DENVER — Chicago pro football legend Mike Ditka is lending his name to a professional women's tackle football league that has its roots in the old Lingerie Football League.
Ditka is the owner and chairman of the rebranded "X League," which said in a statement that it will begin play in eight cities next 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.
>>> Watch the video above for a 2019 story about a women's tackle football league in Colorado.
"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.
League officials said they plan on expanding into 24 markets in the U.S. and also will expand with leagues in Europe, Australia, and South America.
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