XFL Bankruptcy Thread

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GregParks
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XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by GregParks »

I figured this could be a clearinghouse for any and all XFL bankruptcy news and discussion as we approach next month's hearing. Here's what we know so far based on reporting:

-August 7th is the reveal of who won the bidding for the league's assets. There is another procedural hearing on July 13, with the bids needing to be in, I believe, by August 3. I think there's another key date at the end of this month, but I couldn't find the info.
-30 people/groups have signed a nondisclosure agreement to look at the XFL's financials. Reporting has that at least 20 of them have the funds to continue running the league.
-Vince McMahon will not be bidding on the league (unless he can find a creative way around what he said in his deposition).
-XFL Newsroom has a story about ESPN's TV deal with the league NOT being a part of the assets, as far as my reading of it, though the network is willing to consider working with the new owners. My eyes sorta glazed over while reading some of this so if anyone wants to correct me/add anything, feel free: https://xflnewsroom.com/news/espn-files ... ptcy-case/
Also not sure how that fits into the possibility that ESPN/Disney could potentially be one of the bidders.
-The selling point is to do a "made-for-TV" 12-week season in 2021, with 2022 being a more normalized season.
-Oliver Luck's lawsuit against Vince McMahon has been set aside until after the bankruptcy sale.
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johnnyangryfuzzball
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by johnnyangryfuzzball »

Re: ESPN pulling out of its agreement.

That would dramatically reduce the value of the league's assets, and thus most likely the selling price.
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by Tank55 »

Which, if you were Disney/ESPN and were potentially interested in bidding, would be a good thing.
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ManOnTheMoon
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by ManOnTheMoon »

johnnyangryfuzzball wrote: Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:26 am Re: ESPN pulling out of its agreement.

That would dramatically reduce the value of the league's assets, and thus most likely the selling price.
True.. It will make the sale value lower. However it could also be a strategic move for ESPN or Disney to get the xfl at an even better price.
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by GregParks »

https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/fo ... likelihood

Sounds like the Ivy League may announce as soon as Wednesday they'll be moving fall sports to the spring. If that happens, speculation is some of the larger conferences could follow suit.

While this likely won't impact the XFL in terms of the pool of available players, it would create fewer weekend opportunities for ESPN/FOX/whomever to show the games. Because the XFL is expected to be a "made-for-TV" product in 2021 with a live audience potentially not being a consideration, could midweek games be a possibility?
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by MGB01 »

As I speculated in May and June, of course that depends when "spring" is.

Problem is even a shortened season would overlap with the NCAA tournament/Final Four and while baseball/other spring sports lurk in the background they're hardly in the same universe as football. There's also no way they stretch it out to run alongside the CWS in June, with the new season three months away.

As you noticed, the first Thursday night game was done to completely avoid the Final Four and avoid the slaughter of 2001 (even though this time the FF was to be on cable and the league might have regained viewers just for that reason). I can't see the NCAA eating its own there.

So it'll be the slots that the XFL used if they do it.
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by 4th&long »

GregParks wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:59 pm https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/fo ... likelihood

Sounds like the Ivy League may announce as soon as Wednesday they'll be moving fall sports to the spring. If that happens, speculation is some of the larger conferences could follow suit.

While this likely won't impact the XFL in terms of the pool of available players, it would create fewer weekend opportunities for ESPN/FOX/whomever to show the games. Because the XFL is expected to be a "made-for-TV" product in 2021 with a live audience potentially not being a consideration, could midweek games be a possibility?
A move to the spring is a joke for CFB - if the virus is a concern in Sept-Dec its a concern in Feb.
The most talented players would just op out and get picked up in the draft.

The Ivy league is not driving this decision making in the NCAA. Players aren't impact by China-Corona at their age. But they'll still have testing. Coaches and others of a certain age may choose to sit out and that may be understandable but a spring season is silly. A 10 week fall schedule to allow for more testing etc makes more sense as does just about anything but a spring season for CFB.
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by MGB01 »

4th&long wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 4:00 pm
GregParks wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:59 pm https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/fo ... likelihood

Sounds like the Ivy League may announce as soon as Wednesday they'll be moving fall sports to the spring. If that happens, speculation is some of the larger conferences could follow suit.

While this likely won't impact the XFL in terms of the pool of available players, it would create fewer weekend opportunities for ESPN/FOX/whomever to show the games. Because the XFL is expected to be a "made-for-TV" product in 2021 with a live audience potentially not being a consideration, could midweek games be a possibility?
A move to the spring is a joke for CFB - if the virus is a concern in Sept-Dec its a concern in Feb.
The most talented players would just op out and get picked up in the draft.

The Ivy league is not driving this decision making in the NCAA. Players aren't impact by China-Corona at their age. But they'll still have testing. Coaches and others of a certain age may choose to sit out and that may be understandable but a spring season is silly. A 10 week fall schedule to allow for more testing etc makes more sense as does just about anything but a spring season for CFB.

True, that was essentially the reply of the G5 when it was pitched to them years ago, but emergency situations tend to bring out the unexpected. If you're the SEC, your cash car has been sitting idle for a year (if no fall season), and you can draw big ratings and attendance for spring games the next step, assuming you're in a "break glass" situation, would be to go there. Sure it tramples baseball (I think the SEC's the only conference that's nationally televised with Thursday night games on ESPNU) but if the choice is Bama/LSU baseball or the Saban Bowl we know who wins that 12 times out of ten.
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by SamTheRam28 »

Interested suitors came from both the media/entertainment and pro sports worlds, and offers reportedly were for the entire league (as opposed to for select assets).
https://www.axios.com/xfl-takeover-bids ... 89b0b.html

I'm fully aboard the hype train at this point. Either this is the biggest honeydick ever or the XFL is coming back.
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ManOnTheMoon
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Re: XFL Bankruptcy Thread

Post by ManOnTheMoon »

That's all interesting enough. But, it's nothing that we have not heard before.

I think we won't know anything concrete until mid-August. These are going to be the longest 3 weeks of my life!! The answer can't come soon enough.
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