How the NFL Schedule is Made
Contents
- How the NFL Schedule is Made
- How the “Optimizer” Works
- The location of the teams
- The time of day the game is played
- The day of the week the game is played
- The weather
- The TV networks that will broadcast the game
- How the “Optimizer” Makes the Schedule
- How the Final Schedule is Determined
- How the Schedule is Released to the Public
How the NFL Schedule is Made
How the NFL Schedule is Made
The NFL schedule is not made by a computer. It’s made by a person. In fact, it’s made by a team of people. This team is led by Howard Katz, the NFL’s vice president of broadcasting. The team starts with a blank slate and builds the schedule from the ground up.
The NFL Schedule is made by the NFL’s scheduling department.
The NFL schedule is made by the NFL’s scheduling department. The process begins in late January or early February, when the department receives the list of teams that will make up the league for the upcoming season.
The NFL uses a computer program to create the initial version of the schedule, which is then tweaked by hand to account for factors such as divisional play, divisional rivalries, and teams’ records from the previous season. After the schedule is finalized, it is released to the public in April.
The department is headed by Howard Katz.
The department is headed by Howard Katz. The NFL schedule is made through a computer program that takes into account, among other things, the location of teams, time zones, day of the week, Stadium availability, rivalries and previous meeting times. The computer program produces thousands of potential schedules, which are then whittled down by human beings who take into account television schedules and try to create the most attractive games.
The NFL schedule is made using a computer program called “the optimizer.”
The NFL schedule is made using a computer program called “the optimizer.” The program takes into account a number of factors when creating the schedule, including time zones, resting players, and weather.
The schedule is created months in advance, and then it is released to the public a few weeks before the season starts.
How the “Optimizer” Works
The NFL schedule is not made by hand. It’s made by a computer program called the Optimizer. The Optimizer takes into account many factors to create the most balanced schedule possible. Some of these factors include:
The “Optimizer” is a computer program that takes into account a number of factors when creating the NFL schedule.
The “Optimizer” is a computer program that takes into account a number of factors when creating the NFL schedule. These factors include:
-The location of teams
-The time of year
-The day of the week
-Television broadcast schedules
-The availability of stadium facilities
The “Optimizer” then creates a schedule that is fair for all teams and maximizes the number of games that can be broadcast on television.
Some of the factors the “Optimizer” takes into account are:
-The time zone of the team
-The general location of the team
-Whether or not the team is playing on a short week (4 days rest or less)
-The weather conditions at the game site
-The overall travel distance for the team
-Byes and divisional games
The location of the teams
The first thing that NFL schedule makers do is to decide which teams will play each other. They consider the location of the teams, so teams in the same division will play each other more often than teams in different divisions. They also try to create a schedule that is fair for all of the teams, so that every team has a chance to win.
After they have decided which teams will play each other, they start to fill in the dates and times for the games. They try to avoid having any team play more than two games in a row, and they also try not to have any team play on back-to-back weekends. They also try to create a schedule that allows all of the teams to have a bye week, or a week off from playing, at some point during the season.
The time of day the game is played
The time of day the game is played is also a big consideration in the scheduling process. The NFL wants to showcase its product on as many television networks as possible, and that means primetime games on both Sunday and Monday nights. But not every team can play in primetime every week, so the league tries to rotate those games fairly evenly among all the teams. That’s why you’ll see some teams playing night games two weeks in a row while others might not play a single night game all season.
The day of the week the game is played
The NFL schedule is made through a process that includes input from the 32 teams, television networks, and the league office. The goal is to create a schedule that is fair and balanced, and that maximizes the national exposure of the NFL’s marquee matchups.
The first step in the process is to determine which teams will play each other. This is done by considering factors such as division rivals, recent meetings, and geographical proximity. Once the matchups are determined, the league office works with the television networks to decide which games will be televised nationally on Sundays.
After the national television games are slated, the remaining games are filled out on a week-by-week basis. Factors such as bye weeks, stadium availability, and weather conditions are taken into account when making these decisions. The final step is to create a backup plan in case any of the games need to be rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances.
The weather
When it comes to game day, the weather is always a factor. While most stadiums these days are equipped with a retractable roof, there are still plenty of games that are played in the elements.
The NFL takes the weather into account when making the schedule. During the fall and winter months, games are typically scheduled for later in the day to avoid the coldest temperatures. And, during the spring and summer months, games are typically scheduled for earlier in the day to avoid the hottest temperatures.
Of course, the weather is never guaranteed. There have been plenty of cold games played in September and plenty of hot games played in December. But, overall, the NFL does try to take the weather into account when making the schedule.
The TV networks that will broadcast the game
The NFL schedule is determined by a number of factors, the most important of which is the television networks that will broadcast the game. Other factors include stadium availability, time of year, and day of the week.
The NFL has contracts with four main television networks – NBC, CBS, FOX, and ESPN – who each broadcast games on specific days and times. For example, NBC has the Sunday Night Football contract and airs games on Sunday nights at 8:00 PM ET. CBS and FOX share the Sunday afternoon contract, with each network airing games on specific days at 1:00 PM ET. ESPN airs Monday Night Football games at 8:00 PM ET.
In addition to these four main networks, the NFL also has contracts with a number of other television networks who air games on specific days and times. For example, NFL Network airs games on Thursday nights at 8:00 PM ET, and NBC Sports Network airs games on Saturday nights at 8:00 PM ET.
The NFL schedule is also influenced by stadium availability. The league prefers to play its marquee games – such as the Super Bowl – in warm-weather or domed stadiums, so those stadiums are typically given preference when it comes to choosing which teams will play in those game
How the “Optimizer” Makes the Schedule
The NFL schedule is not made by a person. It’s made by a computer program that takes into account many factors, such as time zones, rivalries, and past meetings.
The “Optimizer” starts with a blank slate and then tries to create the best schedule possible based on the factors mentioned above.
The “Optimizer” starts with a blank slate and then tries to create the best schedule possible based on the factors mentioned above. It does not know, for example, that the Raiders usually play poorly in cold weather, or that the Jets and Giants share a stadium. The “Optimizer” is also not aware of traditional rivalries (Raiders-Chiefs, Cowboys-Redskins) or of geographic proximity (Jets-Giants, Eagles-Steelers).
The “Optimizer” then looks at the results and makes adjustments based on feedback from the NFL’s scheduling department.
The “Optimizer” is then used to create the official NFL schedule, which is typically released in April.
The “Optimizer” looks at a number of factors when creating the schedule, including:
-Time zone differences
-Weather patterns
-Historical data
-TV ratings data
-Local events (e.g., baseball games, concerts, etc.)
The “Optimizer” then looks at the results and makes adjustments based on feedback from the NFL’s scheduling department. The goal is to create a schedule that is fair for all teams and provides the most exciting matchups for fans and TV viewers.
How the Final Schedule is Determined
Much like how the NFL Draft is done, the schedule is also made in advance. The final schedule is not released until late April, but the NFL already has a good idea of what it will look like. They use a computer program to help create the schedule.
The final schedule is determined by a vote of the NFL’s 32 team owners.
The final NFL schedule is determined by a vote of the league’s 32 team owners. The vote takes place at the Annual League Meeting, which is held in March.
The NFL schedule is made up of four different types of games:
-Preseason games
-Regular season games
-Postseason games
-Super Bowl
Preseason games are not televised nationally, and they do not count towards a team’s record. They are used to help coaches determine which players will make the final roster.
Regular season games are televised nationally, and they count towards a team’s record. These games are used to determine which teams will make the playoffs.
Postseason games are televised nationally, and they count towards a team’s record. These games are used to determine the winner of the Super Bowl.
The vote is usually a formality, as the schedule is usually approved unanimously.
The vote is usually a formality, as the schedule is usually approved unanimously. However, there are occasionally tweaks that need to be made based on requests from teams or the league office. For example, the NFL might decide to move a game from Sunday to Monday night if it expects bad weather on Sunday.
How the Schedule is Released to the Public
The NFL schedule is usually released to the public in the middle of April. It is made using a computer program that takes into account many different factors. The most important factor is making sure that each team has an equal chance of winning. Other factors include time zones, bye weeks, and primetime games.
The schedule is usually released to the public in April.
While the NFL schedule is typically released to the public in April, the process of creating the schedule actually begins months earlier. In fact, the NFL has a team of people – including schedule makers, statisticians and computers – working behind the scenes to create the 256-game regular season schedule.
The first step in creating the schedule is to determine which teams will play each other. This is based on a number of factors, including:
-Each team’s finish in their division the previous season
-Each team’s finish in their conference the previous season
-Which teams played each other the previous season
Once these factors have been taken into account, the schedule makers start working on creating a “master” schedule. This master schedule typically has each team playing 16 games against division opponents, four games against opponents in their own conference, and four games against opponents in other conferences.
From there, the master schedule is sent to NFL broadcast partners – NBC, CBS, FOX and ESPN – who then select which games they would like to air on their networks. The NFL then reviews these selections and makes any necessary changes before finally releasing the complete regular season schedule to the public.
The release of the schedule is often accompanied by a lot of fanfare, as fans eagerly await to see when their team will be playing.
The release of the NFL schedule is often accompanied by a lot of fanfare, as fans eagerly await to see when their team will be playing. But have you ever wondered how the schedule is made? Here’s a look at how it all comes together.
The NFL schedule is made up of 256 regular-season games, four preseason games for each team, and 14 postseason games. The regular season starts the week after Labor Day and ends the week after Christmas. Each team plays 16 regular-season games, with two bye weeks.
The first step in creating the schedule is to identify which teams will be playing each other. This is done by rotating opponents from year to year. For example, if Team A played Team B in 2016, then in 2017 Team A would play the team that Team B played in 2016.
Next, the NFL looks at potential conflicts with other events that might occur on any given weekend. For example, they might avoid scheduling a game in a city that is hosting a major concert or sporting event.
Once all of this has been taken into account, the NFL creates a master list of all the possible matchups and sends it to each team. Each team then submits their preferred list of opponents and dates to the NFL.
From there, the NFL works with each team to create the final schedule. They consider things like time zones, weather patterns, and fan interest when making their decisions. The goal is to create a schedule that is fair for all teams and maximizes viewership.