There are a few key differences that separate the AAF and the XFL. The AAF was run by experienced football minds who were well-respected in their industry, beyond a level any other upstart league that was ever attempted before could claim. The XFL, which already failed once, is the pet project of a professional wrestling mogul.
That’s a pretty big difference. But will it be outweighed by more pragmatic factors? That’s the question. The biggest difference, as in so many areas of life, may prove to be money, and the willingness to dedicate that money. Vince McMahon has reportedly said he is willing to fund the enterprise for at least $500 million to get it through its infancy years as the XFL establishes itself, having learned from the league’s first failure in 2001.