XFL Media Guides Collection

Collection

Identifier: FBP 544

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of media guides for the original incarnation of the XFL during its only season of play in 2001. The media guides typically contain pictures, articles, bios, and statistics about the players on the teams, as well as pictures, information, and bios about coaches and other team personnel, including owners, administrators, and trainers, as well as advertisements. Many of the media guides contain several pages of information about the team’s cheerleaders. Formats include media guides.

Dates

Creation: 2001

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Biographical / Historical

Founded in 2000, the original XFL played one season of football during the 2001 season. The XFL was a joint venture between NBC and the World Wrestling Federation (named changed to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002), with each company owning a 50% stake in the league. The league operated a spring schedule to avoid directly competing with the NFL and with college football. Unlike the franchise model in other professional sports leagues, the XFL owned all eight franchises: Birmingham Thunderbolts, Chicago Enforcers, New York/New Jersey Hitmen, Orlando Rage, Las Vegas Outlaws, Los Angeles Xtreme, Memphis Maniax, and San Francisco Demons.

Among the driving forces behind the league were NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol and WWF Chairman Vince McMahon. The league began play on February 3, 2001, and early games had high attendance and received strong television ratings. After the first few weeks, however, attendance and ratings quickly declined, as critics blamed the poor quality of play in the league and the professional wrestling-style sensationalism that accompanied games. Soon after the Los Angeles Xtreme defeated the San Francisco Demons in the XFL’s only championship game, NBC pulled its sponsorship of the league, and the XFL folded in May 2001.