The XFL and College Football

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Hey guys!

Your friendly neighborhood Poppa Bear has emerged from my post-NCG hibernation early. What could possibly bring me back in late January? The XFL is back!

Well, it’s not back yet. We still have two more years. But earlier this week, WWE owner and possible man-lizard Vince McMahon announced that he will be bringing back the defunct league. McMahon is aiming to capitalize on low ratings for the NFL by “fixing” the problems most fans complain about.

Vinnie Mac promises shorter game time, with the goal being two hours long. I’m fully on board with this, as I like to do other things on Sundays besides be a giant waste of space watching 18 hours of football. He also promises a “politics-free” atmosphere where every player will stand for the anthem (Having every player stand for the anthem is kind of a political stance, but I’ll digress). Players will be disqualified from joining the league if they have prior charges levied against them. Our Johnny Manziel dreams ended before they began.

All of that aside, the most interesting aspect of the XFL is the potential impact on the NFL and CFB. The simple reality is that the XFL cannot go head-to-head with the NFL on Sundays in the fall. Nor can it go against CFB on Saturdays (Honestly, I think the NFL would lose a head-to-head battle with CFB, but I’m a little biased). That leaves the Spring/Summer for the XFL to operate. As for impact, the most immediate would be CFB.

What would happen if Vince McMahon offered a high school player $200k a year to come to the XFL and skip college? McMahon isn’t bound by the “three year rule” of the NFL. How many players would take an immediate pay day rather than risk injury in three years of college football to possibly get drafted by the NFL?

That’s a tempting offer. In the eyes on young players, money now is better than possible money down the road. And why couldn’t a player go showcase their skills and get drafted to the NFL from the XFL, all while getting paid? McMahon could essentially go to players and say “I can give you playing time, a national audience, AND compensation.” With all of the talk of finally paying players in CFB, McMahon might be the one to force the hand of the NCAA. Isn’t that wild?

Truthfully, I don’t know whether the XFL will ever even play a single game. What I do know is that Vince McMahon is a maniac that could cause a lot of chaos.

Poppa Bear is the Lead SEC Analyst for the SoBros Network, and serves as our resident expert on the human anatomy, fixin’ stuff, and tomatoes. Follow on Twitter:@SoBroPoppaBear

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