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Dallas Renegades
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Dallas Renegades
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Dallas Renegades
It’s January in Arlington, and preparations are underway for kickoff — the game plan is finalized, helmets shined, and concession stands ready. No, it’s not the Cowboys gearing up for a playoff game — that team’s season ended in December with a coaching search. Instead, a new team is taking the field: The Renegades, the latest sports franchise to play in Tarrant County and carry the Dallas moniker.
The squad, part of the revitalization of the XFL — a league that disbanded after a single year in 2001 — will start play the week after the Super Bowl, giving football fiendish Fort Worthians a reprieve before their favorite sport goes dark.
Two years ago, WWE impresario Vince McMahon announced he was reviving his vision of professional football with the XFL, and he pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to make the league viable, including the addition of longtime NCAA executive Oliver Luck as commissioner. Luck promises no more gimmicks that were so prevalent during the league’s initial incarnation — nickname jerseys and the opening scramble, for instance. So, what the football fans can expect will be similar to what they already recognize. Other franchises include Los Angeles, St. Louis, Houston, Tampa Bay, New York, Seattle, and Washington D.C.
The Dallas-Fort Worth franchise is a key cog in the 2020 edition of the XFL. Bob Stoops, a name synonymous with college football, was named as the league’s first coach and general manager. The former coach of the University of Oklahoma retired in 2017 after spending 18 seasons on the Sooners’ sideline — in that span, he captured 10 conference titles and one national championship. Early last year, Stoops announced his intention to come out of retirement and coach the expansion team in the new league — instantly earning the XFL some publicity and an air of legitimacy. In addition, many of the team’s players have spent time on NFL rosters and practice squads.
“I really believe in the leadership of the league with owner Vince McMahon on down through our commissioner, Oliver Luck,” Stoops says. “I believe there’s a market for these players to continue their careers in a positive way and people to watch some fun, exciting football. I’m looking forward to working with older players that are really good football players and are accomplished. They get it, and they’re looking to further their career, so I see it as a major positive.
“The player talent level is outstanding. I’m elated at the talent level — how physically mature and gifted so many of these guys are. People can expect to see exciting, fast, fun football.”
The original XFL struggled with sloppy play in early games, but the league is taking measures to avoid a similar fate.
“I really believe because of all the practice time we’ve been afforded,” Stoops says. “We just finished with two weeks here in Dallas. I feel like our team could go out and play tomorrow. But now we’ve got another three weeks in January to work, where [all teams] will be together in different places in Houston. We’ll get together to practice against each other as well, to simulate some game action. I think the extra practice time we’ve put in is going to make it a better game.”
Along with Stoops, some other names involved might be familiar to DFW sports fans. Legendary Cowboys fullback and FOX Sports NFL commentator Daryl “Moose” Johnston serves as director of player personnel. Another Cowboys legend, Jim Jeffcoat, is the team’s defensive line coach. Former OU and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Landry Jones was the first XFL player signed and is expected to be behind center for the Renegades.
While the work may be in place to provide a better on-field product, that doesn’t mean getting butts in seats or sponsorships will be easy. Spring leagues have come and gone through the years, and it’s Grady Raskin’s job to keep football fans excited after the NFL winds down.
Raskin grew up in the Metroplex and has worked in the front office for the Rangers and Stars. He believes the Renegades are well-situated to serve football-mad fans around Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington. Building a professional football team from the ground up is no easy task, but Raskin has enjoyed the challenge.
“Job No. 1 was to find grade-A talent in the front office — from marketing to ticket sales to sponsorship sales to communications to content to community engagement,” he says. “I’m just over the moon with the people that stood up and said, ‘We want to get on this roller coaster with you. We want to create something from nothing, and the challenges that come with this.’
“When it comes to challenges, we’ve got the people. Now it’s just about trying to figure out how do we get the message out? This is traditional football. And if you love football, you’re going to love us because we’re just more football.”
Fan engagement and access are a big part of what the XFL and Renegades have planned. That is expected to include a pregame tailgating area and performances by local bands.
“We’ve got to make sure that our product is exciting and fun and a good value,” Raskin says.
Raskin wouldn’t offer ticket sales figures but said the team has received plenty of interest. About 300 people attended an open practice in Arlington in December. Selling sponsorships has been a challenge, but Raskin has had many “positive conversations” with possible partners.
The Renegades will be utilizing familiar territory on gameday. The team reached an agreement to play in Globe Life Park (the Texas Rangers’ former home), now fitted for football and soccer. New seats have been added closer to the field, which is now synthetic grass.
“One of the things I’m extremely proud of is that we get to continue the legacy of Globe Life Park and build a new legacy through football,” Raskin says. “It’s going to be a beautiful park and going to provide some great sightlines. I think people are going to want to come check it out.”
Raskin says fans can expect a family-friendly atmosphere with low ticket prices, with a lower-level seat about $20. While the Renegades are labeled as Dallas’ team, Raskin says they represent all North Texans who don’t want the football season to end.
“It will look and feel like football that people currently watch on Saturdays or Sundays,” he says. “We’re about affordability, we’re about access, we’re about fun and excitement. We really are for the love of football.”
Dallas Renegades
Home Schedule
• Sunday, Feb. 9 (4 p.m., ESPN) – vs St. Louis BattleHawks
• Sunday, March 1 (3 p.m., FS1) – vs Houston Roughnecks
• Saturday, March 7 (1 p.m., FOX) – vs New York Guardians
• Sunday, March 29 (5 p.m., FS1) – vs Seattle Dragons
• Thursday, April 9 (7 p.m., FOX) – vs Los Angeles Wildcats
