XFL Commissioner And CEO Oliver Luck Discusses His Business Relationship With Vince McMahon
Oliver Luck breaks it down.
The beginning of 2018 started off hot for WWE Chairman Vince McMahon as the 25th Anniversary of Monday Night RAW, the 2018 Royal Rumble PPV and the announcement of the relaunch of the XFL Football league all took place within the span of a couple of days. Vince McMahon’s failed football league from 2001 is relaunching in 2020 but the Chairman has a goal to make the reboot a successful one for all parties involved.
As more information came out about he XFL relaunch, it was announced that business executive, former NFL Quarterback and the father of Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck, Oliver Luck, was set to be the commissioner and CEO of the XFL. Oliver joined the podcast of former NFL Linebacker AJ Hawk entitled ‘The Hawkcast’ and spoke about his relationship with Vince McMahon and how he came into the position of being the commissioner and CEO of the XFL.
“No I didn’t [Have a previous relationship with Vince McMahon], so I was working at the NCAA. I was one of two Executive Vice Presidents. I was overseeing all of our regulatory stuff which is exciting for lawyers and that’s about it.” He continued, “I didn’t know Vince. I think I may have met him at one point along the way sort of in passing, but I didn’t know him. One of his folks asked me if I’d be willing to take a meeting with Vince and I said sure. He’s a fascinating guy, hugely successful, built a remarkable public trading company – WWE and I thought, ‘Yeah I’d be happy to take a meeting’ so as I sat with him I realized he was dead serious about building this league and in what I consider to be a proper and appropriate fashion with an emphasis on family and affordability and that type of thing.” Luck said. “He was committing a serious capitol to this project and that’s important for every startup – doesn’t matter if it’s in the sports business or the tech business, you need capitol to survive and I thought to myself, ‘Gosh, how often does somebody put a lot of money behind a brand-new startup football league. I love the sport like you [AJ Hawk], I respect the sport like you and I thought this is a really neat opportunity to help Vince mold this league and respect the game but also as we know the game needs to be changed a little bit. We need to make the game as safe as we can.” Luck expressed. “The game I think it gets a little bit too long. Some of these games are four hours now, there’s too many stoppages. All the things fans complain about and I’m sure you [AJ Hawk] hear those like I do so I thought it was just a really neat opportunity and I said to myself, I’m gonna jump in and try to do the best I possibly can for Vince, for the folks over at I Am The Process, but even more importantly, for the game of football because I got the utmost respect or the game. I think [it’s] one of the great things about American life.”
Earlier this summer a report surfaced which read that Vince McMahon expects to spend nearly $500 million during the first three seasons of the XFL. Oliver Luck commented on that price and explained how less than that would not do the league any favors. To read more on that, click here.
If you are going to use the quote above, please credit ‘The Hawkcast’ podcast with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.
