The 2020 XFL season was cut short following five weeks of play in March 2020, as a result of immediate and prolonged stay-at-home orders and prohibitions on large gatherings imposed in an effort to stop the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

[2] On April 13, 2020, XFL parent company Alpha Entertainment declared bankruptcy in response to the measures, most of which would not be fully lifted until vaccines were made available and widespread in early 2021.

[4][5] After the purchase the new ownership briefly considered a single-market season for 2021, but the timing of the sale process made it difficult to accomplish.

[9] On March 11, 2022, multiple news reports indicated that the XFL had hired Reggie Barlow away from the Virginia State Trojans to serve as a head coach.

On April 6, 2022, multiple news reports indicated that the XFL had hired their second head coach in former NFL Defensive Back Terrell Buckley.

On April 6, 2022, A report came out that sources close to the league have mentioned that XFL would be keeping five teams in their original 2020 locations (DC Defenders, St. Louis BattleHawks, Dallas Renegades, Houston Roughnecks and Seattle Dragons), following through with the Vipers proposed move to Orlando, and adding two new teams in San Antonio and Las Vegas.

[13] The teams in San Antonio and Las Vegas would replace the New York Guardians and the Los Angeles Wildcats, respectively.

[14] On May 18, 2022, two separate reports indicated that The Dome at America's Center had left five open dates anticipating the BattleHawks' return,[15] and that TDECU Stadium would host XFL games in 2023.

where they confirmed all 2020 XFL teams except the New York Guardians, Los Angeles Wildcats and Tampa Bay Vipers would return.

[20] Team 9, the non-playing unified scout team/practice squad, will also not return, with the league taking a more open approach with signing free agents midseason than it did in 2020.

[23] On September 23, 2022, the XFL online store leaked placeholders for the new team names, prompting speculation that the Renegades, Dragons, BattleHawks, Defenders, and Roughnecks would return to their home cities, that the Vipers brand would be transferred to Las Vegas (in homage to the Las Vegas Valley being the northwestern limit of the Western diamondback rattlesnake's natural habitat), and that the Guardians brand would be placed in Orlando.

The XFL has a target stadium size of 30,000 seats so that in the event of playoff games, the upper decks can be opened to increase capacity.

[28] For the 2023 season, each XFL team started training camp with up to 80-men rosters (66 originally[29]), but had to trim it down to 70 by January 21, 2023,[30] down to 60 two weeks later[31] and then to 50 by February 10.

[34] 14 players on the opening day rosters were on NFL practice squads during the 2022 season,[35] while four 2023 CFL free agents chose to sign with XFL teams.

[37][38] In contrast, the 2023 season of the XFL saw the league take a much lower emphasis on professional experience when selecting its quarterbacks, as it noted that the veterans "washed out early" compared to the younger, less experienced talent and that its 2020 breakout star—P.

J. Walker—was better known at the time for bouncing on and off the Indianapolis Colts practice squad before joining the XFL and ultimately landing the starting position with the Carolina Panthers.

[55][56] The base annual salary for an XFL player was $59,000, plus room and board in the league's hub at Arlington, Texas, throughout the season valued at approximately $20,000.

[59] On March 10, 2023, XFL players filed a petition (through the United Steelworkers) for a representation election with Region 16 of the National Labor Relations Board.

[93] Cardale Jones, who had played in the XFL as DC's starting quarterback in 2020 and had unsuccessfully tried to win back his position in 2023, declined an offer to join the IFL.

Source[101][102] On March 11, 2022, multiple news reports indicated that the XFL had hired Reggie Barlow away from the Virginia State Trojans to serve as a head coach.

The other head coaches hired were Wade Phillips, Rod Woodson, Anthony Becht, Jim Haslett and Hines Ward.

Barlow has eight years of professional playing experience and had spent the previous 12 seasons coaching historically black colleges and universities, most recently the Virginia State Trojans.

[126] After the season, XFL President Russ Brandon addressed both issues: "We never thought we would get that far in the tie-breaker scenario (...) The key to anything is to keep things simple, so we'll have to clean that up (...) We'll evaluate the situation that happened this year with the playoff.

On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fund RedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million (plus over $9.2 million in debts and payments) just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020.

The league has retained PJT Partners to help with the search and raise $125 million in equity funding, while new investors could own up to 45% of the XFL.

[398][399] ESPN Inc. received an unspecified stake in the league as part of the contract, which Johnson confirmed carried a rights fee payment.

[416] The first week of games received tentative praise, with Bill Shea of The Athletic grading the return a B− in an article titled "I watched the XFL 3.0 so you don't have to (but you should!

[425] XFL President Russ Brandon addressed the issue a day later, stating: "We have no concerns over the Vegas Vipers' field.

[196] In an interview with USA Today on March 27, Garcia and Johnson stated that they were very pleased with the execution of the league so far, and that there were already plans for a 2024 XFL football season.

[427] After the 2023 XFL Championship Game ESPN's vice president of programming and acquisitions, Tim Reed, expressed satisfaction with the viewership results.