Chicago Bears legend Mike Ditka is back in football. Women’s football to be exact.
The Hall of Famer is the owner and chairman of the “X League,” which is born out of the old Lingerie Football League.
“It’s time to give women, and girls, the same opportunity to play the game that the men play,” Ditka said, in a video touting his involvement in the league.
The league will begin play in eight cities in April. The eight cities and team names include the Seattle Thunder, Los Angeles Black Storm, Austin Sound, Denver Rush, Chicago Blitz, Kansas City Force, Omaha Red Devils, and the Atlanta Empire. The 2021 schedule will be announced in October, the league said on its website.
League officials said they plan on expanding into 24 markets in the U.S. and also will have leagues in Europe, Australia, and South America.
The X League got its beginning 11 years ago as the Lingerie Football League. In 2013, it was rebranded as the Legends Football League, and last year, changed its name again to the X League.
“Now from an ownership and executive perspective, I want to provide women a high-profile platform to compete against the greatest female athletes in the world while creating a destination league for millions of girls to aspire to play in,” Ditka said in a statement.