Things can get rather interesting in the coming years if this re-boot of the XFL is a success.
Monday night at Levi’s Stadium, the nation watched as Trevor Lawrence dismantled the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide to the tune of 347 yards and three touchdown as the Clemson Tigers dismantled them 44-16.
Unfortunately for him, he won’t be able to enter the National Football league until 2021. But he’d potentially have an option to become a pro a year earlier if he wanted to go that route.
The XFL is set to begin play in 2020 and commissioner Oliver Luck has openly suggested that the league could become a safe haven for players who don’t want to spend three years in college waiting to be eligible for the NFL.
Via PFT:
During a December podcast interview with with Brian Berger of the Sports Business Radio Road Show, Luck said flatly: “We’re not subject to that.”
“Theoretically we could take a player right out of high school. I doubt we’ll do that,” Luck said, noting the difference in physical development between an 18-year-old and the 24-to-25-year-old fringe NFLers they plan to build their base from.
“But I wouldn’t rule it out,” Luck said. “Nor would I rule out taking a player who played a year of college football and let’s say isn’t eligible academically, which happens. Or a player who is two years out of college, and is transferring, and would have to sit out a year. A lot of guys don’t want to. . . . We are in that position to be able to take players who wouldn’t be eligible to play in the NFL. . . .
“But that’s an option that we have and we’re going to look at it long and hard. There are a lot off very good college players after a year or two who may not want to play that third year of college football, may need to earn a little money, support the family. That’s not uncommon as well.”
Also, an XFL spokesperson dropped this little nugget this week:
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On Tuesday, an XFL spokesperson told PFT that, while “[t]he XFL’s player eligibility guidelines are in development,” the XFL is not restricted by the rules that exist in other professional football leagues.”
Luck has said the league will pay salaries in the $250,000-$300,000 range for top players for what would seemingly be a 5-month commitment.
