The National Football League and XFL will collaborate on select innovation programs to "further expand the game of football and create increased opportunities for player development both on and off the field," the XFL announced Monday.
The XFL says the focus of its collaboration with the NFL will be health and safety initiatives, including "forward thinking physical and mental fitness programs for players, the study of playing surfaces and equipment and the sharing of game trends and data."
"The XFL has shown us that innovation is one of its core principles," NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement. "We are hopeful that this relationship will support further development and improvements in the game of football at all levels."
Re-founded in 2018, the XFL had its inaugural season in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to cease operations. Under new ownership led by actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the XFL is slated to resume play in February 2023.
"We are extremely pleased to collaborate with the NFL in these important areas," XFL co-owner and chairwoman Dany Garcia said in a statement. "We are bringing forward an XFL that is progressive and forward-thinking when it comes to innovation, leveraging the newest technology to enhance gameday experience. We have an open field for innovative rules to enhance in-game access. Sharing insights and practices between the XFL and NFL will do a tremendous amount of good for the game of football and support the player ecosystem overall."
Among the other ways the NFL and XFL will work together is through international football development and scouting and enhancement of officiating through testing of different rules for player protection and implementation of different technologies to enhance officiating.
Johnson celebrated Monday's announcement with a tweet:
