. The league's coaches vetoed a proposal to eliminate ineligible receivers (allowing any player to receive a forward pass) midway through the season, on account that the change would be too radical.

===Game balls===
The league's game balls were made by [[Spalding (company)|Spalding]], and were unique in that instead of being the standard brown, the ball was black with a red "X" going across the sides of the ball.<ref>
{{cite web |url=https://corporate.wwe.com/news/company-news/2000/08-03-2000a |title=XFL Names Spalding First Official Licensee |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 3, 2000 |website=WWE.com |publisher=WWE |access-date=January 11, 2020 |quote="Spalding is one of the most recognizable names in sports and we’re very excited to have Spalding on board as our first on-field partner," said Basil V. DeVito, Jr., President of the XFL. "The Spalding game ball, with its unique and high-impact black, silver, and red color combination, will be one of the strongest icons of the XFL."}}</ref> The balls were later found to be slippery and difficult to handle, and the balls had to be rubbed with [[sandpaper]] to make them usable.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y05XzLR5Ty4 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/y05XzLR5Ty4| archive-date=November 17, 2021 | url-status=live|title=How the XFL solved the slippery ball problem with sandpaper |work=ESPN via Youtube |date=January 25, 2018 |access-date=February 23, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Grass stadiums===
The league deliberately avoided placing teams in stadiums with [[artificial turf]], which at the time had a bad reputation both for being unsightly as well as being more hazardous to play on compared to natural turf.<ref>[http://www.xflboard.com/stadiums/index.htm List of stadiums] courtesy of xflboard.com.</ref> The league's requirement for [[grass]] fields automatically ruled out the use of [[dome]]d stadiums since no such stadium capable of accommodating a grass football field existed in the U.S. in 2001 (the only [[retractable roof]] stadiums complete at the time were used exclusively for [[Major League Baseball]]; the first retractable roof stadium for NFL use was not completed until [[NRG Stadium|Reliant Stadium]] opened for the expansion [[Houston Texans]] in [[2002 NFL season|2002]]). Furthermore, every XFL field was designed identically, with no individual team branding on the field. Each [[end zone]] and 50&nbsp;yard line was decorated with the XFL logo, with the endzones also being painted black.

Most of the league's stadiums were football-specific facilities, the only exception being San Francisco's [[Pacific Bell Park]] (home of the [[San Francisco Giants]]) which was built primarily for [[baseball]], but (unlike many newer baseball-specific stadiums) can accommodate football. Two XFL stadiums ([[Giants Stadium]] and [[Soldier Field]]) were also then-current NFL stadiums, while two others ([[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]] and the [[Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium]]) had previously hosted NFL games; the NFL would return to the Coliseum when the [[Los Angeles Rams|Rams]] returned to Los Angeles in 2016. The remaining fields were in regular use as [[college football]] venues at the time.

The home team in every stadium was required to occupy the sideline opposite the press box in order to be visible to the television cameras. Due to the odd field dimensions in San Francisco, teams playing there were permitted to occupy the same sideline (a similar arrangement existed in the NFL when the [[Green Bay Packers]] played home games at [[Milwaukee County Stadium]] and in stadiums previously used by the [[Chicago Bears]], [[Detroit Lions]], [[Kansas City Chiefs]] and [[Minnesota Vikings]]).

The all-grass field stipulation caused the league to skip over several of the country's largest markets, including [[Houston]] and [[Philadelphia]], since they lacked a large grass stadium in 2001.<!--Dallas had the Cotton Bowl and Detroit had Tiger Stadium--> In the league's two northernmost markets, Chicago and New York/New Jersey (the latter of which played in [[Giants Stadium]] during a brief window in which the stadium's usual artificial turf had been replaced by natural grass), the combination of the all-grass requirement, midwinter playing season and the fact that the XFL followed shortly after the NFL had used both fields for a full season (in Giants Stadium's case, two full seasons, since the Giants and Jets shared the stadium; the Giants also hosted two playoff games following the [[2000 NFL season|2000 season]]) caused significant damage to the playing fields; at Chicago's [[Soldier Field]], the wear and tear on the field was such that by midseason, the midfield logo of the NFL's [[Chicago Bears]] was clearly visible amid a stretch of dirt and dead grass.

At the time, "next generation" artificial surfaces (which much more closely mimicked grass in appearance, feel and player safety) were slowly being introduced in professional football. In 2000, the [[Seattle Seahawks]] were the first professional team to play on next-generation artificial turf at the [[University of Washington]]'s [[Husky Stadium]], where the Seahawks played in 2000 and 2001 following the demolition of the [[Kingdome]] and prior to the completion of what is now [[Lumen Field]]). Giants Stadium would have a next generation artificial surface installed in 2003; Soldier Field was renovated extensively in 2002 but retained its grass field. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and [[Legion Field]] have also installed next-generation turf fields since the demise of the original XFL.

===Opening scramble===
Replacing the [[coin toss]] at the beginning of each game was an event in which one player from each team fought to recover a football 20 yards away in order to determine possession. Both players lined up side by side on one of the 30-yard lines, with the ball being placed at the 50-yard line. At the whistle, the two players would run toward the ball and attempt to gain possession; whichever player gained possession first was allowed to choose possession (as if he had won a coin toss in other leagues). Each player was permitted one false start; if either player committed a second false start his team would automatically forfeit the choice of possession. The XFL's first injury infamously resulted from the opening scramble; [[Orlando Rage|Orlando]] free safety [[Hassan Shamsid-Deen]] suffered a [[separated shoulder]] prior to the Rage's 33–29 season-opening win over the [[Chicago Enforcers]] at [[Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium]] on February 3.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/020401/Sports/League_starts_in_Orla.shtml |author=Cotey, John C. |title=League starts in Orlando with pageantry, pain |place=St. Petersburg, FL |newspaper=Sunday Times |date=February 4, 2001}}</ref> He ended up missing the remainder of the campaign.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20010207-2001-02-07-0102070013-story.html|title=XFL Shocking? No more than the Redskins |first=Warner |last=Hessler |website=dailypress.com|date=February 7, 2001 }}</ref>

===No PAT (point after touchdown) kicks===
After every [[touchdown]] scored, no extra point after kicks were done, due to the XFL's perception that an extra-point kick was a "guaranteed point." To earn a point after a touchdown, teams ran a single offensive down from the two-yard line (functionally identical to the NFL / NCAA / CFL [[two-point conversion]], but for just a single point as it had been before the two-point conversion was adopted). By the playoffs, two-point and three-point conversions had been added to the rules. Teams could opt for the bonus points by playing the conversion farther back from the goal line. However, touchdowns were still worth 6 points.

This rule, as originally implemented, was similar to the [[World Football League|WFL]]'s "Action Point", and was identical to a 1968 "Pressure Point" experiment by the NFL and the [[American Football League]], used only in preseason interleague games that year.

In 2015, the NFL, CFL and other professional leagues would address the "guaranteed point" concerns by moving the extra point kick back to the 15-yard and 25-yard lines, respectively, thus making the length of the kick the same distance (taking into account the NFL's position of the goalposts on the end line, and the CFL's goalposts being positioned on the goal line). The [[Alliance of American Football]] (AAF) in 2019 adopted this "no extra point kick" rule from the original XFL, albeit making the scrimmage play conversion two points as in other levels of the game. The revived XFL kept the conversion system used during the playoffs.

===Overtime===
Ties were to be resolved in similar fashion to the NCAA and in the CFL today, with at least one possession by each team, starting from the opponent's 20-yard line. There were differences: there were no first downs and thus teams had to score within four downs, and the team that had possession first in overtime could not attempt a field goal until fourth down. If that team managed to score a touchdown in fewer than four downs, the second team would only have that same number of downs to match or beat the result. If the score was still tied after one overtime period, the team that played second on offense in the first OT would start on offense in the second OT (similar to the rules of college football overtime). The process would be repeated until a winner was determined; unlike the CFL and NFL, but like college football, games could not end in ties even in the regular season.

===Bump and run===
The XFL allowed full [[bump and run coverage]] early in the season. Defensive backs were allowed to hit wide receivers any time before the quarterback released the ball, as long as the hit came from the front or the side.

Following the fourth week of the season, bump and run was restricted to the first five yards from the line of scrimmage (similar to NFL and CFL) in an effort to increase offensive production.

===Forward motion===
Unlike the [[National Football League|NFL]], but like the [[World Football League]] and [[Arena Football League]] before it<!--NOT like Canadian football, which has totally different forward motion rules-->, the XFL allowed one offensive player to [[motion (football)|move]] toward the line of scrimmage once he was outside the tackles.

===Punting rules===
The XFL imposed a number of restrictions on [[punt (gridiron football)|punting]] that are not present in most other leagues' rules, the net effect of which made punts in the XFL operate under rules more akin to [[kickoff (gridiron football)|kickoffs]]. The purpose of these provisions was to keep play going after the ball was punted, encouraging the kicking team to make the ball playable and the receiving team to run it back. To this effect:
* Punting out of bounds was a ten-yard [[penalty (gridiron football)|penalty]], effectively outlawing the [[coffin corner punt]] commonplace at most other levels of the game.
* Any punt that traveled at least 25 yards past the line of scrimmage could be recovered by the kicking team, thus legalizing to an extent the [[Bomb (kick)|up-and-under or garryowen]] common to [[rugby football]] codes. Thus, instead of letting the kicking team down the ball as is common in other leagues, the receiving team was required to try and return the punt or else lose possession.
* The kicking team was prohibited from coming within five yards of the [[punt returner]] before he gained possession of the ball. This rule, known as the halo rule in college football and also common in the CFL, was dubbed the "danger zone" in the XFL. Coming within 5{{nbsp}}yards or less of this "danger zone" entailed a {{nobreak|5-yard}} penalty, much in the same vein as the CFL's "no yards" penalty.
* [[Fair catch]]es were not recognized. (The "no fair catch" rule was one of the most heavily hyped rule differences in the XFL and a central part of the league's marketing campaign, and like the above "no yards" penalty, fair catches were not recognized in Canadian football.)

For the initial weeks of the season, the XFL forbade all players on the kicking team from going downfield before a kick was made from scrimmage on that down, similarly to a rule the NFL considered in 1974. For the rest of the season the XFL modified it to allow one player closest to each sideline downfield ahead of the kick, the same modification the NFL adopted to their change just before their 1974 exhibition games started.

Allowing the kicking team to recover a punt did encourage noticeably more [[quick kick]]s over the course of the XFL's lone season than was typically seen in the NFL over the preceding decades, including a quick kick during the [[Million Dollar Game]] (that particular kick, executed by San Francisco on a third-and-31 play, succeeded in taking Los Angeles off-guard, but the kick also backfired as the Demons could not recover the kick and Los Angeles returned it for a touchdown).<ref name=worst>{{cite AV media |author=Bulkema, Will |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pRFTLDtgeQ | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/9pRFTLDtgeQ| archive-date=November 17, 2021 | url-status=live|title=The only XFL championship was also the worst |publisher=[[SB Nation]] |date=February 7, 2019 |medium=video |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Play clock===
The XFL used a [[play clock]] of 35&nbsp;seconds from the end of the previous play, five seconds shorter than the contemporary NFL play clock of 40&nbsp;seconds (but still longer than the CFL's 20&nbsp;seconds, timed from the spotting of the football), in an effort to speed up the game.

===Roster and salaries===
The XFL limited each team to an unusually low 38&nbsp;players, as opposed to 53 on [[National Football League|NFL]] teams and 80 or more on unlimited college rosters. This was similar to the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]], which had a comparable 40&nbsp;man roster limit in 2001. This was partly to limit payroll costs, and partly because the XFL wanted to curb the use of "specialists," something which the NFL has sometimes come under criticism for. To comply with roster limits, most teams only carried two quarterbacks and one kicker who doubled as the punter.

The XFL paid standardized player salaries. [[Quarterback]]s earned US$5,000 per week, kickers earned $3,500, and all other uniformed players earned $4,500 per week, though a few players got around these restrictions ([[Los Angeles Xtreme]] players [[Noel Prefontaine]], the league's lone [[punter (football)|punting specialist]], and Matt Malloy, a wide receiver) by having themselves listed as backup quarterbacks. Players on a winning team received a bonus of $2,500 for the week, $7,500 for winning a [[playoff game]]. The team that won the championship game split $1,000,000 (roughly $25,000 per player). Players did not receive any fringe benefits, and had to pay for their own [[health insurance]].

===Jersey nicknames===
The XFL allowed its players to wear a nickname on the back of their jersey, as opposed to the legal last name most professional sports leagues have required since the 1960s. Players could change the nickname any time they wanted, and a few players chose to change the nicknames on a weekly basis depending on their opponent. The league's use of [[#Skycam and Bubba Cam|backfield camera angles]] gave these nicknames even greater exposure. Nevertheless, two teams, Orlando<ref name=letsplayfootball>{{cite web |url=http://www.pressconnects.com/story/sports/college/purdue/football/2017/07/27/lets-play-football-follows-purdues-jeff-brohm/514924001/ |title=Jeff Brohm's XFL mic drop moment follows him to Purdue |agency=Gannett News Service |first=Mike |last=Carmin |date=July 27, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017}}</ref> and Birmingham, imposed policies that forbade players from using nicknames. Orlando's ban was voted upon by the players, although Jeff Brohm objected. Birmingham's players were banned from doing so by coach [[Gerry DiNardo]], a notoriously strict disciplinarian more accustomed to coaching at the college level. DiNardo previously alienated players at [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] and [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] and later did so at [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]] with his iron-fisted rule. The Thunderbolts were the only professional team he would ever coach.

[[Rod Smart]], a running back who played in the first XFL nationally televised game, was the first player to gain notice from his nickname, "He Hate Me."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2017/aug/11/mlb-players-weekend-nickname-jerseys-age |title=MLB's nickname gimmick won't solve baseball's mounting age issues |newspaper=The Guardian |place=UK |date=August 11, 2017 |access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Fans love 'He Hate Me'"/>

==Broadcast overview==

===Camera perspectives===
Although the XFL was not the first football league to feature the "[[skycam|sky cam]]",<ref name=skycam>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-07-sp-22325-story.html |title=XFL, NBC Working Out Kinks |author=Stewart, Larry |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=March 10, 2009 |date=February 7, 2001}}</ref> which enables TV viewers to see behind the offensive unit, it helped to popularize its unique capabilities. For the first several weeks, the league used the sky cam and on-field cameramen (nicknamed the "Bubba Cam" after WWE's cameraman, Bubba, who couldn't get medical clearance to cover the XFL)<ref name=skycam2>{{cite news |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/05/16/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/XFL-Bubba-Cam.aspx |title=Bubba Cam put cameraman into the game |author=Tefton, Terry |work=Sports Business Daily |publisher=[[American City Business Journals]] |access-date=May 17, 2011 |date=May 16, 2011}}</ref> extensively, giving the television broadcasts a perspective similar to [[video game]]s such as the ''[[Madden NFL|Madden]]'' series.

During player interviews, particularly later in the season as attendances declined, the television crews took extensive efforts to avoid capturing the empty stands on camera. When they did show the stands, it was just mostly close ups of individual sections that were full. Player interviews at sparsely-attended games were often shot from a camera angle in close proximity and low to the ground pointed upward, giving the perspective of the camera being operated by a little person.<ref>{{Citation|title=The only XFL championship was also the worst| date=February 7, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pRFTLDtgeQ|language=en|access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref>

After the XFL's failure, the sky cam was adopted by the [[National Football League|NFL]]'s broadcasters; the device has subsequently come into use on all major networks. NBC in particular switched back to the XFL camera angles in [[2017 NFL season|2017]], when traditional cameras were too far away to cut through thick fog and smoke on some of the ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night Football]]'' games that year; response was so positive that the network opted to use two of its ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' games to experiment with intentionally broadcasting most of the game through that angle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/nfl/index.ssf/2017/11/nbcs_skycam_will_provide_madde.html |title=NBC's 'skycam' will provide Madden-like view of tonight's Titans-Steelers game |date=November 17, 2017 |publisher=Portland Oregonian |via=oregonlive.com}}</ref>

===Broadcast schedule===
At the beginning of the season, NBC showed a feature game at 8&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Time]] on Saturday nights, also taping a second game. The second game, in some weeks, would air in the visiting team's home market (as was the case in week 6 for the Enforcers-Maniax game, and in week 7, for the Maniax-Hitmen game) and be put on the air nationally if the feature game was a blowout (as was the case in week one) or encountered technical difficulties (as was the case in week two). Two games were shown each Sunday: one at 4&nbsp;p.m. Eastern on [[Paramount Network#The National Network, the New TNN, and professional wrestling (2000–2003)|TNN]] and another at 7&nbsp;p.m. Eastern on [[UPN]]. The XFL also had a fairly extensive local radio presence, often using nationally recognized disc jockeys. The morning radio duo of [[Rick and Bubba]], for instance, was the radio broadcast team for the [[Birmingham Thunderbolts]]. [[Super Dave Osborne]] was a sideline reporter for Los Angeles Xtreme broadcasts on [[KNX-FM|KLSX]]; [[WMVP]] carried Chicago Enforcers games.

Unusually for a professional league, the XFL did not feature a studio wraparound. The network offered ''XFL Gameday'', a pregame show featuring radio shock jocks [[Opie and Anthony]] for the first four weeks of the season, but the show was not carried nationwide and most affiliates joined in just before the game. Halftime consisted mostly of live look-ins into the player locker rooms, as coaches discussed their strategy and halftime adjustments with their players, as well as cheerleader performances. The XFL also, at McMahon's request, followed a somewhat different format than traditional professional football telecasts: The announcers more closely followed the model of professional wrestling where the [[color commentator]] had a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|villain-like role]], while the [[sideline reporter]]s (who were predominantly male, a rare example of the XFL being more conservative than the NFL at the time, which was incorporating attractive female sideline reporters) were former players and experienced sportscasters who were relied upon for more expert analysis than usual.

In the third week of the season, the games were sped up through changes in the playing rules, and broadcasts were subjected to increased time constraints. The reason was the reaction of [[Lorne Michaels]], creator and executive producer of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', to the length of the [[Los Angeles Xtreme]] versus [[Chicago Enforcers]] game that went into double overtime. The double overtime periods combined with a power outage earlier in the game due to someone not fueling a generator before the game delayed the contest, causing the start of ''Saturday Night Live'' to be pushed back from 11:30&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time to 12:15&nbsp;a.m. Sunday morning.{{sfn|Fritz|Murray|2006|page=172}} This angered Michaels, who expected high [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] with [[Jennifer Lopez]] as the show's host.{{sfn|Fritz|Murray|2006|page=172}} For the rest of the season, the XFL cut off coverage at 11:00 Eastern Time, regardless of whether or not the game was over (there were exceptions, for the Chicago and Memphis markets for the Enforcers-Maniax game in week 6, and in New York and Memphis markets for the Maniax-Hitmen game in week 7). NBC Sports has retained this policy for other sports it runs in Saturday night time slots since the XFL's closure; in 2018, [[2018 NHL Stadium Series|a National Hockey League telecast]] was cut off under similar circumstances.<ref name="USA Today">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2018/03/03/lights-temporarily-go-out-navy-stadium-delaying-play-between-capitals-maple-leafs/392928002/ |title=Lights temporarily go out at Navy stadium, delaying play between Capitals, Maple Leafs |newspaper=USA Today |date=March 3, 2018 |access-date=March 4, 2018}}</ref>

In the face of declining ratings, NBC and the XFL aggressively promoted that the week&nbsp;6 game between the Orlando Rage and Las Vegas Outlaws would feature a behind-the-scenes visit into the locker room of the Rage's cheerleaders at halftime. The heavily promoted event was actually a pre-recorded [[sketch comedy|sketch]] with McMahon and a cameraman, who knocks himself unconscious on the locker room door trying to run in. This was followed by a suggestive [[dream sequence]] with the cheerleaders, including a surprise cameo by [[Rodney Dangerfield]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gq.com/story/xfl-culture-wars |title=Vince McMahon Is Bringing Back the XFL and Diving into the Culture Wars |publisher=Condé Nast |magazine=GQ |language=en |access-date=October 26, 2019}}</ref> The ''New York Daily News'' reported that the scene would likely be the "[last] salacious WWF-style stunt for the rest of the season", citing internal sources indicating that NBC wished to pivot the telecasts back towards a football-oriented product, including hiring NFL alumni as analysts, and reinstating Vasgersian as the lead commentator.<ref name="nydn-cheerleaders">{{cite news |title=XFL stops going to extremes |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/xfl-stops-extremes-article-1.916919 |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |publisher=[[Mortimer Zuckerman|Daily News L.P.]] |access-date=March 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name="espn-slidebarely">{{cite web |title=XFL ends ratings slide – just barely |url=http://www.espn.com/otherfb/xfl/news/2001/0311/1147486.html |website=ESPN.com |publisher=ESPN Inc. |access-date=March 11, 2017}}</ref>{{sfn|Fritz|Murray|2006|page=173}}

===Broadcast teams===
[[File:JR and The King No Mercy 07.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jerry Lawler]] and [[Jim Ross]] came over from WWF to fill similar roles on XFL broadcasts.]]
* '''NBC (national telecasts)''':
** Week 1, [[Matt Vasgersian]], [[Jesse Ventura]], [[Fred Roggin]] and [[Mike Adamle]].
** Week 2–5: [[Jim Ross]], Ventura, Roggin and Adamle
** Week 6–10: Vasgersian, Ventura, Adamle, Roggin and [[Chris Wragge]]. Adamle moved from the sidelines to the booth with Vasgerian and Ventura, while Wragge was moved over from the UPN broadcast team.
* '''NBC (regional telecasts)''':
** Week 1: Ross, [[Jerry Lawler]], [[Jonathan Coachman]]. For week 1, Ross and Lawler were billed as their WWF personas, "J.R." and "The King."
** Week 2–5: Vasgersian, Lawler, and Coachman. McMahon personally demoted Vasgersian to the regional telecast after openly criticizing a suggestive shot of the cheerleaders as "uncomfortable" on-air during the week 1 broadcast.
** Week 6–10: Ross, [[Dick Butkus]] or [[Dan Hampton]], and Coachman. Lawler left the XFL (and WWF) in protest after week five in the aftermath of the firing of his then-wife, [[Stacy Carter]], as well as his own dissatisfaction with being pressured into commentary on XFL games; Lawler openly admitted on-air that he had virtually no interest or background in football, an unusual trait for a color analyst. After Lawler's departure, NBC brought Vasgersian back up to the main broadcast team. Hampton and Butkus rotated as the regional color analyst for the rest of the season.
* '''TNN''': [[Craig Minervini]], [[Bob Golic]], [[Lee Reherman]] and Kip Lewis.
* '''UPN''': [[Chris Marlowe]], [[Brian Bosworth]], [[Chris Wragge]] and [[Michael Barkann]].

==Critical reception==
It was believed that the willingness of Las Vegas bookmakers to take bets on XFL games established their legitimacy, dispelling concerns that the league was using predetermined storylines as in professional wrestling.<ref name="sentinel-betting">{{cite web |title=XFL bets on gambling to bring out fans |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2001/02/03/xfl-bets-on-gambling-to-bring-out-fans/ |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |publisher=Tribune Publishing |access-date=March 10, 2017}}</ref><ref name="mentalfloss-xfl">{{cite web |title=Good, Honest Football: Re-Watching the XFL |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/58829/good-honest-football-re-watching-xfl |website=[[Mental Floss]] |date=September 18, 2014 |access-date=March 10, 2017}}</ref> However, the league was panned by critics as boring football with a tawdry broadcast style, although the broadcasts on [[The Nashville Network|TNN]] and to a lesser extent [[UPN]] and the [[Matt Vasgersian]]–helmed NBC coverage were considered comparatively professional.{{sfn|Forrest|2002|p=59}}

==End of season and failure==
On April 21, 2001, the season concluded as the [[Los Angeles Xtreme]] defeated the [[San Francisco Demons]] 38–6 in the XFL Championship Game (which was originally given the moniker "The Big Game at the End of the Season", but was later dubbed the [[Million Dollar Game]], after the amount of money awarded to the winning team, which if divided, gave each player less than the losing team in the [[Pro Bowl]]).

Though paid attendance at games remained respectable, if unimpressive (overall attendance was only 10% below what the league's goal had been at the start of the season), the XFL ceased operations after just one season due to low television ratings.<ref name="cnn">{{cite web |title=WWF drops XFL |url=https://money.cnn.com/2001/05/10/news/xfl/ |work=[[CNNMoney]] |publisher=[[Time Warner]] |date=May 10, 2001 |access-date=October 3, 2011}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard|title=No More Springtimes for the XFL as League Folds |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/11/sports/pro-football-no-more-springtimes-for-the-xfl-as-league-folds.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 11, 2001 |access-date=October 3, 2011}}</ref> Facing stiff competition from the [[2001 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA basketball tournament]], the NBC telecast of the Chicago/New York-New Jersey game on March&nbsp;31 received a 1.5 rating, at that time the lowest ever for any major network [[primetime]] weekend first-run sports television broadcast in the United States.{{sfn|Forrest|2002|p=211}} During the season, many news and sports networks (even local networks within XFL cities) did not show highlights or even report scores. This led audiences to view the XFL as a joke league rather than a direct competitor to the [[NFL]].

Despite initially agreeing to broadcast XFL games for two years and owning half of the league, NBC announced it would not broadcast a second XFL season; the network no longer had a full season of Saturday nights to offer the league because it had acquired the rights to the [[2002 Winter Olympics]], even if the XFL had been more successful or profitable. WWF Chairman Vince McMahon initially announced that the XFL would continue, as it still had UPN and TNN as broadcast outlets.{{sfn|Fritz|Murray|2006|page=176}} In fact, expansion teams were being explored for cities such as Washington, D.C., and [[Detroit]] (Washington would later receive its [[DC Defenders|team]] in the revived XFL). However, in order to continue broadcasting XFL games, UPN demanded that ''[[WWE SmackDown|WWF SmackDown!]]'' broadcasts be cut from two hours to one and a half hours.{{sfn|Fritz|Murray|2006|page=176}} McMahon found these terms unacceptable and he announced the XFL's closure on May 10, 2001.<ref name="cnn"/><ref name="nyt"/> McMahon's chief adviser, a perplexed Nathan Livian, was quoted as saying "the situation is, indeed, very bad".

The XFL ranked No.&nbsp;3 on ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s list of the worst TV shows of all time in July 2002, as well as No. 2 on [[ESPN]]'s list of biggest flops in sports, behind [[Ryan Leaf]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-worst-tv-shows-ever/ |title=The Worst TV Shows Ever |author=Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie |newspaper=[[CBS News]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=July 27, 2010 |date=July 12, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/espn25/story?page=listranker/25biggestflops |title=ESPN 25: The 25 Biggest Sports Flops |work=ESPN|date=July 20, 2004 |publisher=ESPN Inc. |access-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref> In 2010, [[TV Guide Network]] also listed the show at No. 21 on their list of ''25 Biggest TV Blunders''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20100302tvguide01 |title=Breaking News – TV Guide Network's "25 Biggest TV Blunders" Special Delivers 3.3&nbsp;Million Viewers |date=March 2, 2010 |work=[[The Futon Critic]] |access-date=March 10, 2010}}</ref> NBC's $35 million loss on the XFL was a factor in the network moving away from sports and ending its [[NBA on NBC Sports|contract with the NBA]], then its last remaining substantial professional sports package, in favor of focusing on its easier-to-schedule slate of scripted entertainment;<ref>{{cite news |title=SportsBusinessDaily.com<!-- Bot generated title --> |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=sbd.main&storyId=SBD2002012307 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605205038/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=sbd.main&storyId=SBD2002012307 |archive-date=June 5, 2009 |access-date=May 26, 2006 |work=Sports Business Daily}}</ref> [[Charles Barkley]] commented in 2002 that "If y'all hadn't wasted all that money on the XFL, y'all would still have basketball."<ref>{{cite web |date=December 9, 2013 |title=Potent quotables over the years |url=https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/12/09/Anniversary-Special-Issue/They-Said-It.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217142736/https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/12/09/Anniversary-Special-Issue/They-Said-It.aspx |archive-date=February 17, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2019 |website=Sports Business Daily}}</ref>

Many stories recapping the history of the XFL show photos of the crash of its promotional blimp in [[Oakland, California]], portraying it retrospectively as an ill-omen for the league. The incident occurred a month before the opening game on Tuesday, January 9, 2001.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 10, 2001 |title=XFL'S UNPLANNED TOUCHDOWN / Wayward blimp's wild, woolly flight ends in Oakland crash |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/XFL-S-UNPLANNED-TOUCHDOWN-Wayward-blimp-s-wild-2966749.php |access-date=November 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=January 10, 2001 |title=Crash mouth football: XFL promo blimp in Bay Area deflates |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2001/01/Issue-76/Sponsorships-Advertising-Marketing/Crash-Mouth-Football-XFL-Promo-Blimp-In-Bay-Area-Deflates.aspx |newspaper=Sports Business Daily |access-date=November 23, 2017}}</ref> The blimp was in Oakland as the league had flown it over the [[2000–01 NFL playoffs#AFC: Oakland Raiders 27, Miami Dolphins 0|January 6 playoff game]] between the [[Oakland Raiders]] and [[Miami Dolphins]] and intended to do the same with the following week's AFC Championship, also in Oakland.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Martin J. |last2=Kiger |first2=Patrick J. |date=2006 |title=Oops: 20&nbsp;Life Lessons from the Fiascoes That Shaped America |location=New York |publisher=Collins |page=218 |isbn=0-06-078083-5 }}</ref> The pilots lost control of the airship and were forced to evacuate. The ground crew were unable to secure the vehicle and the "unattended blimp then floated five miles north over the Oakland Estuary, at one point reaching 1,600{{nbs}}feet, or about the height of the [[Central Park Tower]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]] (listed as the [[List of tallest buildings in the United States|second tallest building in the United States]] {{as of|2023|alt=as of 2023}}), until its gondola caught on a sailboat mast in the Central Basin marina. It draped over the roof of the Oyster Reef restaurant—next to where the boat was moored—and a nearby power line."<ref>{{cite news |date=January 31, 2001 |title=Blimp crashes into Oakland restaurant |newspaper=ESPN |publisher=ESPN Inc. |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.espn.com/moresports/news/2001/0110/1005983.html |access-date=November 23, 2017}}</ref> While the pilot was hospitalized, no other major injuries were reported. The blimp needed $2.5{{nbs}}million in repairs (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|2.5|2001|r=2}}{{nbs}}million in {{Inflation/year|US}}), while the sailboat and restaurant had only minor damages.

Before the season started, a fictional XFL game appeared in the 2000 film ''[[The 6th Day]]'', set in 2015.<ref name="ABready">{{cite web |title=XFL Ready To Line It Up |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4474381-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206135623/http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4474381-1.html |archive-date=December 6, 2007 |date=January 19, 2001 |access-date=January 16, 2017}}</ref>

==Legacy==
NBC continued airing professional league football beyond the demise of the XFL, starting with the [[Arena Football League]] (AFL) [[AFL on NBC|television coverage from 2003 to 2006]]. In [[2006 NFL season|2006]], NBC returned to coverage of NFL games with ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football]]'', eventually adding ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' to its coverage in [[2016 NFL season|2016]].

The XFL's racier-than-average cheerleaders helped inspire the [[Legends Football League|Lingerie Football League]] (now Extreme Football League) and the "Lingerie Bowl" from 2003 to 2006. The LFL is currently the largest women's American football professional league.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-history/xfl-cheerleaders-contributed-to-leagues-demise/ |title=XFL cheerleaders & how they contributed to its demise |date=June 22, 2018}}</ref><ref name="SmithKasum2014">{{cite book |first1=Michael N. |last1=Smith |first2=Eric |last2=Kasum |title=100 of the worst ideas in history: Humanity's thundering brainstorms turned blundering brain farts |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2D2JAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA133 |date=June 3, 2014 |publisher=Sourcebooks |isbn=978-1-4022-9393-1 |pages=133–}}</ref>

XFL team names and logos sometimes appear in movies and television where professional football needs to be dramatized, as licensing for NFL logos may be cost prohibitive (such as in the [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] starring sci-fi film ''[[The 6th Day]]'').<ref name="ABready" />

The [[United Football League (2009–12)|United Football League]] later placed all four of its inaugural franchises in former XFL markets and stadiums. However, the UFL drew far fewer fans than the XFL average, and much less media attention: for example, the XFL's [[San Francisco Demons]] drew an average of 35,000&nbsp;fans, while the UFL's [[Sacramento Mountain Lions|California Redwoods]] drew an average of 6,000, despite both playing in the same ballpark. Three of the four charter teams, including the Redwoods, moved to other markets by the time of the UFL's [[2011 UFL season|third season]].

[[ESPN]] produced a [[documentary film|documentary]] surrounding the league, ''This Was the XFL'', as part of its anthology series ''[[30 for 30]]'' (the title is a play on Vince McMahon shouting "This is the XFL!" before the opening game, changing "is" to "was" since the league failed).<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Dickey |first=Jack |date=January 19, 2017 |title=Tougher version of the NFL? That was the XFL's goal |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/01/19/xfl-documentary-espn-30-for-30 |access-date=January 20, 2024 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref> The film discusses the longtime friendship between McMahon and Ebersol, as seen through the eyes of Dick's son, [[Charlie Ebersol]], who directs the film. McMahon, Dick Ebersol, Dick Schanzer, [[Rusty Tillman]], [[Al Luginbill]], [[Rod Smart]], [[Tommy Maddox]], [[Paris Lenon]], league President Basil DeVito, costume designer Jay Howarth, [[Jesse Ventura]], [[Matt Vasgersian]], [[Jonathan Coachman]], [[Bob Costas]] and [[Jerry Jones]] all provided interviews for the film. It debuted at [[Doc NYC]] November 11, 2016, and premiered on ESPN on February 2, 2017.<ref name="avclub-3030xfl">{{cite web |title=30 for 30 shrugs at the train wreck that was the XFL |url=https://www.avclub.com/30-for-30-shrugs-at-the-train-wreck-that-was-the-xfl-1798190234 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=February 2, 2017 |publisher=[[Univision Communications]] |access-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref>

==Notable players==
Notable players included league [[Most Valuable Player|MVP]] and Los Angeles quarterback [[Tommy Maddox]], who signed with the NFL's [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] after the XFL folded (Maddox later became the starting quarterback for the Steelers in 2002 and led them to that year's playoffs, as well as continuing to start for them into 2004). Los Angeles used the first pick in the [[2001 XFL Draft|XFL draft]] to select a former [[National Football League|NFL]] quarterback, Scott Milanovich. Milanovich lost the starting quarterback job to Maddox, who was placed on the Xtreme as one of a handful of players put on each team due to geographic distance between the player's college and the team's hometown. Another of the better-known players was Las Vegas [[running back]] [[Rod Smart]], who first gained popularity because the name on the back of his jersey read "[[Rod Smart#"He Hate Me"|He Hate Me]]."{{sfn|Forrest|2002|p=89}} Smart, who was only picked 357th in the draft, later went on to play for the [[Philadelphia Eagles]], [[Carolina Panthers]], [[Oakland Raiders]] and the [[Edmonton Eskimos]] of the CFL. His Panther teammate [[Jake Delhomme]] named his newborn horse "She Hate Me" as a reference to him.<ref name="Fans love 'He Hate Me'">{{Cite web |url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=203873 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513161851/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=203873 |url-status=dead |title=JS Online: Fans love 'He Hate Me'<!-- Bot generated title --> |archive-date=May 13, 2007}}</ref> Smart played in [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]], becoming one of seven XFL players to play in a Super Bowl. Receiver [[Yo Murphy]] also achieved this as a member of the [[Los Angeles Rams|St. Louis Rams]] in [[Super Bowl XXXVI]], along with winning the 95th [[Grey Cup]] with the [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yomurphy.com/ |title=Pro Experience |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619052630/http://www.yomurphy.com/facts.htm |archive-date=June 19, 2006 |url-status=dead |website=www.yomurphy.com}}</ref> Tommy Maddox played for a Super Bowl team (the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]) in [[Super Bowl XL]] in [[Detroit]], (although Maddox, by then a third-string quarterback, did not play in the game, which turned out to be his last appearance in uniform before retiring). Lastly, Las Vegas Outlaws DB [[Kelly Herndon]] played in [[Super Bowl XL]] with the [[Seattle Seahawks]] in 2005, where he is remembered for intercepting a pass and returning it a then-record 76 yards. Although he did not play for an NFL team after the XFL's lone season, former Las Vegas Outlaw offensive guard [[Isaac Davis (American football)|Isaac Davis]] also had a notable NFL career, playing in 58 games over a six-year career. Davis started for the [[San Diego Chargers]] in [[Super Bowl XXIX]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfl.com/players/isaacdavis/gamelogs?id=DAV484459&season=1994 |title=Isaac Davis: Game Logs at NFL.com |website=www.nfl.com}}</ref> [[John Avery (American football)|John Avery]] went on to play for both the [[Edmonton Eskimos]] and the [[Toronto Argonauts]] where he was an All Star selection in 2002 and won a [[Grey Cup]] in 2004.

The last active player to have played in the XFL is Canadian placekicker [[Paul McCallum (Canadian football)|Paul McCallum]], who last played for the [[BC Lions]] in the [[2016 CFL season]].

===Played in the CFL===
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Kelvin Anderson]]
* [[John Avery (American football)|John Avery]]
* [[Duane Butler]]
* [[Jeremaine Copeland]]
* [[Jerry Crafts]]
* [[Marcus Crandell]]
* [[Reggie Durden]]
* [[Eric England (gridiron football)|Eric England]]
* [[Daryl Hobbs]]
* [[Kelvin Kinney]]
* [[Paul Lacoste (Canadian football)|Paul Lacoste]]
* [[Kelly Malveaux]]
* [[Paul McCallum (Canadian football)|Paul McCallum]]
* [[Saladin McCullough]]
* [[Scott Milanovich]]
* [[Yo Murphy]]
* [[Noel Prefontaine]]
* [[Bobby Singh]]
* [[Rod Smart]]
* [[Bernard Williams (gridiron football)|Bernard Williams]]
{{div col end}}

===Won a Grey Cup===
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Kelvin Anderson]] (1998 [[Calgary Stampeders]], 2001 [[Calgary Stampeders]])
* [[John Avery (American football)|John Avery]] (2004 [[Toronto Argonauts]])
* [[Jeremaine Copeland]] (2002 [[Montreal Alouettes]], 2008 [[Calgary Stampeders]])
* [[Marcus Crandell]] (2001 [[Calgary Stampeders]], 2007 [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]])
* [[Reggie Durden]] (2002 [[Montreal Alouettes]])
* [[Eric England (gridiron football)|Eric England]] (2004 [[Toronto Argonauts]])
* [[Paul McCallum (Canadian football)|Paul McCallum]] (2006 [[BC Lions]], 2011 [[BC Lions]])
* [[Scott Milanovich]] (2012 [[Toronto Argonauts]] as head coach)
* [[Yo Murphy]] (2007 [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]])
* [[Noel Prefontaine]] (2004 [[Toronto Argonauts]], 2012 [[Toronto Argonauts]])
* [[Bobby Singh]] (2006 [[BC Lions]])
{{div col end}}

===Played in the NFL===
<!--BEFORE ADDING A NAME TO THIS LIST PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT BEING ON AN NFL PRACTICE SQUAD IS NOT THE SAME AS PLAYING IN THE NFL, KEEP EVERYTHING ALPHABETIZED-->
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Bennie Anderson]]
* [[Joe Aska]]
* [[John Avery (American football)|John Avery]]
* [[Aaron Bailey (American football)|Aaron Bailey]]
* [[Pat Barnes]]
* [[Michael Blair]]
* [[Jeff Brohm]]
* [[Butler By'not'e]]
* [[José Cortez]]
* [[Kirby Dar Dar]]
* [[Isaac Davis (American football)|Isaac Davis]]
* [[Jim Druckenmiller]]
* [[Jamal Duff]]
* [[Keith Elias]]
* [[Eric England (gridiron football)|Eric England]]
* [[Leomont Evans]]
* [[Mike Furrey]]
* [[Steve Gleason]]
* [[Alvin Harper]]
* [[Kelly Herndon]]
* [[Daryl Hobbs]]
* [[James Hundon]]
* [[Corey Ivy]]
* [[LeShon Johnson]]
* [[Charles Jordan (American football)|Charles Jordan]]
* [[Kevin Kaesviharn]]
* [[Paris Lenon]] (last former XFL player on an NFL roster, 2013)
* [[Tommy Maddox]]
* [[Yo Murphy]]
* [[Latario Rachal]]
* [[David Richie]]
* [[Angel Rubio]]
* [[Rashaan Salaam]]
* [[Nicky Savoie]]
* [[Rashaan Shehee]]
* [[Rod Smart]]
* [[Ed Smith (tight end)|Ed Smith]]
* [[Kevin Swayne]]
* [[Brad Trout]]
* [[Casey Weldon]]
* [[Craig Whelihan]]
* [[Stepfret Williams]]
{{div col end}}

===Played in the Super Bowl===
<!--BEFORE ADDING A NAME TO THESE LISTS PLEASE PROVIDE THE SUPER BOWL AND NFL TEAM NAME, KEEP EVERYTHING ALPHABETIZED-->
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Ron Carpenter (defensive back)|Ron Carpenter]] ([[Super Bowl XXXIV]], [[St. Louis Rams]])
* [[Isaac Davis (American football)|Isaac Davis]] ([[Super Bowl XXIX]], [[San Diego Chargers]])
* [[Alvin Harper]] ([[Super Bowl XXVII]], [[Super Bowl XXVIII]], [[Dallas Cowboys]])
* [[Kelly Herndon]] ([[Super Bowl XL]], [[Seattle Seahawks]])
* [[Corey Ivy]] ([[Super Bowl XXXVII]], [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]])
* [[Paris Lenon]] ([[Super Bowl XLVIII]], [[Denver Broncos]])
* [[Tommy Maddox]] ([[Super Bowl XL]], [[Pittsburgh Steelers]])
* [[Yo Murphy]] ([[Super Bowl XXXVI]], [[St. Louis Rams]])
* [[Bobby Singh]] ([[Super Bowl XXXIV]], St. Louis Rams)
* [[Rod Smart]] ([[Super Bowl XXXVIII]], [[Carolina Panthers]])
{{div col end}}

===Won a Super Bowl===
* [[Ron Carpenter (defensive back)|Ron Carpenter]] ([[Super Bowl XXXIV]], [[St. Louis Rams]])
* [[Fred Coleman]] ([[Super Bowl XXXVI]], [[New England Patriots]])
* [[Alvin Harper]] ([[Super Bowl XXVII]], [[Super Bowl XXVIII]], [[Dallas Cowboys]])
* [[Corey Ivy]] ([[Super Bowl XXXVII]], [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]])
* [[Tommy Maddox]] ([[Super Bowl XL]], [[Pittsburgh Steelers]])
* [[David Richie]] ([[Super Bowl XXXII]], [[Denver Broncos]])
* [[Bobby Singh]] ([[Super Bowl XXXIV]], [[St. Louis Rams]])

===Won both an XFL Championship and Super Bowl===
<!--HAD TO BE A MEMBER OF THE 2001 LA XTREME AND SUPER BOWL CHAMP TO BE ON THIS LIST, KEEP EVERYTHING ALPHABETIZED-->
* [[Ron Carpenter (defensive back)|Ron Carpenter]] ([[Super Bowl XXXIV]], [[St. Louis Rams]])
* [[Tommy Maddox]] ([[Super Bowl XL]], [[Pittsburgh Steelers]])
* [[David Richie]] ([[Super Bowl XXXII]], [[Denver Broncos]])
* [[Bobby Singh]] ([[Super Bowl XXXIV]], [[St. Louis Rams]])

===Won an XFL Championship, Grey Cup, and Super Bowl===
* [[Bobby Singh]]

===Played in the Arena Football League===
* [[Jerry Crafts]]
* [[Eric England (gridiron football)|Eric England]]
* [[Mike Furrey]]
* [[Mark Grieb]]
* [[James Hundon]]
* [[Kelvin Kinney]]
* [[Tommy Maddox]]
* [[Kevin Swayne]]
* [[Craig Whelihan]]

===Wrestled for WWE===
* [[Richard Young (wrestler)|Richard Young (Ricky Ortiz)]]

==Awards and All-League Team==
*Player of the Year - Tommy Maddox, QB, Los Angeles
*Runner-up - [[John Avery (gridiron football)|John Avery]], RB, Chicago

'''2001 All League Team'''<ref>{{cite news |title=XFL names first All-League team |url=https://www.all-xfl.com/xfl/pressrow/archive/all-xfl.shtml |access-date=May 20, 2024}}</ref>
* QB [[Jeff Brohm]] Orlando
* RB John Avery Chicago
* RB [[Rod Smart]] Las Vegas
* WR [[Jeremaine Copeland]] Los Angeles
* WR [[Stepfret Williams]] Birmingham
* TE [[Rickey Brady]] Las Vegas
* OT [[Chris Perez]] Chicago
* OT [[Lonnie Palelei]] Las Vegas
* C [[Mike Sheldon]] Memphis
* OG [[Glenn Rountree]] Memphis
* OG [[Jason Gamble]] Orlando
* K [[Jose Cortez]] Los Angeles
* DE [[Shante Carver]] Memphis
* DE [[Kelvin Kinney]] Las Vegas
* DT [[Chris Maumalanga]] New York/ New Jersey
* DT [[Angel Rubio]] Las Vegas
* LB [[Joseph Tuipala]] Las Vegas
* LB [[James Burgess (gridiron football)|James Burgess]] Orlando
* LB [[James Willis (American football)|James Willis]] Birmingham
* CB [[Corey Ivy]] Chicago
* CB [[Damen Wheeler]] New York/New Jersey
* S [[Brandon Sanders]] Las Vegas
* S [[Brad Trout]] New York/New Jersey
* ST [[Jimmy Cunningham]] San Francisco

===Players of the week===

{| class="wikitable"
|- 
! rowspan="2"| Week
! colspan="3"| Offensive<br>Player of the Week
! colspan="3"| Defensive<br>Player of the Week
|-
! Player
! Team
! Position
! Player
! Team
! Position
|- 
| Week 1 
| [[John Avery (gridiron football)|John Avery]] 
| [[Chicago Enforcers|Chicago]] 
| RB
| [[Shawn Banks]] 
| [[Orlando Rage|Orlando]]
| LB
|-
| Week 2 
| [[Jeremaine Copeland]]
| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|Los Angeles]]
| WR
| [[Omar Brown (defensive back, born 1975)|Omar Brown]]
| [[Orlando Rage|Orlando]]
| S
|-
| Week 3 
| [[Terry Battle ]]
| [[San Francisco Demons|San Francisco]]
| RB
| [[Duane Butler]]
| [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|Birmingham]] 
| S
|-
| Week 4 
| [[Rashaan Salaam]]
| [[Memphis Maniax|Memphis]]
| RB
| [[Israel Raybon]]
| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|New York/New Jersey]]
| DE
|-
| Week 5 
| [[Kevin McDougal]] 
| [[Chicago Enforcers|Chicago]] 
| QB
| [[Jermaine Miles ]]
| [[San Francisco Demons|San Francisco]]
| DE
|-
| Week 6 
| [[Jim Druckenmiller]]
| [[Memphis Maniax|Memphis]]
| QB
| [[Brad Trout]]
| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|New York/New Jersey]]
| S
|-
| Week 7
| [[Tommy Maddox]]
| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|Los Angeles]]
| QB
| [[Carl Simpson]]
| [[Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)|Las Vegas]]
| DT
|-
| Week 8
| John Avery (2)
| [[Chicago Enforcers|Chicago]] 
| RB
| [[Corey Ivy]]
| [[Chicago Enforcers|Chicago]] 
| DB
|-
| Week 9<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.all-xfl.com/chicagoenforcers/pressrow/archive/release14.shtml|title= Enforcers once again the XFL's best|publisher=all-xfl.com|date=November 10, 2025|accessdate=April 3, 2001}}</ref>
| Kevin McDougal (2)
| [[Chicago Enforcers|Chicago]] 
| QB
| [[Jamie Baisley]]
| [[Chicago Enforcers|Chicago]]
| LB
|-
| Week 10<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.all-xfl.com/losangelesxtreme/pressrow/archive/release30.shtml|title= SHEHEE AND MCCULLOUGH CAPTURE XFL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK|publisher=all-xfl.com|date=April 10, 2001|accessdate=November 10, 2025}}</ref>
| [[Rashaan Shehee]], <br> [[Saladin McCullough]]
| [[Los Angeles Xtreme|Los Angeles]]
| RB
| [[Joey Eloms]]
| [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|New York/New Jersey]]
| CB
|-
|}

==Current status and revival==
{{main|XFL (2020–2023)}}

The 2001 XFL games are now part of the [[WWE Video Library]], the rights to which have been held by NBC's streaming service [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] since March 2021.

In September 2012, WWE attempted to file a new XFL trademark for use in wrestling and football which was previously filed in 2009 under XFL LLC. The application remained pending since WWE never put together a "Statement of Use" for the trademark.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/254196/Various-News:--XFL-Back-in-the-News,-Chris-Jericho,-and-More.htm |title=Various News: XFL Back in the News, Chris Jericho, and More |publisher=411MANIA |date=September 9, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2015}}</ref> In July 2015, the XFL's first trademark extension was granted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trademarkia.com/xfl-85720169.html |title=XFL – Reviews & Brand Information – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Stamford, Connecticut – Serial Number: 85720169 |website=Trademarkia.com |access-date=December 17, 2015}}</ref>

On December 15, 2017, it was reported that McMahon was seriously considering a revival of the XFL. WWE didn't confirm or deny the rumors, but released a statement that McMahon was launching a new company known as Alpha Entertainment, that was looking to expand into sports and entertainment properties "including professional football", and that WWE itself wasn't returning to professional football.<ref name="revival">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/will-the-xfl-actually-be-making-a-return-wwe-is-not-exactly-denying-the-rumors |title=Will the XFL actually be making a return? WWE is not exactly denying the rumors |website=CBSSports.com |access-date=January 25, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

Noted wrestling journalist [[Dave Meltzer]] speculated that McMahon was starting a [[shell corporation]] with his own money to protect WWE shareholders on a potential XFL revival.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvzE1vfnrP8 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830040901/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvzE1vfnrP8&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=August 30, 2020 | url-status=dead|title=YouTube |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> A revival of the XFL would air either on traditional TV or the [[WWE Network]], and would be toned down compared to its original incarnation due to [[Chronic traumatic encephalopathy|CTE]] concerns in football that surfaced in the early 2010s.<ref name="revival"/> On December 22, 2017, McMahon sold $100&nbsp;million worth of WWE shares, which required notification to the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]]; the SEC reported that it was done so that McMahon could fund Alpha Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/12/21/vince-mcmahon-sells-100-million-of-wwe-stock-as-xfl-reboot-plan-continues/ |title=Vince McMahon sells $100&nbsp;million of WWE stock as XFL reboot plan continues |date=December 21, 2017}}</ref> WWE shares did in fact decline slightly due to the report, with [[Citigroup]] downgrading WWE shares from "buy" to "neutral".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.schaeffersresearch.com/content/news/2017/12/22/wwe-stock-falls-after-ceo-mcmahon-sells-shares |title=WWE stock falls after CEO McMahon sells shares |publisher=Schaeffer's Investment Research |first=Josh |last=Selway|date=December 22, 2017 }}</ref>

On January 25, 2018, Alpha Entertainment announced a [[XFL (2020)|new incarnation of the XFL]] which began play in 2020. The XFL does not utilize the same sports entertainment gimmicks as the original, instead focusing on adjusting rules to increase the speed of play.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22211134/wwe-vince-mcmahon-try-launch-professional-football-league |title=WWE's Vince McMahon looks to start professional football league |work=ESPN.com |access-date=January 25, 2018}}</ref><ref name="espn-newannounce">{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22213241/vince-mcmahon-gimmick-free-xfl-return-2020 |title=Vince McMahon: XFL to return in 2020 without gimmicks |website=ESPN.com |access-date=January 25, 2018}}</ref> NBC has no involvement with this incarnation, which is instead carried by the outlets of [[ESPN Inc.]] and (during its 2020 season) [[Fox Corporation]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/xfl-strikes-tv-deals-with-fox-and-disney-11557146700 |title=XFL strikes TV deals with Fox and Disney |last=Flint |first=Joe|date=May 6, 2019 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |access-date=May 6, 2019 |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Following the 2020 season (cut short by [[stay-at-home order]]s tied to the COVID pandemic), McMahon sold the XFL to a consortium led by his former wrestler [[Dwayne Johnson]] (The Rock) along with Johnson's business partners [[Dany Garcia]] and RedBird Capital. The league played [[2023 XFL season|one season in 2023]], but would later merge with the [[USFL (2022)|USFL]] (established by Fox Corporation during the XFL's 2020–23 hiatus) to form the [[United Football League (2024)|United Football League]], with the XFL name kept as a conference name for the next two years until [[Mike Repole]] purchased a stake in the UFL and dissolved the XFL conference in October 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Newly formed United Football League sets 8 markets, tabs coaches|url=https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/39222541/newly-formed-united-football-league-sets-8-markets-tabs-coaches|website=ESPN |date=January 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Mark |date=2025-10-07 |title=United Football League (UFL) Announces New Vision, New Markets And Team Rebrands For The 2026 Season |url=https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/united-football-league-announces-new-vision-new-markets-and-team-rebrands-for-the-2026-season/ |access-date=2025-10-07 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Major League Rugby]]

==Citations==
{{Reflist|25em}}

==References==
* {{Cite book |last=Forrest |first=Brett |title=Long Bomb: How the XFL Became TV's Biggest Fiasco |location=New York |publisher=Crown Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=0-609-60992-0 |oclc=49260464 }}
* {{cite book |title=Between the Ropes: Wrestling's Greatest Triumphs and Failures |last1=Fritz |first1=Brian |last2=Murray |first2=Christopher|publisher=[[ECW Press]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-55022-726-0 }}

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|d=Q1358492|display=XFL|voy=American football|c=Category:XFL (2001)|n=no|b=no|v=no|s=no|wikt=no|q=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no}}
* [https://sites.google.com/site/rememberthexfl/home Remember the XFL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303124538/https://sites.google.com/site/rememberthexfl/home |date=March 3, 2017 }}
* [http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/05/16/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/XFL-main.aspx "X Years After" – ''SportsBusiness Journal'']

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{{WWE}}
{{NFL on NBC}}
{{American football in the United States}}
{{Professional gridiron football leagues in North America}}
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[[Category:XFL (2001)| ]]
[[Category:2001 in American football]]
[[Category:American football mass media]]
[[Category:Defunct American football leagues in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct national American football leagues]]
[[Category:Former joint ventures]]
[[Category:Football on NBC]]
[[Category:Sports entertainment]]
[[Category:History of WWE]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Professional sports leagues in the United States]]
[[Category:XFL Seasons]]