XFL says it's laying off employees, suspending operations indefinitely

The XFL this week suspended operations and reportedly laid off nearly all of its staff, saying that it was "evaluating next steps," with the league's future in doubt as the coronavirus renders uncertain the near-term future of sports in America. 

In a phone call with employees on Friday, Jeffrey Pollack, the COO of the Extreme Football League, reportedly did not explicitly say the league is going out of business, but a staffer who was on the call claimed that the strong implication was that "it's not coming back."

The league, founded and owned by professional wrestling executive Vince McMahon, debuted in 2018. It began its first season in February of this year before abruptly cancelling all games in March as the coronavirus began to rapidly spread throughout the country. 

L'Damian Washington, a receiver for the XFL's St. Louis Battlehawks, seemed to confirm the league's shuttering on Friday, writing on Twitter: "RIP [XFL]! Gone but never forgotten!"