2022 X League season

The 2022 X League season was the inaugural season of the Extreme Football League (commonly known as the X League) in the United States. It began in June and concluded in September with the Chicago Blitz winning the inaugural "X Cup" championship game. The league had most recently operated in 2019, branded as the Legends Football League (LFL).

2022 X League season
SportIndoor American football
DurationJune 10 – September 10
Number of games2 per team (scheduled)
Number of teams8
Season MVPJessica Salazar (RB, Atlanta)[1]
X Cup
DateSeptember 10, 2022
VenueH-E-B Center, Cedar Park, Texas
ChampionsChicago Blitz
  Runners-upAtlanta Empire
Game MVPJade Austin (S, Chicago)[1]

Season summary

The inaugural X-League season was shortened, with each team's regular season reduced from four games to two. The truncated season kicked off on June 10, with a match between the Chicago Blitz and Kansas City Force.[2] Preferring a matchup between two capable teams instead of a one-sided contest between a more-established team (the Blitz succeeded the Chicago Bliss, four-time LFL champions) and a team of rookies (the Force were created after the Nashville Knights were suspended from the league),[3] the league decided to replace the Force roster with coaches and players from the Atlanta Empire; Chicago won and Kansas City was assessed the loss while Atlanta personnel returned to the Empire.

However, the next two matchups weren't as evenly matched. The Los Angeles Black Storm (formerly the Los Angeles Temptations) played the Austin Sound (formerly the Austin Acoustics) and lost, 19–50. The seemingly one-sided matchup was much like the next game against the Denver Rush (formerly the Denver Dream, a rookie team that has started over every season and played in only 4 season of the LFL and only 3 seasons back to back) and the Seattle Thunder (formerly the Seattle Mist and three-time LFL Champions). Denver lost to Seattle, 84–26. Denver played the more-established Atlanta Empire next in their two-game season and lost, 0-28.

The Arizona Red Devils, another new team in the league, suspended operations in June without playing any games.[4] Their scheduled contest against Kansas City was canceled, and a squad from Mexico took their place in a contest against the Los Angeles Black Storm; Los Angeles won, 48–8, in the final game of the regular season on August 13.[5]

The season saw two major upsets as the Empire defeated the top-ranked Austin Sound on July 9, 50–34,[6] and the Chicago Blitz upset the Seattle Thunder (successors to the 2019 LFL champion Seattle Mist) on August 6, 34–28.[7]

Postseason

The playoffs saw Atlanta (2–0) seeded first, Chicago (2–0) second, Seattle (1–1) third, and Austin (1–1) fourth; point differential was used as a tie-breaker. On August 27, Atlanta survived Austin, 34–32, while Chicago held off Seattle, 34–33. The season concluded on September 10 with the newly restructured league's first-ever "X Cup" ending in a 19–12 victory for the Chicago Blitz over the Atlanta Empire.[1]

Schedule

Regular season
Week Date Visitor Score Home Venue Ref.
1Friday, June 10 Chicago Blitz40–34 (OT)Kansas City Force Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence, Missouri [2][8]
2Saturday, June 18 Los Angeles Black Storm19–50Austin Sound H-E-B Center, Cedar Park, Texas [9][10]
3Saturday, June 25 Denver Rush26–84Seattle Thunder accesso ShoWare Center, Kent, Washington [11]
4Saturday, July 9 Austin Sound34–50Atlanta Empire Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia [12][6]
5Friday, July 15 Kansas City ForceN/CArizona Red Devils Bell Bank Park, Mesa, Arizona [13]
6Friday, July 22 Atlanta Empire28–0Denver Rush Budweiser Events Center, Loveland, Colorado [14][15]
7Saturday, July 30 Bye Week    
8Saturday, August 6 Seattle Thunder28–34Chicago Blitz BMO Harris Bank Center, Rockford, Illinois [16][7]
9Saturday, August 13 Mexico National All-Stars8–48Los Angeles Black Storm Championship Soccer Stadium, Irvine, California [17][5]

Notes:

  • In week 1, Kansas City was represented by players from the Atlanta Empire.[18]
  • In week 9, Arizona was originally scheduled to face Los Angeles.

Source:[19]

Standings

At completion of the regular season

Rank Team Record (Win pct.) PF PA Diff.
1†Atlanta Empire2–0 (1.000)7834+44
2†Chicago Blitz2–0 (1.000)7462+12
3†Seattle Thunder1–1 (.500)11260+52
4†Austin Sound1–1 (.500)8469+15
5Los Angeles Black Storm1–1 (.500)6758+9
6Arizona Red Devils0–0 (–)000
7Kansas City Force0–1 (.000)3440-6
—Mexico National All-Stars0–1 (.000)848-40
8Denver Rush0–2 (.000)26112-86

† Team qualified for postseason

Source:[20]

Post-season
Round Date Lower seed Score Higher seed Venue Ref.
Semi-finalSaturday, August 27 (No. 3) Seattle Thunder33–34(No. 2) Chicago Blitz accesso ShoWare Center, Kent, Washington [21][22]
(No. 4) Austin Sound32–34(No. 1) Atlanta Empire [23][24]
FinalSaturday, September 10 (No. 2) Chicago Blitz19–12(No. 1) Atlanta Empire H-E-B Center, Cedar Park, Texas [25][1]
X Cup 2022
Period 1 2 34Total
Chicago Blitz 0 13 0619
Atlanta Empire 6 0 0612

at H-E-B Center • Cedar Park, Texas

  • Date: Saturday, September 10, 2022
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • Recap
    MVP: Jade Austin (S, Chicago)
Game information
First quarter
  • ATL – Jessica Salazar 4-yard touchdown run; conversion failed. Atlanta 6–0
Second quarter
  • CHI – Stephanie Raymond 1-yard touchdown run; conversion good. Chicago 7–6
  • CHI – Tamika Robinson 15-yard touchdown reception from Stephanie Raymond; conversion failed. Chicago 13–6
Third quarter
  • No scoring
Fourth quarter
  • CHI – Stephanie Raymond 4-yard touchdown run; conversion failed. Chicago 19–6
  • ATL – Lindsey Ezell 11-yard touchdown reception from Bailey Hodgins; conversion failed. Chicago 19–12

References
  1. "Chicago Holds on in a defensive Battle to Capture Historic X Cup Championship". xleague.live. September 13, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  2. "Week 1 Game Preview: Chicago Blitz vs Kansas City Force". xleague.live. June 8, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  3. "X LEAGUE STATEMENT ABOUT STATUS OF NASHVILLE KNIGHTS". extfl.com. January 10, 2020. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  4. @MyFFZ (June 23, 2022). "The Arizona Red Devils, released a statement on the team's official Facebook page announcing that the team will suspend activities until next year and not play in the 2022 X League season!" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  5. "A 48-8 Black Storm Forms Over Mexico". xleague.live. August 16, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  6. "Atlanta Reigns in Shocker, Upsetting Austin 50-34". xleague.live. July 9, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  7. "Chicago Blitz Shock the League with 34-28 Stunner Over Seattle Thunder". xleague.live. August 9, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  8. @GrdironBeauty (June 13, 2022). "X League's Historic Opener Is An Overtime Thriller" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  9. "Week 2 Game Preview: Los Angeles Black Storm vs Austin Sound". xleague.live. June 16, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  10. "Austin Asserts its No.1 Ranking With 50-19 Thrashing of Los Angeles". xleague.live. June 18, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  11. "Seattle's 84-26 Win Not Indicative of Denver Play". xleague.live. June 22, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  12. "Week 4 Game Preview: Austin Sound Vs Atlanta Empire". xleague.live. July 7, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  13. @MyFFZ (June 23, 2022). "The Arizona Red Devils, released a statement on the team's official Facebook page announcing that the team will suspend activities until next year and not play in the 2022 X League season!" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  14. "Week 6 Game Preview: Atlanta Empire vs Denver Rush". xleague.live. July 20, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  15. "Empire Defense Pitches a No-No to Advance to the Playoffs in 28-0 Win Over Rush". xleague.live. July 25, 2022. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  16. "Week 7 Game Preview: Seattle Thunder vs Chicago Blitz". xleague.live. August 3, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  17. @GrdironBeauty (August 13, 2022). "An expansion squad of Mexico All Stars in @extfootball X League 2022 will look to shake up the playoffs" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  18. @MyFFZ (June 8, 2022). "The Kansas City Force will be represented by the Atlanta Empire in the showcase game against the Chicago Blitz" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  19. @MyFFZ (March 1, 2022). "X LEAGUE 2022 SEASON SCHEDULE" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  20. "Standings". xleague.live. 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023. Point totals reflect scores as listed in the table of regular-season games. Online table includes postseason semi-final games.
  21. "Playoffs Saturday: Seattle Thunder vs Chicago Blitz Game Preview". xleague.live. August 23, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  22. @GrdironBeauty (August 30, 2022). "It's was a classic battle" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  23. "Playoffs Saturday: Austin Sound vs Atlanta Empire Game Preview". xleague.live. August 24, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  24. @GrdironBeauty (August 28, 2022). "Congratulations to the ATLANTA EMPIRE" (Tweet). Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  25. "X Cup 2022 Game Preview: Chicago Blitz Vs Atlanta Empire". xleague.live. September 8, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.

Further reading
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