Maruo, a veteran of both the X League and the Canadian Football League, leaves Panasonic with one of the most accomplished resumes in Japanese American football. He has been a perennial championship contributor in both countries, routinely competing deep into the postseason and playing key roles on title-contending teams.
Per our own John Gunning's reporting for the Japan Times, and the X League website, X League Chairman Ken Namikawa, has announced that its new top-tier competition, the X Premier League, will officially kick off on May 3, 2026, with the opening day ceremonies and competition scheduled for the Tokyo Dome. The confirmation came during a January 3 press conference at the same historic baseball venue, prior to the kickoff of the Rice Bowl.
Though the concept of the X-Premier was unveiled last August, this announcement marks the first full outline of how the new season will take shape. The league will begin play in early May and continue through early July, after which the league will take a two-month summer break (the heat is unbearable during that time of the year). The games then resume around late August or early September to complete the regular season. In this inaugural season of X Premiere, 11 teams will compete, with each slated to play 10 games. Additional details, including the opening day matchup, will be released at a later date.
