LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The XFL is preparing for its third relaunch, and who better to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the plans than the league's executive vice president of football operations, Marc Ross.
Ross and KTNV's Tina Nguyen got to chat about what the future holds for the XFL:
Tina Nguyen: Marc, I know there's been a lot of preparation for this season's XFL launch. Just how does it feel for things to be so close to kicking off?
Marc Ross: Well, it's just super exciting. ...You know, this is our Super Bowl. Our opening weekend is our Super Bowl following the Super Bowl. So there's just been so much work, so much effort, so much camaraderie put together for the whole team, from top to bottom, to make sure that we have an outstanding product on the field that real football fans can come and see, still have that thirst and that desire to want to see football. ...Come check out the XFL.
Nguyen: This will be the third relaunch for the XFL. What will be different and unique this time around?
Ross: Well, first, it starts with our ownership. You know, the ownership is completely different. This is no more Vince McMahon. This is no more. He hates me and gimmicky stuff. Our owners, Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and Gerry Cardinale from RedBird Capital have put their heart and soul and funds into making sure that this is right. So starting right from there, their commitment to making this right is paramount. And then the executive team that we have in place — I have over 20-plus years in the NFL, Russ Brandon and our president, 20-plus years in the NFL. Doug Whaley, our senior vice president of player personnel, 20-plus years in the NFL. And we just have so many people involved with NFL experience who know how to put things together in the right way. Our head coaches, we're super excited about. Rod Woodson will be here, the Vegas Vipers' head coach. We've got Hall of Famers like him, Super Bowl MVP like Hines Ward, legends in the game like Bob Stoops and Wade Phillips, and then younger group of guys, you know, like a Terrell Buckley, who's never had a chance. You know, Florida State legend Reggie Barlow bringing the HBCU vibe there. And Anthony Becht, former first-round pick from the Jets. So we just are really energized by the head coaches who we have and we've got real football players with innovations on and off the field. We love our collaboration with the NFL, helping them with rules, initiatives, health and safety initiatives and player development initiatives. So we really have strong, strong pillars that we feel like are going to make this league last for a long time.
Nguyen: Marc, for so many of the guys that we'll see take the field this upcoming season, what kind of opportunity does this present to them — especially for the ones that do want to play in the NFL one day?
Ross: Well, that's what we tag ourselves, "The League of Opportunity," and these guys have been, some overlooked or just need a second chance. We have a ton of the guys that were on NFL Practice teams during the year — 40 plus guys, over 100 players who were in NFL training camps. And the NFL is the only sports league without a developmental league. And we're here as an opportunity for these guys to get better and hone their skills. And the timing of our season allows that players can come play with us, go crush it, shine, and then the NFL can still evaluate them and those players. Our season is over in May; we'll still have time to go get ready for an NFL training camp. So we're right there: The perfect window of NFL season is over; here's the XFL. You come play, you ball out, and you still have a chance to show what you can do to get picked up by the NFL.
Nguyen: You mentioned that you've been in Dallas for about a month now for training camp. What's it been like for you to go to training camp and how are things going?
Ross: Well, it's been totally different. I was in the NFL 20-plus years, always with the team, and you're just involved with the team. And now we have all the teams in the hub, in the Arlington area, practicing out of four facilities. So, you know, all the teams are just super excited to be there, grinding and working hard. For me, I'm doing a lot of problem-solving, you know, putting out fires. So that's been a whole different skillset for me — always being involved with personnel, now taking on a whole lot of different avenues. They're just making sure things run, but it's just an outstanding platform that we have with the hub model of all the teams there, coming at it, collaborating together to make sure everybody is right for the season start.
Nguyen: When you guys were looking at cities to expand to, why Las Vegas?
Ross: Well, you know, it's huge for our ownership. Our ownership really wanted to have a team here. Of course, the excitement that Vegas brings, the new opportunities, the new teams that have been involved, the World Champion Aces. So it was really important for our ownership to be here. And we think this is going to be an outstanding market to have and fired up that Head Coach Rod Woodson, the former Hall of Famer, as I mentioned before, is leading the charge here. And it's just, you know, Vegas is outstanding and still up-and-coming, so we wanted to capitalize on that market.
Nguyen: Lastly, when fans do attend an XFL game, you know, aside from the great on-field product, what else can they look forward to?
Ross: Well, you're going to see access. We want to have this built up where fans have access and feel as if they're a part of what's going on. You know, head coaches miked up, players miked up, cameras in places they've never been before. You'll see the product on the field with rules, innovations and doing things differently on the field as far as our kickoffs and punt rules and extra point rules and overtime rules. So you'll see a lot of not gimmicky, but innovative rules changes that we can try real-time in games that fans will, I think, like better than sort of traditional rules and style of play. So yeah, fast-paced football with a lot of innovations on and off the field.
