Stephan RachukIn the spirit of keeping the momentum going, Oliver Luck and newly announced Coach/GM of the XFL DC franchise, Pep Hamilto,n joined The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan. Here is quick recap of what was discussed, including some information we’re hearing for the first time.
Luck stated that we should know the team names/logos around late March/early April. He also stated that they WILL NOT participate in any sort of fan voting, stating legal issues that they would like to avoid.
He also once again confirmed that they will hold a draft and the players would not be limited by region. reiterated that the XFL would not bring over the gimmicks from the old 2001 iteration, specifically mentioning the scramble and the jersey nicknames.
Pep mentioned that the rule book is still in the works, and they aren’t going to limit themselves to stick to a certain type of play. Luck mentioned that there will be three extra point options after a touchdown. There will be a one, two, and three point option, none of which utilize a kicker. Field goals will still be in the game.
In regards to TV deals, Luck mentioned what we’ve already reported, two of the four weekly games will be televised. Two will air on terrestrial television, and two on cable networks that fans will know and respect. He is still unsure if the draft will be televised.
Hamilton chose this job because he likes the challenge around building a team from the ground up. He interviewed once for a head coach job with the Raiders in 2014, which he said helped him prepare for the process with the XFL. Hamilton specifically mentions Luck as one of the main reasons he decided to join the XFL.
The XFL will start signing players in the spring and throughout the summer. Players who sign will be asked that they not play in the fall. The first draft will take place after the initial NFL cut-down in early September. In regards to training camps, they are planning on having at least a couple of months to gel the offenses and defenses for each franchise.
Quarterbacks will be paid $400 to 600k, which is significantly more than what was previously reported. Luck said they want to lure “quality quarterbacks”. He thinks the XFL will be attractive to backups and practice squad players that don’t have a chance to play on a regular basis.
Another new revelation came about in regards to player contracts. We were previously told that all players would be on a one year contract. Now is looks like there is multiple tiers, Luck now states that top level players will have multi-year, exclusive contracts.
You can listen to the full interview below:
