At XFLBoard, we feel it is important for XFL fans to give their opinion, something we have practiced for over twenty years. After all, fans are the ones who buy the tickets, scoop up the merchandise, consume the hot dogs, stack the beer cups, and cheer for their team, week in and week out. Without the fans, the league would be nothing. That’s why we give the fans a voice.
This past week we proposed a question about XFL expansion. Now, we realize the new XFL owners have indicated they would not be considering to expand to other cities in the next season. But, we have been hearing plenty of expansion suggestions from fans. So, since we wanted to know what the fans thought, we proposed the question:
When the league is ready to expand, where do you think it should go?
XFL Fans were able to submit three unranked choices, along with optional reasons/remarks as to why they felt their choice was valid.
We accepted all submissions, and then removed any instances of multiple entries from the same IP address, thus nullifying any cases of “ballot-box stuffing.” Then we sorted the votes and counted them up! In total we had 12,793 valid votes.
San Antonio fans will be very supportive, guaranteed!
Rabid fans who embraced the AAF Commanders. Nice indoor stadium.
Keep the AAF name and logo for an already solid base.
Texas is football crazy, San Antonio is a large market, Commanders did good.
Look at the San Antonio Commanders when AAF was around.
Huge market and they outdrew all other AAF cities by almost 8500 per game.
Great venue, football hungry city/area with a population base to support it.
They supported an AAF team which drew crowds of 30,000.
1.5 million people.
Texas loves football – No air travel for four teams small foot print.
Large central Texas city.
Dallas and Houston both have XFL teams already. It’s San Antonio’s turn.
Because Texas is big enough for 3 teams and just needs and opportunity to prove it.
Showed they would come out for minor league football with that other league.
Already have a stadium and deep in football country.
This city is a gold mine for a football team.
Big metro, needs professional sports.
The fact of the matter is that San Antonio is one of America’s largest city with great fans.
No-brainer! Support for AAF was outstanding.
Area is starved for a football team, and they avidly support their teams.
San Antonio has a long history with football with multiple teams like the Gunslingers, Riders, Commanders and even hosted the Saints in 2005. The fan base in San Antonio was electric during the AAF days, as SA averaged around 27,000 fans per game and led the AAF in attendance. If another team comes to Alamo City, fans are going to hop onboard.
They have been aching for a team since the Chargers left. Big market.
The City has a rich history of Professional football going back when the Chargers played for 50 years in San Diego.
Great football town.
Big market without pro football.
New SDSU stadium is perfect size.
San Diego residents has always supported their football team.
New Stadium, Large Market.
Duh? AAF Fleet games were phenomenal.
Fleet did well there.
Natural rival for Los Angeles.
Similar to St. Louis. Had an NFL and the fans would probably enjoy having their own XFL team.
Like St. Louis, they were wrongfully scorned by the NFL.
They need football back in SD.
They deserve a team, don’t they?
No NBA team to compete.
Great fanbase that supported the AAF Fleet. Great weather.
Warm weather, Pro team moved.
Lot of chargers fan with no team.
Proved viable with the Fleet in the AAF.
Former NFL market without a team now.
LA is and will always be just a tourist destination. SD will support a team after losing the Chargers.
Large city with no professional football team since the Chargers left. XFL could fill that void.
San Diego is a great football City and the weather is great all year round.
There will be a new college stadium by 2022. It could be shared.
They lost the Chargers and have no football team similar to St. Louis they love football and want it back and with no NFL team there should be perfect.
The St. Louis BattleHawks showed us one big thing last year and that is the XFL will do very well in cities who’ve recently lost their NFL franchise. The consistently outsold the rest of the league in ticket sales.
It would bring a lot of profit since the Raiders left.
They need a team and have a empty stadium.
The rabid BattleHawk fans showed how much they missed having a football team. Giving the old Raider fans a new team to go and see live without having to travel into the desert would ensure a strong loud fanbase.
Fill void of lost NFL.
Strong football market.
City needs football.
Bring football back to Oakland.
Warm weather, pro team moved.
Not only because of the lack of an NFL team, but has links to the Bay Area from the original XFL.
Could appeal to dejected Raiders fans. Potentially have the same situation as St. Louis. Also create a California rivalry with Los Angeles.
Oakland is a great football City and the fans love football if you can play San Diego and Oakland against each other you would have to great franchise which love to compete with each other or against each other that’s a win-win situation. Just ask the NFL about Oakland and San Diego playing against each other.
The Raiders fanbase was great when they were in Oakland which is what the XFL needs.
This is the perfect area for the XFL to compete with the NFL. Loyal Raiders fans had to watch the NFL took away their beloved team to Sin City and fans would easily sell out the Oakland Coliseum.
Orlando loved the Apollo’s when they were there briefly. Not only is Orlando a larger tourist destination, which could bring in tourist crowds, it is also a large market for football in general.
Rivalry with Tampa.
Great football fans in Orlando.
Orlando has a hunger for a football team. Supported the Apollos very well in the AAF.
AAF success in attendance.
Orlando was one of the cities that performed well in the AAF. People who were fans of the Orlando Apollos in the AAF would transfer right over to the XFL to continue supporting a professional football team.
TV market size, rivalries, stadium available, cheap state to operate.
Soccer stadium, football state in the middle of a lot.
2nd largest population Midwest.
Ohio is a huge football state. The only one of the three sports cities that doesn’t have a football team is Columbus. Simple as that.
Great college football town.
Nestled right in the heart of Americas football country.
Another option for fans than only Browns and Bengals.
Highest TV ratings for non-local teams. College town would bring in spring tailgaters and create interest. Dozens of Ohio State alumni to be the face of franchise.
Ohio is hotbed for high school and college football.
Great football city and state with great tradition.
The Eagles have a die hard fan base so that would be a perfect bet to try and tap in that market of fans.
TV market size, rivalries, reduced travel exp, MLS stadium available, least expensive NE state to operate.
Good sports city.
In sixth most populous state, already has a football stadium, and is a big football city, fans are leaving the Eagles due to disappointing start, perfect time to grab it.
Energetic, charismatic fan base.
Philadelphia fan will be there to enjoy year around football.
Huge college hub. Long been looked over for pro football team.
The state has no other professional sports teams and they love college football. They would embrace the team wholeheartedly.
Great support and for the Nighthawks in the UFL.
This prairie city deserves a football team.
While in the UFL, they averaged just under 23,000 per game in 2010.
Nebraska has no national team but to go into a fresh market could open alot of doors.
Nebraska is a huge football state, but the only team we have to support is the Cornhuskers. A pro team in NE would certainly be a plus for the XFL. People say the market just isn’t there in Omaha, but I can assure you that Nebraskans would really to support their new team.
12 thoughts on “XFL Expansion Poll: Fan Choice – Results”
Bring the Battle Hawks back to St. Louis.
I think a lot of people thought the way I did. Add many of the AAF locations as they clearly show the fan base and enthusiasm you need to continue success in the XFL!
I think most of those cities that made the top 10 are capable of being very successful in the evolution of the XFL. However, some markets sticks out as being heads and shoulders above the pack . A very strong case can be made for markets 5,6,and 7 , but, an even stronger case can be made for the top four markets . So, that brings us to the most critical issue in this whole discussion on possible expansion. What will be the number of teams the league expand to ? Also, what is the projected time frame for expansion? If the aim is to expand by four teams in the next 2 to 3 years, then there you go, you have 4 very attractive markets . On the other hand, if, you are talking about only 2 teams in the next 2 to 3 years then no doubt the ones that make the most sense are Birmingham and San Diego . This, of course assumes the other 8 teams stay in their current markets. This from a Birmingham Iron fan ” Forge On “.
Why was my “”Because F the Spanos Family” comment omitted from my vote for San Diego? 🤣 I’m not even from that area but they did that city dirty!
We received hundreds of comments. We didn’t include them all.
Columbus and Milwaukee should get teams!
Good choices in the top 10. San Diego and Oakland get my sympathy vote having lost NFL teams through no fault of their own. (like St. Louis) I chuckled when I read about Alabama needing a pro football team. Nick Sabin would disagree. Hurry up and start the next season. Go BattleHawks.
It’s not Nicks call to make, it is up to us the pro football loving fans of Birmingham and Alabama . Sure there are a lot of college football fans in Alabama, but , they also love pro ball . Having said that, there is no escaping the fact that Birmingham sits in the heart of the best football region in the USA . In addition, I think the powers that be are going to make their determination based on a number of factors. Things like tv market, stadium availability , competition from other pro sports teams, history in other spring leagues and many other factors. But, here’s the deal, 1) WE WANT THE XFL, 2) WE HAVE A STATE OF THE ART STADIUM AND 3) WE HAVE A BUILT IN FAN BASE . So, hey, XFL it’s your call . This from a Birmingham Iron Fan “FORGE ON” .
The XFL needs to RELOCATE teams first before expanding!
Alright, let’s take a look at this list of cities to RELOCATE to:
San Antonio, Texas – Definitely, especially with the way Jerruh keeps blocking San Antonio from having an NFL team.
San Diego, California – Yes. This is where the Wildcats need to go.
Birmingham, Alabama – Bonus points if you call the team the Blast!
Oakland, California – Only one problem, Oakland wants an NFL team, and the grassroots is GAINING traction.
Chicago, Illinois – Not a bad idea on paper, but all the replacement teams for the Chicago Cardinals have been a flop. George Halas did such a great job turning disgruntled Cardinal fans into Bear fans. For a second Chicago team to stand a chance against the Bears, it would have to be an AFC team in a brand new retractable roof stadium far away from Soldier Field.
Portland, Oregon – Excellent idea.
Orlando, Florida – The obvious new home of the Vipers.
Columbus, Ohio – Keep an eye on the Bengals in a couple of years when their lease expires, because I have a feeling Columbus will be targeting the Bengals.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Give me a break. They couldn’t support two baseball teams long term AND the USFL Stars and people think they are going to support an XFL team just because the Eagles are bad right now!?
Omaha, Nebraska – They are going to need an alternative with the way the Cornhusker program is these days.
Salt Lake City, Utah – Yes. Give the Stallions another shot.
Memphis, Tennessee – Give the Express or Maniax another chance.
Las Vegas, Nevada – Do you people seriously think they would stand a chance against the RAIDERS!?
Louisville, Kentucky – One of the cities they should have went to, to begin with.
Detroit, Michigan – Lions are bad. So who knows?
Denver, Colorado – Broncos are bad, but they are not the dumpster fire that the Lions are, so no.
Austin, Texas – San Antonio or Austin, but not both, unless you want to relocate one of the Dallas or Houston teams that is.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – No! Pittsburgh needs a basketball team, not a team that the Steelers are going to destroy!
Boston, Massachusetts – They will do just as well as the Boston Braves baseball team.
Atlanta, Georgia – Give me a bleeping break!
Cleveland, Ohio – Browns 2.0 is finally winning again. So I say skip them.
Des Moines, Iowa – Why not?
Toronto, Ontario – As long as the CFL and the Argonauts breath, Canada will never have a football team outside of the CFL courtesy of the Canadian government.
Miami, Florida – I could see Rock do this, especially with the way Stephen Ross has sunk the Dolphins, but I don’t see it working long term either.
Kansas City, Missouri – Uuuggghhh!
New Orleans, Louisiana – Do you people want to see this league fail!?
Phoenix, Arizona – Where was the support for the Hotshots? I rest my case.
Nashville, Tennessee – Knoxville, not Nashville.
Phoenix, Arizona – Who put Phoenix on here TWICE!?
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Oklahoma City would be better, but at least it’s not another NFL city.
Charlotte, North Carolina – Wrong city.
Raleigh, North Carolina – Right city.
San Francisco, California – This is the Bay Area city to go to if they don’t mind paying the Giants a high rent fee.
Albuquerque, New Mexico – Let’s see if New Mexico is ready for the big time.
Buffalo, New York – Let’s see them get destroyed by the Buffalo Bills!
Canton, Ohio – Interesting idea.
Honolulu, Hawaii – Far away, but way better than London.
Dayton, Ohio – Better idea than Columbus since the latter will no doubt target the Bengals in a couple of years.
Lincoln, Nebraska – Them or Omaha, not both.
San Jose, California – Spartan Stadium is a dump and the 49ers aren’t going to share. San Francisco or bust.
Sacramento, California – They should be higher on this list!
Mobile, Alabama – Stick with Birmingham.
Richmond, Virginia – Another natural choice.
“The XFL needs to RELOCATE teams first before expanding!”
This. Especially L.A. and Tampa now that the Rams and Bucs are winning again.
San Antonio – definitely!
San Diego – Yes!
Birmingham – No, that stadium looked empty, did not avg more than 25,000 per game. Sorry.
Oakland – Yes!
Chicago – No!
Portland – No. Sorry.
Orlando – Maybe, they did show up for the Apollos.
Columbus – No. Sorry.
Philly – No!
Omaha – Maybe, they did show up for UFL.
Bring the Battle Hawks back to St. Louis.
I think a lot of people thought the way I did. Add many of the AAF locations as they clearly show the fan base and enthusiasm you need to continue success in the XFL!
I think most of those cities that made the top 10 are capable of being very successful in the evolution of the XFL. However, some markets sticks out as being heads and shoulders above the pack . A very strong case can be made for markets 5,6,and 7 , but, an even stronger case can be made for the top four markets . So, that brings us to the most critical issue in this whole discussion on possible expansion. What will be the number of teams the league expand to ? Also, what is the projected time frame for expansion? If the aim is to expand by four teams in the next 2 to 3 years, then there you go, you have 4 very attractive markets . On the other hand, if, you are talking about only 2 teams in the next 2 to 3 years then no doubt the ones that make the most sense are Birmingham and San Diego . This, of course assumes the other 8 teams stay in their current markets. This from a Birmingham Iron fan ” Forge On “.
Why was my “”Because F the Spanos Family” comment omitted from my vote for San Diego? 🤣 I’m not even from that area but they did that city dirty!
We received hundreds of comments. We didn’t include them all.
Columbus and Milwaukee should get teams!
Good choices in the top 10. San Diego and Oakland get my sympathy vote having lost NFL teams through no fault of their own. (like St. Louis) I chuckled when I read about Alabama needing a pro football team. Nick Sabin would disagree. Hurry up and start the next season. Go BattleHawks.
It’s not Nicks call to make, it is up to us the pro football loving fans of Birmingham and Alabama . Sure there are a lot of college football fans in Alabama, but , they also love pro ball . Having said that, there is no escaping the fact that Birmingham sits in the heart of the best football region in the USA . In addition, I think the powers that be are going to make their determination based on a number of factors. Things like tv market, stadium availability , competition from other pro sports teams, history in other spring leagues and many other factors. But, here’s the deal, 1) WE WANT THE XFL, 2) WE HAVE A STATE OF THE ART STADIUM AND 3) WE HAVE A BUILT IN FAN BASE . So, hey, XFL it’s your call . This from a Birmingham Iron Fan “FORGE ON” .
The XFL needs to RELOCATE teams first before expanding!
Alright, let’s take a look at this list of cities to RELOCATE to:
San Antonio, Texas – Definitely, especially with the way Jerruh keeps blocking San Antonio from having an NFL team.
San Diego, California – Yes. This is where the Wildcats need to go.
Birmingham, Alabama – Bonus points if you call the team the Blast!
Oakland, California – Only one problem, Oakland wants an NFL team, and the grassroots is GAINING traction.
Chicago, Illinois – Not a bad idea on paper, but all the replacement teams for the Chicago Cardinals have been a flop. George Halas did such a great job turning disgruntled Cardinal fans into Bear fans. For a second Chicago team to stand a chance against the Bears, it would have to be an AFC team in a brand new retractable roof stadium far away from Soldier Field.
Portland, Oregon – Excellent idea.
Orlando, Florida – The obvious new home of the Vipers.
Columbus, Ohio – Keep an eye on the Bengals in a couple of years when their lease expires, because I have a feeling Columbus will be targeting the Bengals.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Give me a break. They couldn’t support two baseball teams long term AND the USFL Stars and people think they are going to support an XFL team just because the Eagles are bad right now!?
Omaha, Nebraska – They are going to need an alternative with the way the Cornhusker program is these days.
Salt Lake City, Utah – Yes. Give the Stallions another shot.
Memphis, Tennessee – Give the Express or Maniax another chance.
Las Vegas, Nevada – Do you people seriously think they would stand a chance against the RAIDERS!?
Louisville, Kentucky – One of the cities they should have went to, to begin with.
Detroit, Michigan – Lions are bad. So who knows?
Denver, Colorado – Broncos are bad, but they are not the dumpster fire that the Lions are, so no.
Austin, Texas – San Antonio or Austin, but not both, unless you want to relocate one of the Dallas or Houston teams that is.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – No! Pittsburgh needs a basketball team, not a team that the Steelers are going to destroy!
Boston, Massachusetts – They will do just as well as the Boston Braves baseball team.
Atlanta, Georgia – Give me a bleeping break!
Cleveland, Ohio – Browns 2.0 is finally winning again. So I say skip them.
Des Moines, Iowa – Why not?
Toronto, Ontario – As long as the CFL and the Argonauts breath, Canada will never have a football team outside of the CFL courtesy of the Canadian government.
Miami, Florida – I could see Rock do this, especially with the way Stephen Ross has sunk the Dolphins, but I don’t see it working long term either.
Kansas City, Missouri – Uuuggghhh!
New Orleans, Louisiana – Do you people want to see this league fail!?
Phoenix, Arizona – Where was the support for the Hotshots? I rest my case.
Nashville, Tennessee – Knoxville, not Nashville.
Phoenix, Arizona – Who put Phoenix on here TWICE!?
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Oklahoma City would be better, but at least it’s not another NFL city.
Charlotte, North Carolina – Wrong city.
Raleigh, North Carolina – Right city.
San Francisco, California – This is the Bay Area city to go to if they don’t mind paying the Giants a high rent fee.
Albuquerque, New Mexico – Let’s see if New Mexico is ready for the big time.
Buffalo, New York – Let’s see them get destroyed by the Buffalo Bills!
Canton, Ohio – Interesting idea.
Honolulu, Hawaii – Far away, but way better than London.
Dayton, Ohio – Better idea than Columbus since the latter will no doubt target the Bengals in a couple of years.
Lincoln, Nebraska – Them or Omaha, not both.
San Jose, California – Spartan Stadium is a dump and the 49ers aren’t going to share. San Francisco or bust.
Sacramento, California – They should be higher on this list!
Mobile, Alabama – Stick with Birmingham.
Richmond, Virginia – Another natural choice.
“The XFL needs to RELOCATE teams first before expanding!”
This. Especially L.A. and Tampa now that the Rams and Bucs are winning again.
San Antonio – definitely!
San Diego – Yes!
Birmingham – No, that stadium looked empty, did not avg more than 25,000 per game. Sorry.
Oakland – Yes!
Chicago – No!
Portland – No. Sorry.
Orlando – Maybe, they did show up for the Apollos.
Columbus – No. Sorry.
Philly – No!
Omaha – Maybe, they did show up for UFL.