STAMFORD, CONN., – Members of the XFL expansion committee today visited Detroit, touring legendary Tiger Stadium and meeting with Mayor Dennis Archer, XFL President Basil V. DeVito, Jr., announced.
The trip to Detroit comes two days after league officials visited Washington, D.C. In addition to the tour of Tiger Stadium, which the NFL’s Detroit Lions called home for many years, the party also looked at prospective practice facilities and potential team office space.
Joining DeVito were Rich Rose, head of the XFL’s expansion committee, and Mike Keller, Vice President of Football Operations. Keller, a Michigan native, is a former all-American defensive end at the University of Michigan.
“We were extremely pleased with what we saw,” said DeVito. “Detroit is a great football town and Tiger Stadium was home to many great football moments. Furthermore, coming on the heels of our visit to Washington, we are impressed by how the XFL has been received by prospective new markets.”
DeVito stated that expanding by an additional two-to-four teams over the next couple of years was part of the XFL’s business plan, and that the league would continue to visit potential sites.
“We’ve received inquires from a number of cities and our plan is to visit about a half dozen throughout the country,” he said. “Once we have completed our initial set of visits, we will review where we stand and go forward with a specific expansion plan.”
In addition to stadiums, practice facilities and team office space, league officials are examining potential short-term player housing as well as a city’s capability of providing a sizeable season ticket base.
