The XFL American football league has announced the cities and venues for its 2023 season, which will mark a return for the competition following a three-year absence.
The eight venues are Choctaw Stadium (Arlington, Texas), TDECU Stadium (Houston, Texas), Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), The Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas), Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington), The Dome (St. Louis, Missouri), Audi Field (Washington DC) and a to-be-confirmed stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Las Vegas, Orlando and San Antonio are all new cities, with the other five having featured in 2020. New York, Los Angeles and Tampa Bay have all been dropped from the 2020 line-up.
The 2023 XFL season will begin on February 18. ESPN has reported that Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, could be used as the XFL’s Las Vegas venue.
Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, is the only other NFL venue scheduled to host XFL games. Audi Field is home to Major League Soccer team DC United, while Choctaw Stadium (pictured, formerly Globe Life Park) used to serve as the home of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers.
TDECU Stadium, Camping World Stadium and The Alamodome are primarily used as college football venues. The Dome in St. Louis served as the home of the NFL’s Rams before the team relocated to Los Angeles in 2016.
Dany Garcia, XFL chairwoman and owner, said: “We’ve had a clear vision for the XFL – the values to instil, the diversity of our leaders, the innovation of the game and how we want to deeply engage with our communities so they can help bring this vision to life. Today, our league takes another step closer to 2023 kick-off as we officially announce where our teams will play.
“What brings a league to life is the passion of the fandom behind it. In each of these cities we will co-create with our fans and build these teams from the ground up so that they represent the unique fabric of our communities. We welcome all football fans to join us as we get ready for kick-off in February.”
The XFL was forced to abandon its 2020 season after five weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league was then sold to an ownership group featuring Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners.
Image: Michael Barera/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
