The rebooted XFL’s Washington franchise will play at Audi Field, a new, 20,000-seat venue used primarily by D.C. United, the local MLS franchise. According to Steven Goff of the Washington Post, the chief tenants of the facility have concerns about football games being played there.
Per the report, officials with the soccer club are “hyper-aware of the effects on the field,” which will be used for five XFL games from February through May, starting in 2020. The MLS season begins every March.
Goff explains that the United has “apparently” added terms to the deal that will compel the XFL to bear the costs of significant repairs to the field, including resodding. MLS and XFL games also can’t be played there in the same week, with the MLS club getting dibs when scheduling games.
A trio of NFL games played in London earlier this year tore up the grass at Wembley Stadium, so the concerns about football on a soccer pitch are valid. But those concerns obviously take a back seat to the revenue potential that comes from having more events at an otherwise empty venue.