The NFL has stood at 32 teams since the Texans’ 2002 entrance. That expansion effort realigned the divisions and schedule, and the league has expressed satisfaction with the symmetry created. No expansion is likely in the near future, but how the league next expands will eventually become a more important topic.
If the NFL is to balloon beyond 32 teams, SI.com’s Albert Breer believes a foreign market would come before another American city lands a team. Rumors of a London team have dissipated over the past several years, though Roger Goodell has continued to pay lip service to what would be a historic (and challenging) development. More of that emerged Monday, with the veteran commissioner’s wording bringing this situation back into play.
The subject of an overseas Super Bowl surfaced months ago, as Goodell suggested such a move was possible. When asked about it today, Goodell said no overseas Super Bowl will be considered while the league is still a USA-only operation. However, Goodell added (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones) that it would be on the table “if and when” the NFL places a team in a foreign country.
Logistical issues have loomed as a deterrent for a full-time team in London, but the NFL has both more international inroads and changed its calendar despite these in recent years. An anonymous owner also described a future in which an international division emerges as probable, though we still appear a long way off.
The 2021 season introduced a Monday-night wild-card game, and this season — after the 2020 and ’21 seasons brought COVID-19-driven reschedulings to provide a roadmap of sorts — debuted Wednesday games. The NFL is also aiming for play eight international games in 2025, with Spain guaranteed a game. Australia is also on-deck here. While London would make more sense as a franchise location, the NFL has done plenty to indicate it is serious about continuing to grow the game beyond U.S. borders.
Additional expansion would create issues regarding schedule balance, and unless the league would want a repeat of the strange setup it concocted when it added only Browns 2.0 in 1999, more than one team would need to be added in an expansion scenario. When the NFL awarded Cleveland its current franchise, an odd team count existed from 1999-2001. The 31-team period meant every week required at least one team to be on a bye. This introduced the strange setups in which Week 1 was a bye for a team and so on.
The Texans’ debut solved that issue, and the NFL navigated the extra regular-season game by alternating seasons in terms of which conference holds the extra home game. Within the near future, a plan for 16 international games — something Goodell reiterated today — could cover the conference tasked with playing nine road contests that year. While the league remains a ways off from playing this many overseas games in a season, Goodell continuing to bring up placing a team in a foreign market effectively entrenches this matter on the back burner once again.
Logistically, you cannot place a team outside of North America. Europe would be the most likely place, and it creates a slew of problems. The impact on players would be absolutely enormous. The franchise would be at a competitive disadvantage in free agency. Also, what happens when Seattle has to play the London Jaguars? You can’t stick with the traditional start times.
They need to just have a week or 2 of the pre season be international. Do they really care if starters are out there? The starters can do meet and greets but I don’t think they need to play.
Wouldn’t they have to change the name to IFL (International Football League)?
Idiotic Football League would seem more appropriate.
The Super Bowl should never be on foreign soil. Ever.
Good cuz this is Amerrrica
I’d impose a 20% tariff on Europe for even suggesting this.
Infact, 25% tariff if they don’t hold the European Football League (ELF) Championship in America this year.
The Rhein Fire and the Paris Musketeers are coming to New York, New York Baby !
What time would the Goodell Dumpster Fire Play the Game?
Or just remake NFL Europe league, watch it fail. If it can sustain self for 10 yes by being profitable then maybe just maybe you can think overseas SB.
No actual NFL team should be based overseas.
They can just have that Flag Football league be international. Zero interest in watching that.
The way I see it, the only realistic option is Canada. I get the CFL exists, but I think Canadian fans would probably be amenable to a bump in quality. Toronto and one other team, maybe Vancouver, Calgary, or Edmonton.
Toronto is out, too close to Buffalo. Vancouver is out, too close to Seattle.
Agree. Even though the NFL doesn’t count Toronto and Vancouver in their “official” market totals, the border crossings on game days tell a much different story.
Why should Goodell limit his delusional thinking to an International SB? Award Elon Musk a franchise and have players transported by Space X to games throughout the solar system. I understand there may already be a fanbase for the Titans on a planet in Saturn’s orbit 🙂
@crosseyedlemon lmao
How much money is too much money smh
Nobody noticed Goodell weaseling when he was asked about the New Orleans Saints assisting with damage control for the scandal-ridden Archdiocese of New Orleans. [Subject of a lengthy story jointly released by WWL Louisiana and The Guardian.]