The CFL and XFL have ended talks about a possible merger.

The CFL has released a statement regarding this decision:

“Our talks with the XFL, exploring the potential for collaboration and innovation, have been positive and constructive. 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. We at the CFL are now squarely focused on preparing for August 5^th and the start of our  2021 regular season, which will culminate December 12 with the playing of the 108^th Grey Cup in Hamilton, Ontario. We are looking forward to this year and  a bright future for our league.”

CFL Statement

The two leagues announced that they were in talks earlier this year, and things seemed to be moving forward. While we know that it never got to what it would look like on the field, many versions of what the business could be had been discussed.

RedBird Capital, a part-owner of the XFL, had made some moves such as trying to unload $800 million worth of capital and hiring the former NFL executive responsible for the $110 billion TV deal, Kevin LaForce.

The C-218 Bill is likely a big reason that the CFL decided to end the talks, since it should be a big boost in revenue for the 9 teams.

Here is the statement from the XFL:

“While our discussions with the CFL did not ultimately lead to a collaboration, the effort reinforced our belief and commitment to developing the XFL for international spring football.We look forward to seeing everyone for kickoff in spring of 2023.

XFL STatement

We can now move on fully to the 2021 season, without any distractions. Stay with us while this story develops.