Council President Parker eyes XFL team in Birmingham as former WWE star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reportedly buys league

Birmingham City Council President William Parker is seeking a meeting with the new XFL leadership to discuss bringing a franchise to Birmingham. The team would play at historic Legion Field, which can seat 70,000 fans and has ample parking located on the 100-acre property.

On Monday, it was reported that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has bought the XFL for $15 million. The league previously filed for bankruptcy in April following complications from the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the XFL launched earlier this year, the league drew roughly 3.1 million viewers and generated nearly $20 million in gross revenue before the season was cut short due to the public health crisis.

In 2019, the Birmingham Iron — which was part of the Alliance for American Football– drew big crowds from locals who were hungry to have a professional football team in one of the nation’s most supportive football cities. For the last two decades Birmingham has led the nation in college football viewership and remains a fertile market for the sport.

“Over the years, we’ve worked hard to position Birmingham as a sports destination,” President Parker said. “By having the XFL at Legion Field, we’d be able to keep major sporting events at the historic stadium year round since the league plays in the spring. I will be reaching out to the leadership at the XFL to schedule meetings in which we can discuss the ways that both the league and Birmingham can mutually benefit from this exciting new venture.”

No schedule or team locations have been announced following the reported purchase. This is a developing story and more information will be released as it becomes available.