The XFL on Monday unveiled the names and logos of the eight teams that will be participating in its reboot season, which begins on Feb. 18, 2023.
Several teams return from the 2020 campaign, which was cancelled after just five games due to financial issues amid the pandemic, including the Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Seattle Sea Dragons and St. Louis BattleHawks.
The Renegades notably changed their city from Dallas to more accurately depict the location of Choctaw Stadium, the former home of MLB’s Texas Rangers, while the Sea Dragons added a descriptor after they were previously known as the “Dragons.”
The Tampa Bay Vipers, meanwhile, moved to Orlando, where they have now adopted the nickname of the defunct New York Guardians, so the Vipers nickname has been transferred to the new team in Las Vegas.
There’s also a new franchise in San Antonio, the Brahmas, which was inspired by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s nickname of “The Brahma Bull.” Johnson, of course, is the co-owner of the XFL, along with his ex-wife and business partner, Dany Garcia.
“We could not be more excited to unveil our new team identities,” Garcia said in a statement. “Countless hours of creative sessions and collaboration went into bringing these team brands to life.
“Each team’s identity represents the fabric of their local community while also embodying the XFL’s vision and ethos: they are authentic, dynamic, modern and unapologetically bold. We can’t wait to see our XFL fans representing their favorite XFL teams this upcoming season.”
Arlington Renegades
Choctaw Stadium – Arlington, Texas
The Renegades, who are led by former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, seemingly ditched their masked outlaw primarily logo in favor of a stylized “R,” though all indication are that the previous logo will be retained as a secondary mark.
D.C. Defenders
Audi Field – Washington, D.C.
The Defenders previously used a shield with two lightning bolts and three stars – which were pulled from the Washington D.C. flag – as their primary logo. The new mark is a stylized “D” with a star in the middle, creating a “C” in the negative space.
Houston Roughnecks
TDECU Stadium – Houston, Texas
After facing a lawsuit from the NFL and Houston Oilers due to the similarities of their old logo, the Roughnecks have refined their primary logo to look more like an “H” rather than an oil derrick, though the overall inspiration and the star at the top remain.
Orlando Guardians
Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Fla.
The Guardians’ logo looks very similar to the design used in New York, albeit with two shades of green like the old Tampa Bay Vipers’ color scheme. However, a closer inspection reveals it has been altered to look more like large cat with stripes than a mix between a cat and Egyptian Pharaoh.
San Antonio Brahmas
Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
The league’s only new identity naturally shares the same general shape as the iconic tattoo Johnson had on his right bicep during his time as a WWE superstar. He’s since covered it up with a large bull skull, which also fits in with the Brahmas’ look.
Seattle Sea Dragons
Lumen Field – Seattle, Wash.
In addition to adding to their name, the Sea Dragons have scrapped their detailed fire-breathing dragon head for a full-bodied fire-breathing dragon in the shape of an “S.” Their colors of green, blue and orange remain the same, though.
St. Louis BattleHawks
The Dome at America’s Center – St. Louis, Mo.
The BattleHawks continue to use a sword and wings as their primary logo, but both have subtle changes, including sharper design edges throughout and what appears to be a darker shade of blue. Like the other returning teams, their wordmark has changed, as well.
Vegas Vipers
TBD – TBD
Lastly, the Vipers – who have yet to announce where they’ll be playing their home games in a little more than three months – use red and white “fangs” to form a stylized “V.” It’s the same idea that Tampa Bay had in 2020, although it looks much more menacing with shaper edges and a different color palette.
“Every one of these logos has a unique energy, intensity and electricity that each team and their fans will bring on game day,” Johnson said. “Now is the time for our fans to get behind a team – THEIR team – and wear these logos and represent their city with pride.
“From the start, (we) have wanted to deliver our fans nothing but the best, and it is motivating to see our creative vision come to life. We have our cities, our team identities and our rockstar coaches. Now we get to fill our rosters with hungry and deserving players that will wear their uniforms with XFL pride.”
Photos courtesy of @XFL2023 on Twitter.
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