XFL shutting down operations entirely amid coronavirus outbreak

The XFL is one of many sports leagues that has been impacted by the coronavirus, and it may not be able to recover.

The XFL held a conference call on Friday during which league officials informed employees that operations are being suspended, according to Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Employees will be paid through Sunday, but the future of the league remains up in the air after that.

Employees are being paid through Sunday. After that, could be curtains. There was no discussion of when operations could restart, source says. https://t.co/nfaRuVPngC

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 10, 2020

While the 2020 XFL season has already been canceled, the latest development is even more troubling for the league. Attendance had dropped for XFL games after the initial relaunch buzz died down, and it’s certainly possible the league would have faced long-term issues even without the coronavirus.

The XFL featured some unique rules and gave us football to watch during the NFL and college offseason, but there were always questions about whether or not Vince McMahon’s second attempt at creating a football league would be successful. The coronavirus pandemic makes the future even more murky.