XFL 2020: Ranking the 8 team names, logos

The XFL is ready to come back in 2020 and announced the eight teams and logos for the revival. Naturally, we had to rank the new squads and their look.

Get ready because the XFL is back — well, at least it’s coming back. Vince McMahon and Alpha Entertainment are going all in on a revival of the league that lasted one year back in 2001. It’s clear they are taking things more wisely this time around, though, both in terms of the names associated already, the rules that we’ve seen set to be instituted and much more.

Of course, that’s only part of the battle and there’s still a long road ahead before the XFL kicks things off in February 2020. They took another big step on Wednesday, though, as they released the eight full team names and the logos for these squads.

The eight teams in the 2020 revival of the XFL will be as follows (head coach listed in parentheses): Dallas Renegades (Bob Stoops), Houston Roughnecks (June Jones), Los Angeles Wildcats (Winston Moss), New York Guardians (Kevin Gilbride), St. Louis Battle Hawks (Jonathan Hayes), Seattle Dragons (Jim Zorn), Tampa Bay Vipers (Marc Trestman) and D.C. Defenders (Pep Hamilton.

Furthermore, you can take a look at the full slate of teams and their logos that were released in a live-streamed special on Wednesday, Aug. 21.

With the introduction of new logos, new teams and a new league, why not have a little fun with them? Thus, we’re going to look at this early package of team and logo and rank each team solely based off of that.

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

I should note that, overall, the branding for this new XFL looks great. It’s set apart from the NFL’s aesthetic and has a modern look that really works for what this league wants to be. That’s a good start, even if it’s only something marginal. But, as always, some are better than others. From No. 8 to the best team/logo combination, let’s begin.

8. Los Angeles Wildcats

This is hands-down the worst logo of the group and the nickname isn’t much better. You have unique nicknames and logos throughout the new XFL now and you go with a tired name like Wildcats and another team with the “LA” logo? That’s not going to impress anyone.

7. Tampa Bay Vipers

It’s not hard to see what the Vipers were going for with their logo, trying to make a snake-like “V”. However, the execution leaves a little bit to be desired. They fall towards the bottom of these rankings simply because it could’ve been much better than it actually is.

6. D.C. Defenders

A shield logo with the nickname Defenders is a nice choice and the branding opportunities here are solid. At the same time, the team from the nation’s capital just seems a little bland overall. That’s not to say it’s bad, just that it’s not anything special either.

5. St. Louis Battlehawks

There’s nothing to dislike about the Battlehawks’ brand as we see it now. It’s a unique and fearsome nickname with a logo that really plays off of it. Despite that, their colors and logo still don’t fully jump off the page in the way that some others ultimately do.

4. Seattle Dragons

Look, I’m a sucker for dragons. This logo could have been drawn by a second-grader and I would’ve been in on Seattle.

3. Dallas Renegades

Dallas has a strong logo to the credit with the masked bandit, which goes well with a nickname that really rolls off the tongue. Being a fan of the Renegades just sounds fun. However, the similarity to the Cowboys knocks them down in these rankings, even if it’s understandable why the league would look to do that.

2. Houston Roughnecks

The nod to the Houston Oilers by the Roughnecks is a strong decision by the league. In terms of just the logos, this may be the best of the eight teams. However, the nickname itself is a bit lesser than others, which is why Houston doesn’t take the top spot in these rankings.

1. New York Guardians

From the color scheme to the unique logo to the nickname itself, this is the peak of the eight brands that were released by the XFL. The Guardians is such a perfect nickname and the lion logo is a unique take on that, which really gives this team an identity.

When the XFL kicks off in 2020, it will have a 10-week season and a two-week postseason. Furthermore, there will be a player draft in October 2019 and training camps in November 2019. Things are taking shape and, with the financial backing they have, let’s hope they enjoy a better fate than the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.