XFL plans to include franchise in D.C.

The XFL plans to include a franchise in Washington when it relaunches in 2020, according to a person familiar with the process. The new professional football team will play its home games at Audi Field, sharing the stadium with D.C. United for at least part of the year. An XFL spokesman declined to comment Friday on its plans. The league has scheduled a news conference for next Wednesday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., where it’s expected to announce the eight cities that will field teams in its inaugural season. The revived league, which is owned by pro wrestling magnate Vince McMahon, plans to begin play in February 2020 with a 10-week regular season slate. The schedule for Washington’s as-yet unnamed team will likely overlap for at least a few weeks with D.C. United’s, meaning stadium officials will have to prep the field for both soccer and football. The news of Washington’s franchise was first reported Friday by The Athletic. The Washington XFL team is not expected to name a coach or announce a team nickname, logo or colors until early next year. It is not yet clear where the new franchise will be headquartered, or where it will practice. League offi-