Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia Announce XFL Will Return in 2022: 'No One Will Outwork Us'

Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia are preparing for a 2022 return of the XFL, the two co-owners said on Thursday.

The announcement comes eight weeks after Johnson, 48, and Garcia — former spouses turned business partners — acquired the league's rights in a $15 million deal with investment firm RedBird Capital. The XFL closed its doors in April and did not complete its inaugural season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"As owners, we’re proud to champion our XFL players, coaches, cities and fans into an electrifying 2022 season!” Johnson said on Twitter Thursday morning. “It’s an uphill battle — but we’re hungry, humble and no one will outwork us. A league of culture, passion & purpose.”

Garcia added: "No one will outwork us. #XFL is back on the field in 2022."

The duo included a hype video for fans that included footage from a collection of games that were played this year.

“The XFL represents the idea of ultimate opportunity; it’s a league of soul and culture, anchored by the pursuit of dreams and love for the game, that we couldn’t be more proud to lead,” Garcia and Johnson said in a joint statement to PEOPLE.

“Every XFL player, coach, city and fan is our top priority and we couldn’t be more excited to champion them in an electrifying 2022 season," they added. "We are the new XFL—hungry, humble and no one will outwork us.”

Jeffrey Pollack, the XFL's president and COO, said safety amid the pandemic was a contributing factor in their decision for a 2022 return date.

“For the love of football and for the safety of our players and fans, we’ll be back on the field in 2022,” he said in a statement to PEOPLE. “The opportunity in front of us, with our new ownership, is simply too big to rush back."

"We want to do this properly with care and thought for everyone who loves football, especially our players, coaches, partners and fans." he continued.

When the last season of the XFL kicked off in February, it was WWE chairman Vince McMahon's second attempt at getting the league off the ground after its original iteration lasted a single season in 2001.

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In August, Garcia told PEOPLE that she and Johnson want to make their XFL into a "24/7" experience.

"You will see more content coming out around the league. The league for us needs to be an experience that's 365 days, 24/7," Garcia explained. "The live portion of the XFL is during the spring, but there's so much to talk about throughout the year."

"I have a production company, so making sure that content is there, and sharing that with the audience is going to be a big part of our work as well," she added. "Eventually, there's team expansion. That's got to happen."