The results are in, and while by-and-large XFL fans are satisfied with how season one of the league went, they still acknowledge the roadblocks ahead that could stand in the way of long-term success. That is the overarching sentiment from our XFL Board survey, in which we attempted to measure how fans felt about the first season of the XFL, and how they feel moving forward into season two.
Our survey was open from last Thursday to this Monday and garnered almost 150 votes. Naturally, we would’ve liked to have had more participation, but the XFL has yet to inspire a larger passionate fanbase willing to engage with the league in the off-season. Respondents were asked to answer eight multiple choice questions. There was also a comment box at the bottom in which answers could be expanded upon. The hope is to run a similar poll at the conclusion of each XFL season and to again share the results with you, the reader.
1. How would you grade ownership on their overall performance in the first season of this version of the XFL?
A
17.8%
B
56.8%
C
17.8%
D/F
7.5%
Analysis: A surprise to me right off the bat! I thought the potential was there for this grade to be lower, especially since so many fans online have compared XFL 2023 to XFL 2020, and the latest version tends to come up short in our nostalgia-colored minds (one voter remarked that “Everything was lower quality than 2020”). Also consider that fans on the internet tend to be the most invested in the product, and therefore also the most critical of it.
There are lots of nits to be picked about the lead-up to 2023 and the progression of the season itself, but the bottom line is the XFL finished its season and for the first time ever, is full-steam ahead into a second. That may have been enough for people to give more than a passing grade to Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital. Even with that, a few comments suggested that ownership needed to stay out of the spotlight in year two: The word “ego” was used more than once to describe owners putting themselves front-and-center.
2. How would you assess the on-field play during this season of the XFL?
Better than I expected
51.7%
About what I expected
41.3%
Worse than I expected
7.0%
Analysis: Some players and teams got off to a sluggish start, as you’d expect with eight squads all playing together for the first time. Quarterback play was uneven but improved as the season wore on, as did most other aspects of on-field action. Overall, fans were pleased with the quality of play, which will be one of the key determining factors of whether the league will be able to draw fans to watch on TV or to fill the stadiums and thus sustain itself for years to come. It’s also worth noting that the percentages of those who gave ownership a “D” or an “F” in the previous questions almost mirror the number who felt the quality of play was worse than expected. It’s likely the majority of people who failed ownership were the same ones who gave the on-field play a failing grade.
3. What did you think of ESPN and XFL’s presentation of the games on television, taking the entire viewing experience into account?
Better than I expected
46.5%
About what I expected
33.3%
Worse than I expected
20.1%
Analysis: There’s room for improvement for the XFL and ESPN here. Many folks who watch both the USFL and XFL have expressed the idea that the USFL’s television presentation of the game is better. When you’ve partnered with the Worldwide Leader in Sports, that shouldn’t necessarily be the case. Ownership wanted to bring the game closer to the viewer at home, but the jury was out on the effectiveness of that. Live mics on players and coaches often caused long stretches of dead air for cursing (breaking news: there’s swearing in football), and the sideline interviews mid-game were often useless.
There was little “new” technology integrated into the broadcast, save for late in the season when we could see what players were looking at on the tablets on the sidelines. Still, more than twice as many people felt the broadcasts were “better than I expected” than thought it was “worse than I expected.”
4. If you attended an XFL game: How would you assess the live experience of an XFL game?
Better than I expected
20.3%
About what I expected
19.6%
Worse than I expected
8.4%
Did not attend
51.7%
Analysis: Anecdotally, the live game experience was mixed and likely depended on where you went to games. In the Orlando heat with a small crowd in a giant stadium and a poor product on the field, the atmosphere probably wasn’t great. In the comments, one person who attended a Vegas home game decried the lack of pregame engagement with fans. If you went to DC or St. Louis, you’d probably rave about the time you had.
It’s also difficult to take much from the results when half of the people who voted did not attend a game. With only eight teams and three of them based in Texas, that’s a large swath of the country that doesn’t have a team within easy driving distance. For those who were able to attend, only a small percentage were disappointed with the experience.
5. How would you assess the XFL’s merchandise selection on XFL Shop (taking into account variety, price, quality, etc.)?
Better than I expected
24.3%
About what I expected
5.6%
Worse than I expected
52.8%
No opinion
17.4%
Analysis: This is where the XFL could stand to improve the most, according to the results in this survey. Over half were unsatisfied with at least some part of the merchandise experience. And remember, these are the league’s most ardent fans. The roll-out of XFL Shop left a lot to be desired in terms of product variety. They seemed to add to it as the season progressed. Perhaps the biggest misstep by the league in this department was the sale of team jerseys, which were released very late and appeared to be of poor quality (specifically at their exorbitant price point). With the backing of Under Armour, this was seen as an unforced error.
One comment left seemed to sum up the prevailing thought on the topic: “The merchandising was fairly subpar this season in both quality and selection.” On the positive side, one-quarter of respondents felt the XFL Shop selection was better than expected, meaning the two extremes were well-represented here. Trading cards and video games were among the products voters want to see made available in the future.
6. What is the most important thing the XFL needs to improve for season two?
More advertising of the league nationally
21.3%
More advertising of the league in team markets
39.7%
More fan events in team markets
7.8%
Better times/networks for games
15.6%
More social media presence
0%
Higher quality of on-field play
5.7%
Other
9.9%
Analysis: A few left comments indicating “all of the above.” Advertising generally made up more than 60% of the votes. In most cities that returned to the league in 2023, attendance lagged behind their numbers in 2020. A big part of that was the lack of marketing in the cities, especially with training camp taking place at a centralized location in Arlington. Getting word out in local markets is critical to success in those cities. Advertising for the league on ESPN was also not as strong as viewers would’ve preferred, and there just didn’t seem to be the push nationally to get the word out that the XFL had returned.
In third place was “better times/networks for games.” I thought this may have scored higher, but we saw that a more consistent timeslot airing on stronger stations didn’t substantially help USFL ratings. Among the comments left for “other”: Some fans were not happy with the quality of officiating in the league and took to task the rule changes implemented in 2023 that made penalties “confusing.” Despite the high quality of play acknowledged in a previous answer and the level of players with NFL experience the XFL attracted, more than a few voters were concerned about player pay, insisting it should be higher. Though no one voted “more social media presence” as the most important issue facing the XFL heading into season two, a few commenters did note that this area could be improved, with a more professional tone sought.
7. What is your biggest concern about the XFL moving forward?
Competition from USFL
6.9%
Long-term financial backing from RedBird Capital
23.6%
Television ratings
29.2%
Attracting fans in local markets
21.5%
Viability of Vegas franchise
12.5%
Other
6.3%
Analysis: Television ratings are the lifeblood of an entity like the XFL: Those numbers will determine the level of support they’ll get from their TV partners as well as the advertising revenue generated and television deal the league will eventually strike. That future deal has the potential to be the XFL’s largest revenue stream. Yet, while it led the poll, it still received less than 30% of the votes. XFL fans are torn on the biggest concern of the league heading into year two. Though ownership is saying all the right things about investing for the long-term, we’ve seen before that money for a venture like this can dry up quickly, even if the parent company is more than solvent.
Somewhat surprisingly, “competition from the USFL” finished a distant fifth, even as many fans acknowledge there may only be room for one alternative football league of this size in the United States. Fans who voted “viability of Vegas franchise” offered alternatives in the comments section, such as cities to move the franchise. Like in the previous answer, a few left comments suggesting “all of the above” to this question.
8. Do you believe the XFL should seriously consider merging with the USFL?
Yes
25.4%
No
45.1%
Too soon to say
29.6%
Analysis: Given the tribalism you see in certain online circles between XFL fans and USFL fans, it shouldn’t be a surprise that “no” won handily on the question of a merger between the two leagues. This is, after all, an XFL website. However, one-quarter of XFL fans still believe the league at this point should seriously consider a pooling of resources. The key here is the 30% who believe it’s “too soon to say.” They could swing the poll significantly in either direction, affirming the lead for “no” or allowing “yes” to take first place. It’ll be interesting to ask this question again next off-season to see where the pulse of the XFL fanbase is then.
