When Is Opening Day For The NFL?
It’s almost time for football season! Get pumped for opening day with our guide to the NFL schedule. Plus, find out when your favorite team is playing.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. NFL opening day is the first day of the NFL regular season. The regular season begins on the Thursday night after Labor Day and ends on New Year’s Day. NFL opening day for the 2020 season is Thursday, September 10th.
History of the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from late September to early January, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.
The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL considered itself a trade association until it filed for nonprofit status in 1975. The league has maintained nonprofit status since then, but for tax purposes it is organized as a 501(c)(6), meaning it receives a tax exemption for investing its revenue in furthering its goals.
When is Opening Day?
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world.
The regular season begins on the weekend following Labor Day and ends in early January. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Since 2007, the NFL schedule generally has games in one of five time slots during each week: Thursday night (since 2006), Sunday afternoon (doubleheader since 2011), Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and the occasional Saturday night game.
What Happens on Opening Day?
On Opening Day, each NFL team plays a game against a different team in their conference. In total, there are 16 Opening Day games. The first game of the day is usually between the defending Super Bowl champions and another team in their conference. The remaining 15 games are played between various teams in the NFC and AFC conferences.
Opening Day usually falls on the Thursday following Labor Day. This year, Opening Day will be on Thursday, September 10th. The regular season will end on December 30th, and the playoffs will begin on January 9th, 2016.
Conclusion
The NFL regular season typically starts the week after Labor Day. The earliest possible start date for the season is September 7. The latest possible start date is September 13.
