Vince McMahon’s XFL officially suspended all operations this morning and laid off almost all staff due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to ESPN.
A handful of executives remain employed, but the football league has no plans to return in 2021.
The league canceled its 2020 season last month after playing just 5 games, also due to COVID-19, but promised to return next year. XFL CEO Jeffrey Pollack changed course Friday during a ten-minute conference call, informing employees of the news. Commissioner Oliver Luck did not speak on the call, and it was not immediately clear if he is still with the league.
According to a prominent former XFL staffer who was on the call that talked to ESPN, Pollack stopped short of saying the league was going out of business. But the strong implication was clear. “It’s done,” the staffer said. “It’s not coming back.”
Stay tuned for updates.
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