The Canadian Football League released a statement on Wednesday saying it was no longer pursuing a formal working partnership with the XFL and the XFL followed up a short time later with a statement about its plans for the future.
The XFL went into bankruptcy after the COVID-19 pandemic cut short its return in the spring of 2020 and was bought by an investment group including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson last summer. The initial plan was to relaunch in the spring of 2022 and discussions with the CFL about a partnership took place earlier this year, but the XFL said Wednesday that they’ve pushed that back another year.
“While our discussions with the CFL did not ultimately lead to a collaboration, the effort reinforced our belief and commitment to developing the XFL for international spring football,” the league’s statement said, via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. “We look forward to seeing everyone for kickoff in spring of 2023.”
The CFL’s statement said they “remain open to finding new ways to work together in the future,” but getting back on the field at all is a significant first step for the latest bid at a lasting spring league in the United States.