The XFL and CFL will no longer be pursuing a partnership in the short-term, according to the CFL, which said in a statement on Monday both leagues agreed to move forward separately, USA Today reported. “Our talks with the XFL, exploring the potential for collaboration and innovation, have been positive and constructive," the statement read. "While we remain open to finding new ways to work together in the future, we and our XFL counterparts have jointly decided to not pursue any formal arrangements at this time." In March, the leagues announced they agreed to "collaborate" and "innovate" in a vague description of the partnership. The CFL will return to action Aug. 5 for the first time since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic canceled last season and prevented the Grey Cup — the nine-team league's championship — from being played for the first time since 2019. The XFL made its return under former owner Vince McMahon in 2020. But five weeks into the season, the pandemic shut down the campaign. The league, after filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy, was sold to Dany Garcia and investors at RedBirdCapital Partners that includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for $15 million in August 2020.
