Houston Roughnecks will return in 2023 XFL season, team announces

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The undefeated Houston Roughnecks will return when the XFL makes its comeback in 2023, the team announced on Monday.

The first rebooted XFL season was abruptly canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and there hasn't been a game since.

At the time, Houston's team was gaining a lot of attention, as they were 5-0 for the season.

The video above is from a previous report.

In August 2020, a group, including actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, agreed to buy the defunct league for $15 million after it declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April.

In a video posted to the Roughnecks' Instagram page on Monday, "The Rock" himself reintroduced the Houston team.

"H-Town, are you ready? Because the XFL is back, bigger than before, with a team that is just as driven as they are determined to work harder, longer, faster, stronger. We don't wait for success, we drill it. These are your Houston Roughnecks," he said.

The Roughnecks will once again play at the University of Houston's TDECU Stadium, the team announced.

"We're looking to keep our streak of no L's at TDECU Stadium alive this February," the team said in another social media post.

In addition to the announcement that the Roughnecks would return, the XFL also unveiled new team logos.

Don't worry, it still features the iconic oil derrick in the shape of an "H", reminiscent of the the former H-Town professional football team, the Oilers.

"The Roughnecks are home in Houston!" head coach Wade Phillips said in a statement. "We're excited to be back and ready to work as hard and tough as our fans to make this city proud. Get ready to represent your Roughnecks, Houston. We're coming for you."

This isn't Phillips' first time coaching in the Bayou City. Phillips was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans in 2011, and briefly served as temporary head coach in 2013.

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