8 Things We Learned From WWE's Opening XFL 2020 Games
8. Crowds Weren't Huge But They Were Loud
The XFL attracted 17,163 fans to Audi Field in Washington for the Seattle at DC game, and a further 17,815 flocked to the TDECU Stadium in Texas to take in the LA at Houston matchup later the same night. Though it's surely much too soon to speculate on numbers across the entire season and at coming championship games, this is a positive start.
It was smart to book stadiums with modest capacities compared to most NFL venues. Audi Field only holds around 20,000 people, and so it looked almost full. Meanwhile, clever camera tricks and a lively atmosphere made up for the fact that TDECU was actually less-than-half full (it can hold approx 40,000).
Fans were also loud.
There was a surprising amount of enthusiasm for the league's opening. DC Defenders' first home game was a sea of red, meaning the team sold a crap ton of merchandise pre-kick off. Over in Houston, fans were similarly up for making themselves heard.