All Eight XFL teams are headed to training camps in Houston

In preparation for the kickoff of the XFL inaugural season on the weekend of 8-9 February 2020, all eight XFL teams are headed to training camps in Houston. The training camps will be an extensive 17-day affair, lasting from Saturday 4 January to Wednesday 22 January 2020.

XFL teams will converge on various locations across Harris County to practice and continue to get ready for the 2020 season. Nearly 1,000 people, consisting of players, coaches, staff, game officials and production teams from FOX Sports and ESPN, will descend on Houston and the local area. The XFL has committed to more than 10,000 hotel room nights for players and staff who plan to consume more than 60,000 meals during their time in Houston. According to the Houston Sports Authority, the XFL training camps are expected to generate in excess of $7,000,000 of revenue for Harris County.

At a November press conference, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner lauded his city as a great place to hold such an extensive training camp. “Houston is a sports town,” he said. “We have great fans and we support our teams. The XFL made the right call when it chose the city as the home of the Roughnecks, and now, I am even more excited that all eight XFL teams and nearly 1,000 representatives will come to the Houston area for their training camps in January 2020. I’m confident this will generate a great deal of fan excitement and interest in the new football league.”

Also important to note, it will be at the end of this training camp that all eight XFL teams will cut down their rosters from approximately 70 players to a reported size of 52. Many of the cut players will remain with the XFL and will form the basis for “Team 9,” a collection of players that will be ready to take the place of injured players on each of the XFL teams. It is reported that Team 9 will be headquartered, and practice in Houston.