After the entertaining seasons of professional and college football are over, football fans are usually left with a long, depressing eight–month break from the game. But now, there is a league that has just started and can fill the void 

WWE CEO Vince McMahon has brought back the XFL for the first time since its inaugural run back in 2001. This new league serves as an alternate to the NFL and has been a huge success so far. 

With the XFL, many football fans have been given the opportunity to choose a team to cheer for. 

“My favorite team is the New York Guardians because I’m from the area,” sophomore Ivan Zeng said. 

The XFL also features many familiar faces, ranging from former NFL players looking for another shot to popular college players trying to earn their spot on a NFL roster. 

“I like to watch De’Mornay Pierson-El because he used to play for Nebraska,” sophomore Sam Dennis said. 

So far, the league has been a success. After three weeks, it averages 2.2 million viewers per week on ABC and more than 20,000 people at its games. 

“I think that it is popular because it is new,” Dennis said. “Just like the AAF was last year.” 

Many people are comparing the league to the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which had to suspend its operations due to financial problems last April. However, the XFL looks to be heading on the right track as it has already surpassed the ticket sales for the entire season of the AAF. 

“The XFL will be aware of the mistakes that the AAF made,” Dennis said. “They will try their best to avoid those problems.” 

The XFL distinguishes itself from the NFL with different rules and formats such as a kickoff where the teams line up five yards away from each other to block and the options to go for one, two, or three points after scoring a touchdown. 

“I like the kickoff format,” Zeng said. “It gives the returning team more creative ideas of gaining good yardage such as performing laterals.” 

Along with these rule changes, the league also does its best to offer viewers the best experience possible while watching the game. 

“As a viewer you feel the atmosphere between the players and the game such as interviews with the players and coaches on the sideline.” Zeng said 

The big question of this league is simple: How long will it last? Will it shut down midseason like the AAF? Will it fold after one season like the original XFL? While we may not know the answer now, its popularity now persuades us to believe that we’ll see the DC Defenders play the St. Louis Battlehawks at the same time next year.