Yet another strong connection to the game of college football has been lost to the professional ranks.
Tuesday morning, the XFL, which is expected to relaunch in 2020, has named Oliver Luck as its first commissioner. Luck will also carry the title of Chief Executive Officer.
“Oliver and I share the same vision and passion for reimagining the game of football,” said Vince McMahon, XFL founder and chairman, in a statement. “His experience as both an athlete and executive will ensure the long-term success of the XFL.”
“Football has always been a constant in my life and I’m excited about the unique opportunity to present America’s favorite sport to fans in a new way,” said Oliver Luck. “The XFL will create first-class organizations that local cities across the country will be proud of.
Luck, the father of Stanford quarterback great Andrew Luck, played his college football at West Virginia in the late seventies and on into the eighties, and became the athletic director at his alma mater in 2010. In December of 2014, Luck was named by the NCAA as its executive vice president of regulatory affairs, a post he had held for more than three years before leaving to become the commissioner of the XFL.
In between his stints at WVU, Luck, among other endeavors, served as a general manager in the World League of American Football and NFL Europe; as an executive in the latter league for a decade; and as president of Houston’s Major League Soccer franchise.