Moving away from Cashman Field must have been high on the XFL’s off-season checklist.
On Thursday 31 August, 2023, the Vegas Vipers emailed season ticket holders and informed them the league would not be returning to play at Cashman Field.
“Following feedback from you, our fans, players and local partners, the has determined that the team will not return to play at Cashman Field for the 2024 season. We appreciate your support and patience as the League reviews all our options. We will provide information on a new home for the Vipers as soon as possible.”
The XFL will have to decide on their future plans soon, as the 2024 season is a mere 170 days away.
It is rumored that the league is even considering moving the team to another market. Of course this would mean their next message to Vegas fans may be “goodbye.”
If we flash back to the first time we saw an XFL game at Cashman Field, it was the Vegas Vipers home opener to the Defenders. The game itself took a back seat to the facility. The optics of the XFL playing football in Vegas on the dead grass (painted green) of a minor league soccer stadium (originally built for baseball) hurt the league. This woeful saga began when the XFL learned it would not be able to play its home games in the world-class Allegiant Stadium, and the sad story did not turn around from there.
Social media blasted the XFL, especially in how the field looked on television. It just made the XFL look like a minor league, and some would say it resembled high school football. Truthfully, Cashman Field itself may have sufficed on the opening night, but inclement weather seemed to complicate the issue. The field was slick, causing botched kicks and sliding receivers.
If we flashback to October 2022, a Las Vegas Sun article quoted Vegas Vipers head coach Rod Woodson saying, “If they put AstroTurf on a concrete block somewhere in the middle of the 215, we’ll play on it.” Of course, Woodson was referring to the fact his team had to play at Cashman Field.
After the Vegas home opener Woodson might have wished he never made this suggestion.
It seems the XFL has decided to move past this chapter in the leagues’ opening season. With the league focused on cleaning up it’s business, moving away from Cashman Field must have been high on their off-season checklist.
