XFL president and CEO Jeffrey Pollack has ‘tremendous respect’ for the CFL

Jeffrey Pollack

The CFL and XFL are collaborating to identify opportunities for the leagues to innovate and grow the game of football.

It remains unclear what the end goal of their discussions will be but it’s clear the XFL has tremendous respect for the three-down league.

“We’re honoured to be talking to the CFL,” XFL president and CEO Jeffrey Pollack told Postmedia’s Dan Barnes. “We have tremendous respect for what the CFL has accomplished over the years. It has a rich history, and legacy and tradition that we respect and we love. And there is a lot to still discuss and explore.

“Where this goes, we don’t know. It’s a conversation, it’s an exploration. As I said it’s about possibility and potential and together we’re going to walk down this road and explore together, keep learning about each other and learn about what is possible. It’s too early to address any of that.”

The announcement of the CFL’s formalized talks with the XFL sparked a passionate discussion north of the border, which led Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ owner Bob Young to reassure fans that “our singular focus” is returning to the field and hosting the Grey Cup in 2021.

Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has made over a dozen formal partnerships with foreign professional football leagues as part of his global initiative. These partners include the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol Americano in Brazil, Suomen Amerikkalaisen Jalkapallon Liitto in Finland, and the Liga de Futbol Americano Profesional in Mexico.

It’s too early to determine exactly what will come of the formalized discussions between the CFL and XFL, but Pollack clearly holds the Canadian league in high regard.