The NFL still plans to release a full 2020 season schedule by May 9, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter). After that, the league will adjust the schedule and the length of the season, if necessary.
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Meanwhile, the NFL is still weighing its options and potential contingencies. As one source explained to Mark Maske of The Washington Post (Twitter links), the league might have to move games in order to avoid coronavirus hotspot areas with restrictions.
“I would assume that’s something you’re going to have to look at. There’s no way of knowing which states will be open and which won’t,” the official said to Maske, adding that the contingencies have not yet been presented to teams. “There’s no question we’re going to have to think it through and put different scenarios to the owners.”
At the top level, the league is considering the possibility of fewer games, with zero fans in attendance. The NFL has not shortened a season since 1987, when the players’ strike took one game off of the schedule. If the season has to be shortened due to the pandemic, we could see a much larger reduction in games played.
“There’s no way of knowing which states will be open and which won’t.”
Well if the plan is to have no fans in attendance, you don’t even need to hold games within the country. Find some isolated island in the ocean, build several playing fields and have teams fly there for games.
Uhhhhh thats not very efficient
It’s far from being an ideal option but it would allow the NFL to clear a few of many hurdles that stand in their way.
Apparently pot dispensers are considered essential.
Like liquor stores, for medicinal purposes.
I’m a 2nd Amendment guy myself, but gun shops? That’s the one I question.
does it include September? because if it does might want to get the secondary schedule started
One thing on the schedule is certain. The Giants will play their opening game against Dallas, in Dallas. Been that way for 7 out of last 8 years. Come on NFL change it up a little!
Division game scheduling would have to be such that you wouldn’t cancel games resulting in only 1 contest. This could point to division games being pushed out of September. Inter-conference games could be littered throughout September to compensate.
Or they could dispense with the division titles altogether, like they did after the nine-game, strike-shortened 1982 season, and just have the six or seven winningest teams in each conference make the playoffs.
My guess is that Plan A will be to just start lopping games off the start of the regularly scheduled season and keep going until they can finally start the season. Plan B might be to postpone a shortened 12-game season to the late-winter/early-spring, say, January-March, with the Super Bowl scheduled for Sunday, April 25 or May 2, 2021.