8 host cities for 2023 XFL season revealed ft. Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and more 

The XFL will relaunch in 2023 under the ownership of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Dany Garcia, who represent Alpha Acquico, LLC under the RedBird Capital umbrella. The XFL has just announced the eight host cities that will make up the league.

Former owner Vince McMahon first began operating the league in 2001 by marketing it as the extreme alternative to an NFL that had been de-emphasizing violence as retired players started to show consequences of playing, but it disbanded by 2002.

Returning in 2020 with commissioner Oliver Luck (father of former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck), the brand caught on in a more meaningful way for half of a season before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the second go-round of the spring league to go under.

With the popular movie star Dwayne Johnson at the helm, the league looks set to have a sustained run of success as the top pro football alternative to the NFL. But it will compete with the USFL (which just successfully completed a regular season in Birmingham, Alabama, and postseason in Canton, Ohio) and return in 2023 with its teams playing in the designated host cities.

As has been announced by 'The Rock,' the XFL will be headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:

"Proud to announce that our (XFL) HQ will be in the great state of Texas - in the city of Arlington. This football-rich community is the perfect place for us to instill the XFL culture & DNA into our players."

The league's official Twitter account has more details on league headquarters:

"All the teams, coaches, and players in one location. A nexus of desire and grit coming together with opportunity and innovation."

The host cities for the 2023 XFL season

Choctaw Stadium Mandatory Credit: KERA News

Arlington, Texas

As announced, Choctaw Stadium will be the official headquarters of the XFL, making Arlington the host city and the equivalent of Birmingham for the USFL.

The Metroplex doesn't lack teams to cheer for, boasting the Dallas Cowboys, SMU Mustangs, and TCU Horned Frogs as in-market gridiron options.

Perhaps the DFW area could finally see some windfall of football goodwill after suffering for so long watching Jerry Jones mismanage the city's crown jewel pro sports franchise.

TDECU Stadium will play host to the Houston franchise

Houston, Texas

The only overlap between the XFL and USFL spring leagues, which will be running in direct competition in 2023 in a likely fight to the death considering there likely isn't room for two leagues, is in Houston.

The Gamblers already exist in the USFL, so the city will now have a third pro football team in a third league to cheer for, separating it from any other pro football city in the country.

Like the Cowboys and the Metroplex, the Texans haven't given H-Town much to cheer about over the years, so Houston certainly isn't in a position to turn away a football team.

Camping World Stadium is no stranger to big games

Orlando, Florida

Orlando has become a football city over the years through the rise of the UCF Knights, which has become host to one of college football's most notable home-field advantages, the 'Bounce House.'

In terms of pro teams in 'The City Beautiful,' there's just the Orlando Magic, who have struggled to find an identity since Dwight Howard bolted over a decade ago, and Orlando City SC.

Adding a pro football team to the mix could be a positive if locals and vacationers don't decide to shun the new franchise in favor of exploring the numerous theme parks in the area instead.

The Alamodome played host to the Alliance of American Football

San Antonio, Texas

For those keeping score at home, that is the third team from Dwayne Johnson's relaunched XFL in the Lone Star State. Unlike Houston and Dallas, San Antonio lacks a pro football team and can use another team for its 1.5 million residents to cheer on.

The city has a proven history of supporting the Spurs, one of the NBA's most successful franchises since it jumped from the ABA in the late 1970s. It is an awakening football market with the runaway success of the UTSA Roadrunners last season in the Conference-USA.

Lumen Field is home to the 12th man

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is anxiously awaiting the return of an NBA franchise, but until it gets that, it'll have to settle for a second professional football franchise in a relaunched spring league.

The Seahawks have long been famous for having a crowd so invested that it was referred to as the '12th Man,' but with Russell Wilson now in Denver, there could be a lull in fan enthusiasm.

If this new league can stick, perhaps the 'Emerald City' can distract from the Seahawks' impending struggles with their XFL entry.

Las Vegas is always a great place for sports

Las Vegas, Nevada

The only city announced that hasn't guaranteed a venue for its XFL squad, Las Vegas is a natural host to any sporting event due to the area's penchant for sports betting.

Whether or not the team will play in Allegiant Stadium or at UNLV's venue isn't all that important in the grand scheme. 'Sin City' will be welcoming its second pro football team since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic either way.

The Dome at America's Center in Downtown St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

When it comes to a city that needs a football fix, St. Louis springs to mind for obvious reasons, almost all relating to the Rams' relocation to Los Angeles in 2016.

In 2020, the city had a team bearing the BattleHawks moniker during Vince McMahon's XFL revival, but it's unclear if that name will remain when the league relaunches next February.

The nation's capital is getting another football team

Washington D.C.

If the team coming to Washington D.C. can perform admirably and not scam ticket purchasers throughout the 2023 season, they'd already be ahead of Dan Snyder's Commanders.

There's a low bar for pro football franchises in the nation's capital because of how the city's NFL team has been run throughout the past several decades, so whatever squad represents D.C. will be set up for success.