When Are NFL Schedules Made?
Contents
Wondering when NFL schedules are made? The answer may surprise you – find out when and how the NFL schedule is created.
Introduction
National Football League (NFL) teams release their regular season schedules every year in the spring. The NFL schedule is made up of 256 games, which are played over a 17-week period from September to December. The NFL schedule is typically released in mid-April, but the exact date varies from year to year.
The NFL schedule is made by the NFL’s scheduling department, which is led by Senior Vice President of Broadcasting and Scheduling Michael North. The department starts with a blank slate and then takes into account a number of different factors when creating the schedule.
Some of the factors that are considered when making the NFL schedule include:
-Team requests for bye weeks
-Home and away games
-Dates and times of games
-National television broadcasts
-Local television broadcasts
– Stadium availability
-Past schedules
How the NFL Schedule Is Made
The NFL schedule is released every year in the spring, typically in April or May. The schedule is made by the NFL’s schedule makers, who start with a blank slate and Fill in the games one by one. The NFL schedule is made using a number of different factors, including team strengths, divisional rivalries, and travel distances.
The Process Begins in Late December
Here is an overview of how the NFL schedule is made. The process begins in late December, when the NFL’s Schwartz and his staff sit down with a print-out of every team’s 16-game schedule from the just-completed regular season. For each game, they input data on factors such as which network it will be broadcast on, what time slot it falls into and whether it’s a home or away contest.
The NFL Uses a Computer to Help Create the Schedule
The National Football League schedule is made using a computer program that considers many factors including strength of opponents, location, and past performance in order to create the most balanced and attractive schedule possible.
The NFL has used a computer to help create its schedule since 1970, when the league switched from a 14-game schedule to a 16-game schedule. Before that, the NFL used a simple rotating system where each team played every other team in its conference twice and all teams from the other conference once.
Now, there are significantly more variables to consider when creating the schedule. In order to make sure that each team has an equal chance at winning the Super Bowl, the NFL tries to create a schedule that is as fair and balanced as possible. The goal is for each team to have about the same strength of opponent and the same chance of making the playoffs.
To do this, the NFL uses a computer program that take into account all of these factors and more when creating the schedule. The program starts with some simple assumptions, such as making sure that each team plays every other team in its conference twice. From there, it adjusts for things like location (teams in cold weather cities should not have too many early season games away from home) and past performance (good teams should not play too many good teams in a row).
After running through all of these different variables, the computer comes up with a list of potential schedules which are then evaluated by people in the NFL office. The final schedule is usually a compromise between what looks best on paper and what will actually be most entertaining for fans to watch.
The NFL Schedule Is Made With the Input of Team Owners
team owners vote on the NFL schedule once it is complete and the vote must be unanimous. The NFL schedule is made by a computer and then reviewed by the NFL’s Competition Committee, which is made up of team owners, general managers, coaches, and the league president. Once the Competition Committee approves the schedule, it is sent to the NFL’s Board of Directors for a vote. If the Board of Directors approves the schedule, it is then sent to the team owners for a vote. The
Conclusion
While the NFL season schedule is not released until mid-to-late April, the teams and the league have been working on it since late January/early February.
First, each team submits their requests for home and away games to the NFL office. These requests are due in early February and they are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to:
-stadium availability (both home and away)
-desired opponents
-previous season’s results (both home and away)
-restrictions imposed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
After all of the requests have been submitted, the NFL office reviews them and creates a preliminary schedule. This schedule is then sent to each team for feedback.
The teams have until mid-March to submit their feedback to the NFL office. Once all of the feedback has been received and considered, the NFL office creates the final schedule, which is typically released in mid-to-late April.