When Is Opening Day For The Nfl?
Contents
Wondering when the NFL season will start? Check out our blog post for the answer to this question and more!
Introduction
Opening Day for the National Football League (NFL) is the day on which the regular season begins. All teams in the league play their first game of the season on this day. It is usually the Thursday following Labor Day, which is the first Monday in September.
What is 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 wealthiest professional sport league by revenue, and the sport league with the most valuable teams. The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) 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 agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, creating a 26-team league with two conferences: an AFC made up of 14 former AFL teams and an NFC made up of 16 pre-merger NFL clubs. This growth continued with additional expansion for each following decade until reaching its current size of 32 teams in 2002. The merger created a unified set of rules by which both leagues have played since 1970. Today, more than half a million players have competed in NFL history.
What is the NFL’s opening day?
The NFL’s opening day is typically the Thursday following the Labor Day holiday. However, the date can vary depending on the location of the teams playing. For example, in 2020, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins will open the season on September 10th, while most other teams will begin play on September 11th.
How has the NFL’s opening day changed over the years?
The National Football League’s (NFL) regular season usually begins the week after Labor Day, in September. However, due to COVID-19, the 2020 NFL season will begin on Thursday, September 10.
The NFL’s opening day has changed several times over the years. The most recent change was in 2002, when the league expanded from 31 to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. As a result, opening day was moved from its traditional Sunday to a Thursday, in order to allow for a full 17-week season and 10 months of play. Prior to 2002, NFL opening day was always held on a Sunday.
What is the NFL’s opening day schedule for this year?
The National Football League (NFL) schedule for the 2019 season was released on Wednesday, April 17. The NFL’s 100th season will kick off on Thursday, September 5, with the Green Bay Packers hosting the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, and will conclude with Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday, February 2.
In between, there will be 256 regular-season games and 11 weeks of playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl. The regular season will conclude on December 29, with all 16 divisional games taking place that day.
Here is the full schedule for the 2019 NFL season:
Preseason (All times Eastern)
Week 1: August 8-12
Week 2: August 15-19
Week 3: August 22-26
Week 4: August 29-September 2
Regular Season (All times Eastern)
**Note:** The Week 5 game between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, originally scheduled for October 6 in South Florida, has been moved to October 27 due to the prospect of Hurricane Dorian affecting the area. The game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Week 1: September 5-9
Kickoff Game: Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears (Thursday, September 5 at 8:20 p.m.)
Week 2: September 12-16
Week 3: September 19-23
Week 4: September 26-30
Week 5: October 3-7 **(see note above)**
Week 6: October 10-14
Week 7: October 17-21
Week 8: October 24-28
Week 9: October 31-November 4
Week 10: November 7-11
Bye Weeks: November 18-22 (Thanksgiving weekend)
Week 11: December 2 & 5 (Monday & Thursday night games) & December 1 & 8
progress into their Holiday season as people celebrate Thanksgiving and Advent around this time of year. This gives rise to some unique traditions including Black Friday sales and Christmas markets which are popular among residents and tourists alike. For football fans, this time of year also brings about another tradition…the start of the NFL playoffs!
How can I watch the NFL’s opening day games?
There are a number of ways to watch the NFL’s opening day games. The most popular way is to purchase a ticket to the game. However, if you cannot make it to the game, there are a number of ways to watch the game from home.
One way to watch the game is through a live stream. A number of websites, including NFL.com, offer live streams of NFL games. These live streams are available to anyone with an internet connection and can be watched on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Another way to watch the game is through a television provider that offers NFL Network. NFL Network is a 24-hour channel devoted to football that offers live coverage of some NFL games, as well as highlights, analysis and more. To watch NFL Network, you will need to sign up for a subscription with a cable or satellite television provider.
Finally, if you have an antenna, you may be able to pick up your local CBS or FOX affiliate, which will be broadcasting some of the opening day games.
Conclusion
The regular season usually begins the week after Labor Day, but sometimes it starts the week before. The earliest Opening Day in NFL history was September 7, 2001, while the latest was September 13, 2010.
