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Swot Analysis of the XFL

SWOT Analysis of the XFL

Nina Petersen

Full Sail University Swot Analysis of the XFL

The XFL is a professional league that is rebooting after the original XFL failed to compete with the NFL. They were originally designed to compete with the the NHL and since that attempt they have been on a 17 year long hiatus. In 2018, they announced that they were coming back in an attempt to create a new fan first league with their premiere being held in 2020. By analyzing the league using SWOT analysis, we are able to determine the factors that will effect the league’s survival.

The first thing we need to look at our strengths. The strengths of the league are that they offer new rules to differentiate themself, and the league offers a second chance for football players to play professional football. Their weakness is that they are less well known than the other leagues that they compete with, and there are fewer players available to play due to existing contracts with bigger leagues that offer more money.

The biggest strength is the introduction of new rules that take into account the opinions of fans and players. These rules make the game more fast paced as requested by fans and more considerate of player safety. Some of these rules include; the defensive team cannot move until the is caught by the receiver, several different scoring options for conversions after a , and a shootout style .

The first rule addresses a huge player safety issue. According to the XFL, “ In , kickoffs are only 6% of plays but lead to 21% of concussions” (Heck, 2020). In order to prioritize safety, this rule was put into place and also allows for more returns off of kickoffs and punts. The other two rules are designed to focus on the fan focus approach that the league puts as their first priority. The league is advised by the F.A.N. (Football Advisory

Network) which is made up of fans. This allows for their input which is used to adjust the league to meet what the fans would like to see. This also makes the fans feel like they are a part of the the game and that their opinion is being taken seriously and used to impact the league. Swot Analysis of the XFL

Another strength of the league is the opportunity that it offers the players. Many players do not get to see their chance to play in the NFL (). There is also the possibility for athletes to use their success in the XFL as a platform for new chances to get into the NFL.

The biggest weakness of the league is the lack of recognition. Many sports fans don’t recognize the league for anything other than the failure of the original league in 2001. It was so widely ridiculed that the league’s failure was recognized by the popular television show,

The Simpsons ("The Old Man and the Key, The Simpsons"). In order to change people’s opinions, the league will have to prove themself in the first season back.. It was very daring for the organization to stick with the branding used in the original league. While this may help with recognition, it also runs the risk of bringing preexisting ideas along with it.

Another weakness of the league is the lack of funds needed to keep the players.

While players can use the league as an opportunity to get into the NFL, the XFL runs the risk of quickly losing fan favorites. The most talented players would quickly get signed away to other higher paying teams. The lack of roster continuity could be a huge problem for the league moving forward.

The biggest threats to the league is the popularity of the NFL, and the direct competition within cities. The biggest threat is the competition with the NFL. The NFL has more recognition, more funding, and more fans across the globe, People have grown up watching the NFL their whole lives. There is already loyalty tied to their teams and a lot of investment that goes into being a fan. It can be hard to take the focus from their original team. Even though the XFL season takes place in the offseason of the NFL, there is still a lot of attention paid to everything that occurs with the players and teams. The other threat is the competition within the same city. The best example of that is the . New

York already has split loyalty between the , and . It could be a Swot Analysis of the XFL struggle for the team to find fans. This is also the case for the teams in LA. The loyalty there is split between the Chargers, and Rams. With the introduction of the LA Wildcats, it may be difficult for the Wildcats to carve out their own space.

There is opportunity for the league which could lead to the league’s success in the future. The first opportunity is the accessibility to new fans. The XFL provides an experience for fans to watch live football who may have not had the chance to in the past. WIth less expensive tickets, there are more chances for people to get into the stadium. A single ticket can go for as low as $20 and a family of 4 can attend for less than $100. This is previously unheard of in the professional football space. Once the fans get there, there are also more experiences to bring the fans closer to the game. There are more community engagement opportunities that allow the fans to connect with the players and opportunities for fans to go onto the field at games.

The other opportunity for the league is to occupy a time frame when there is not much going on. Young football players use watching football as a way to learn and further develop their game. This league provides the opportunity for young fans to continue to watch football all year and continue to add upon their skills. This could be hugely beneficial to these young kids and help them grow into lifelong fans of the XFL.

The key to success for the XFL is to differentiate themself from the NFL: and create a long lasting relationship with the football fans of the future. The league could create an impact that changes the game of football forever or if not executed correctly, fail in the same way they did during their previous season.

Swot Analysis of the XFL

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For The Love Of Football. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.xfl.com/en-US/about

Heck, J. (2020, February 15). XFL rules, explained: The biggest differences vs. NFL, including overtime, kickoffs & more. Retrieved from https://www.sportingnews.com/ us/nfl/news/xfl-rules-differences-vs-nfl-overtime-kickoffs-explained/ 1if7a6vb6kb271966993zxdynx

Kercheval, B. (2020, February 4). XFL 2020: How new football league plans to have more success than its earlier incarnation (and the AAF). Retrieved from https:// www.cbssports.com/xfl/news/xfl-2020-how-new-football-league-plans-to-have- more-success-than-its-earlier-incarnation-and-the-aaf/

The Old Man and the Key, The Simpsons. (2002).