“One of the pivotal components to the success of LAFC has been listening to our fans and listening to our supporters and that’s what I’m going to do with L.A.’s XFL team,” Karatz said Wednesday. “We want to work with them and give them a voice through the process to make sure they feel like this is their team and they’re part of the authentic growth of the team. We are creating a new team, a new league and a new fan experience for the L.A. market.”

Here is the official Press Release put out by the XFL

Stamford, Conn., March 21, 2019 – The XFL today announced that Heather Brooks Karatz, most recently the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Los Angeles Football Club and Banc of California Stadium, has been named President of the XFL football team in Los Angeles.

Karatz will be responsible for the team’s fan engagement and business operations, including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, marketing, content, communications, community relations, and the game day experience.

“Vince McMahon and I are thrilled that Heather is our first team president,” said Jeffrey Pollack, XFL President and Chief Operating Officer. “She knows Los Angeles inside out, played a key role in one of the most successful launch efforts in professional sports, and will help us build a fanbase and get it right.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to launch a team that is authentic to Los Angeles,” said Karatz. “The XFL’s mission is to put the fan above all and bring new thinking, not only to the game, but to how we engage fans and their families, connect with the community through a love for football, and manage every aspect of our operations. Starting from scratch means our perspective can be fresh and I can’t wait to get started creating a new team for the LA market and entire community.”

Before joining LAFC in January 2017, just as the team broke ground on the Banc of California Stadium, Karatz was the General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Relativity Sports where she represented more than 300 professional athletes across the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball. She also worked as an attorney for the National Hockey League and as a law clerk for the NFL Management Council. Karatz began her legal career as a labor and employment attorney at Hunton & Williams, LLP (now known as Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP).

Karatz earned her law degree at UCLA and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish.

She lives in West Hollywood with her three-year-old twins and husband Teddy Karatz.

The Los Angeles XFL team will first take the field in February 2020 for its inaugural season and will play its home games at Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly StubHub Center) in Carson, California.