Vegas Vipers
 | |
| Founded | 2018 (as the Tampa Bay Vipers) |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2024 |
| Based in | Tampa, Florida (2020) Las Vegas, Nevada (2023) |
| Home stadium | Raymond James Stadium (2020) Cashman Field (2023) |
| Head coach | Marc Trestman (2020) Rod Woodson (2023) Anthony Blevins (planned 2024) |
| Owner(s) | Alpha Acquico, LLC[1]
|
| League | XFL |
| Division | East (2020) North (2023) |
| Colors | Black, red
|
| Website | xfl.com/teams/las-vegas |
The Vegas Vipers were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vipers competed in the XFL football league. The team was founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment as the Tampa Bay Vipers and were owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Vipers had a franchise regular season record of 3–12 (.200), the worst win percentage among all XFL teams.
History
Tampa Bay (2020, McMahon Era)
Tampa Bay joined Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. as the league's inaugural cities. On March 5, 2019, Marc Trestman was announced to be the head coach and general manager of the Tampa Bay XFL team for the 2020 season.[2] The team name and logo were revealed on August 21, 2019, as well as the teams uniforms on December 3, 2019.[3]
On October 15, 2019, The Vipers announced their first player in team history, being assigned former Georgia Bulldogs Quarterback Aaron Murray.[4]
On February 9, 2020, the Vipers played their first game in team history, losing to the New York Guardians 23–3.[5] They won their first game in week 4, shutting out the DC Defenders 25–0.[6] The Vipers played the Los Angeles Wildcats in what would be the final game of the 2020 iteration of the XFL.
On March 12, 2020, The XFL announced that the remainder of the 2020 XFL season had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished with a 1–4 record. On April 10, 2020, The XFL Suspended operations, with all employees, players and staff being terminated.[7]
Vegas (2023, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia Era)
On July 24, 2022, the XFL announced that it would be placing one of its eight teams in the Las Vegas area, and that Rod Woodson would be its head coach. It initially appeared unclear whether this would be a new expansion team or a relocation. As early as April 2020, the league had reportedly been considering moving the Vipers to Orlando, 80 miles up Interstate 4 from Tampa,[8] and the July 24 announcement confirmed that Orlando would get a team and that Tampa Bay would no longer have one. However, when team names were leaked in September and confirmed in October, it was instead revealed that Orlando's team would take on the name of the Guardians, a team that had played in North Jersey representing New York City in 2020, and that the Vipers name would instead be relocated to Las Vegas in homage to southern Nevada being home to numerous rattlesnakes.[9] The move returned the XFL to a market that previously had a team in the 2001 iteration of the league in the Las Vegas Outlaws.
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At the time of the original announcement, Las Vegas was the only city in which the XFL had not secured a stadium agreement. By the league's own admission, the process of securing a stadium was "long and tedious," as the Vipers had to negotiate around the other teams using Las Vegas's venues (with Allegiant Stadium, Cashman Field, and Bishop Gorman High School being considered at various points), and the XFL was dead-set against having the Vipers play as a traveling team until a venue could be secured.[10] On January 5, 2023, the day the league's schedule was released, Cashman Field was announced to be the Vipers home stadium for the 2023 season.[11] The move into Cashman Field was done with the full cooperation of the Las Vegas Lights FC, who cooperated with the Vipers in setting out each team's schedule.[10] The league had difficulties getting the playing surface to professional standards and maintaining it; the dried, brown grass had to be painted green (causing the field to become slippery when heavy rains fell during the home opener), divots caused by heavy equipment were noted on the field, ESPN's press box was open-air and covered by a tarp, and the boundary lines painted on the field were found to not be straight.[12] Both the Vipers players and league president Russ Brandon noted that the field was structurally sound and held up well to the harsh conditions.[13]
On June 11, 2023, the Vipers parted ways with their Head Coach Rod Woodson after just one season.[14] Woodson finished the 2023 season with a 2–8 record and finished last in the division.[15] They later hired New York Giants Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Anthony Blevins to replace him on July 7, 2023.[16]
On August 31, 2023, the Vipers announced that they would not return to Cashman Field in 2024.[17] The statement did not specify whether the team would be seeking a deal with one of the other stadiums in Las Vegas (as the Houston Roughnecks did in response to their home stadium being slated for renovation[18]) or seeking relocation to another market; if the latter option was chosen, Nashville, Tennessee, Portland, Oregon, and Phoenix, Arizona were identified as potential candidates to host the team.[19]
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[20] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date.[21] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[22] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".[23] On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024.[24] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023, and on January 1, 2024, it was announced the Vipers would not be a part of the merger.[25][26]
Player History
Current NFL Players
| XFL Season | Pos | Name | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LS | Nick Moore | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2023 | WR | Martavis Bryant | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2023 | WR | Mathew Sexton | Miami Dolphins |
Notable Players
| XFL Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | QB | Aaron Murray | Former Georgia Bulldogs Quarterback, 2014 5th Round Pick |
| 2020 | WR | Antonio Callaway | Former Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver, 2018 4th Round Pick |
| 2023 | RB | Matt Jones | Former Washington Redskins Running Back, 2015 3rd Round Pick |
| 2023 | WR | Martavis Bryant | Former Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver, 2014 4th Round Pick |
| 2023 | DE | Vic Beasley | Former Atlanta Falcons Linebacker, 2015 1st Round Pick, 2016 Pro Bowler |
| 2023 | WR | Geronimo Allison | Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver |
| 2023 | QB | Brett Hundley | Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback, 2015 5th Round Pick |
XFL Defensive Player of the Year award winners
| Vipers XFL DPOY winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Pita Taumoepenu | LB | XFL |
Coach History
Head Coach History
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Tampa Bay Vipers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Marc Trestman | 2020 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | - | - | - | |
| Vegas Vipers | ||||||||||
| 2 | Rod Woodson | 2023 | 10 | 2 | 8 | .200 | - | - | - | |
Offensive Coordinator History
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Tampa Bay Vipers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Jaime Elizondo | 2020 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | - | - | - | |
| Vegas Vipers | ||||||||||
| 2 | Duane Taylor | 2023 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Ray Sherman | 2023 | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 | - | - | - | |
Defensive Coordinator History
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Tampa Bay Vipers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Jerry Glanville | 2020 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | - | - | - | |
| Vegas Vipers | ||||||||||
| 2 | Cris Dishman | 2023 | 10 | 2 | 8 | .200 | - | - | - | |
Rivalries
The Vipers' main rival was the St. Louis Battlehawks. The fans of the Battlehawks constantly joked that Viper fans defecate while standing.[27] This rivalry ended in 2024 when the Vegas Vipers franchise was disbanded. The Vipers finished the rivalry with a 0–2 record against the Battlehawks.
Overall Regular Season Record vs. Opponents
| Team | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio Brahmas | 1-0 | 1.000 |
| Orlando Guardians | 1-1 | .500 |
| DC Defenders | 1-2 | .333 |
| Arlington Renegades | 0-1 | .000 |
| Los Angeles Wildcats | 0-1 | .000 |
| Houston Roughnecks | 0-2 | .000 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 0-2 | .000 |
| Seattle Sea Dragons | 0-3 | .000 |
Records
| All-time Vipers leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Vipers | |
| Passing Yards | Luis Perez | 900 passing yards | 2023 | |
| Passing Touchdowns | Luis Perez | 8 passing touchdowns | 2023 | |
| Rushing Yards | De'Veon Smith | 365 rushing yards | 2020 | |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Taylor Cornelius
John Lovett |
3 rushing touchdowns | 2020
2023 | |
| Receiving Yards | Jeff Badet | 449 receiving yards | 2023 | |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Jeff Badet | 34 receptions | 2023 | |
| Receptions | Jeff Badet | 5 receiving touchdowns | 2023 | |
| Tackles | C.J. Avery | 62 tackles | 2023 | |
| Sacks | Pita Taumoepenu | 7.5 sacks | 2023 | |
| Interceptions | Tarvarus McFadden
Keylon Kennedy |
2 interceptions | 2020
2023 2023 | |
| Coaching wins | Rod Woodson | 2 wins | 2023 | |
References
- ^ Perry, Mark (August 3, 2020). "More Details On The Rock Purchase Of The XFL, How Many Bidders". XFL News Hub. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Staff, ESPN (March 3, 2019). "Trestman hired as coach of Tampa Bay XFL team". ESPN.
- ^ Spedden, Zach (August 21, 2019). "XFL Team Names and Logos Unveiled". Football Stadium Digest. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Florio, Mike (October 15, 2019). "XFL announces its eight allocated quarterbacks". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Takeaways from Tampa Bay Vipers' XFL season opener in New York". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ "Vipers drub Defenders, 25-0, for first XFL victory". National Football League. March 1, 2020.
- ^ composer., Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827. Symphonie Nr. 5 c-Moll = Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67. OCLC 994793754.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Fischer, Ben (April 17, 2020). "Last Call for the XFL". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ Perry, Mark (September 23, 2022). "XFL Teams Names Leaked Online, Some Old, Some New, Some Surprising Changes". xflnewshub.com. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "XFL's Vegas Vipers get home, schedule for 2023 season". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "Vipers-Renegades to kick off XFL's return Feb. 18". ESPN.com. January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ Weir, Grayson (March 5, 2023). "Crazy Winds Cause Mayhem At XFL Game Played On Spray-Painted Soccer Field With Uneven Lines, Large Divots". OutKick. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Hill, Adam (March 4, 2023). "Field conditions in spotlight as Vipers return home Saturday". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Florio, Mike (June 12, 2023). "Rod Woodson out as head coach of XFL's Vegas Vipers". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ "Vipers lose again, finish 1st XFL season 2-8". Las Vegas Review-Journal. April 24, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ "Giants asst. special teams coach Anthony Blevins hired as XFL head coach". NFL.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
- ^ "XFL team on the move after first season in Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ https://twitter.com/XFL_PR/status/1683862174022742017
- ^ Perry, Mark (August 29, 2023). "EXCLUSIVE: Vegas Vipers Explore Relocation Options for 2024 Season: Nashville, Tennessee, and Arizona State University Under Consideration". xflnewshub.com. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim; Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (September 19, 2023). "Scoop: Football leagues XFL and USFL in merger talks". Axios. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (September 28, 2023). "XFL, United States Football League announce intention to merge". TSN. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ Schad, Tom (September 28, 2023). "XFL, USFL confirm intention to merge into single spring football league". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Moyle, Nick (October 18, 2023). "XFL files trademark applications for 'United Football League' and 'UFL'". San Antonio Express-News.
- ^ "We are pleased to have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement and will share more about this new League in the coming weeks". Instagram.
- ^ "USFL, XFL announce merger, formation of new spring football league: The UFL". Yahoo Sports. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ Larsen, James (January 1, 2024). "United Football League Announces Their 8 UFL Teams For 2024". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ Hill, Daniel. ""Vipers Fans Poop Standing Up" and Other XFL Facts From BattleHawks Fans". Riverfront Times. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
External links
- Official website