NFL considering moving the start of the season back to October 15th

[T0mShane]

Super Bowl at the end of February. Still hope to get 17 weeks in 

 

NFL considering major schedule changes to 2020 season

By Mark Fischer

April 27, 2020 | 8:00pm

The NFL might be ready to admit this coming season could be as unprecedented as the virtual draft that concluded Saturday.

Schedule-makers are in the process of designing several versions of the 2020 slate, some of which include a Super Bowl on Feb. 28, the regular season starting as late as Thursday, Oct. 15 and a season without bye weeks or a Pro Bowl, according to Sports Business Daily.

It marks a striking, but also unsurprising about-face in the league’s thinking since the end of March, when NFL executive vice president and general counsel Jeff Pash said he was “planning on having a full season,” and “in the same way” as previous years. Since then commissioner Roger Goodell has said the league is prepared to make changes as the coronavirus pandemic has left many professional leagues around the world, including the NFL, with uncertain futures.

The schedules are expected to be released early next month and include the standard 16-game, 17-week slate but will allow for flexibility, if necessary.

One version would delay the season’s start by up to five weeks while pushing back the Super Bowl, currently scheduled for Feb. 7, 2021 in Tampa, by as many as three weeks.

Two weeks of early-season games could be moved to the back of the season, while a third week would feature two opponents with the same bye weeks. That would eliminate each team’s one bye week.

The Jets line up against the Giants last season. This season could look entirely different.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

It’s unclear whether these ideas have been discussed with the players union. The two sides recently ratified a new collective bargaining agreement through the 2030 season.

Another change would include getting rid of the frivolous Pro Bowl, which takes place the weekend between the conference championships and the Super Bowl.

The league recently announced it would officially expand its playoffs to include 14 teams, two wild-cards for each conference beginning this postseason.

Not mentioned in the report is whether the preseason or five scheduled international games still would be played under any of these scenarios.

The NFL usually begins its regular season the weekend following Labor Day, which means this season’s openers would have fallen on Sept. 10 with the regular season ending Jan. 3.

An announcement from the league next month isn’t guaranteed, according to Sports Business Daily, because the league is worried about the backlash it could face for announcing return plans with so many unknowns — even as states have begun to loosen social distancing restrictions.

Team facilities have remained closed, but over the past two weeks teams have begun a virtual offseason program, which the league says includes classroom instruction, workouts and non-football education programs.

This past weekend, the NFL held a largely successful virtual draft that pleased sports fans desperate for entertainment.

[Larz]

That’s something at least but outdoor playoff games in February?  Late January?

they need to figure out ways to workout and get coaching in person too 

cant have one 3 week camp and go 

[Jetlife33]

I’m all for 16 games being played one way or another 

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

Beauty of football. You can play any time of year. Fine by me. 

[Philc1]

Supposedly a company based out of the UK has a vaccine that will be ready by September.  That’s why they want to move the start of the season

[Phillyjet]

They are hoping for a vaccine.  There are likely to be at least 2 vaccines available in fall, probably for high risk people first.  Bank on it.

[Spoot-Face]

Moving the start date back to October 15th puts it just in time for the start of a potential 2nd wave of covid-19. Unless they've got a contingency plan in place for that (i.e, empty stadiums, regular testing/quarantining of all players/coaches, a reduction of non-essential personnel, all games taking place in a designated area) then the league is at risk of having to be shutdown, anyway.

Prepare yourselves for no football in 2020, people.

[BigRy56]

That would make sense

[GreenFish]

Going to have to push back the draft process. The Jets are going to be at a disadvantage preparing to play in the Super Bowl while also covering the scouting combine. 1st Team problems I guess.

[Spoot-Face]

3 minutes ago, Philc1 said:

Supposedly a company based out of the UK has a vaccine that will be ready by September.  That’s why they want to move the start of the season

Link?

Because that's WAY under any projection for a vaccine I heard before. I mean, hey, I'm all for it, but that sounds HIGHLY optimistic, atp.

[southtown24th]

fascinating to see how this all unfolds

[southtown24th]

9 minutes ago, Samtorobby47 said:

Beauty of football. You can play any time of year. Fine by me. 

same

[T0mShane]

2 minutes ago, Spoot-Face said:

Moving the start date back to October 15th puts it just in time for the start of a potential 2nd wave of covid-19. Unless they've got a contingency plan in place for that (i.e, empty stadiums, regular testing/quarantining of all players/coaches, a reduction of non-essential personnel, all games taking place in a designated area) then the league is at risk of having to be shutdown, anyway.

Prepare yourselves for no football in 2020, people.

I’d guess it’ll end up being a ten game season played in front of limited capacity crowds, November through February. 

[New York Mick]

Most of the league plays in warmer weather or indoors so the dates won’t matter. 

[Ecuadorian Jet]

No bye week, no Pro Bowl, No MNF, no TNF, all games on Sunday: 1pm, 4pm, and one 7pm. 

While you are at it, reward winners in the draft, no more tanking seasons, no more fans saying stupid sh*t like "meaningless win"

[Spoot-Face]

12 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

I’d guess it’ll end up being a ten game season played in front of limited capacity crowds, November through February. 

As long as they're smart about it and have a comprehensive plan in place to keep everyone safe and limit exposure/transmission. While I would love to see some football this season (especially since I'm kinda excited after this draft) I'm firmly in the "better safe than sorry" crowd.

[Grandy]

The players are NOT going to accept no bye week, as they shouldn't.

[JoJoTownsell1]

I don't think this is news.

Every league is considering many options on how to start or restart their seasons.

It would be more newsworthy to find if the NFL was planning to start on time regardless of how this pandemic plays out.

[batman10023]

28 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

I’d guess it’ll end up being a ten game season played in front of limited capacity crowds, November through February. 

Psl gold

[JohnnyLV]

I see no reasonable way the NFL can be played with fans, but I think it completely reasonable to manage it without. 

[The Crimson King]

To get in the whole schedule in a shorter time frame they should do what baseball is considering, Play double headers

[Philc1]

47 minutes ago, Phillyjet said:

They are hoping for a vaccine.  There are likely to be at least 2 vaccines available in fall, probably for high income people first.  Bank on it.

Fixed

[Greg555]

Hopefully a vaccine will be available by this time next year... but that may be a bit too optimistic.

im a afraid an expected second wave will wipe out the ‘20 season

but the 2021 football season should be a normal one...given its 16-17 months away

[LionelRichie]

59 minutes ago, Phillyjet said:

They are hoping for a vaccine.  There are likely to be at least 2 vaccines available in fall, probably for high risk people first.  Bank on it.

SARS has been around since the early 2000's, MERS since ~'09 - no vaccine for either disease.   We stopped everything in the US for the last 6 weeks which was a huge mistake and now that the data is coming in it's time to stop with the fear mongering and react to the data.   There is literally no reason to delay the NFL season.   The 'at-risk' population (over 65, obese, immune comprimised) shouldn't go to games.   Everyone else - wash your hands, stay home if you're sick.   

[Jet hustle]

1 hour ago, Philc1 said:

Supposedly a company based out of the UK has a vaccine that will be ready by September.  That’s why they want to move the start of the season

Where the hell did you read this?  Most reports ive heard are protecting 12 to 18 months minimum

[Jet hustle]

2 minutes ago, LionelRichie said:

SARS has been around since the early 2000's, MERS since ~'09 - no vaccine for either disease.   We stopped everything in the US for the last 6 weeks which was a huge mistake and now that the data is coming in it's time to stop with the fear mongering and react to the data.   There is literally no reason to delay the NFL season.   The 'at-risk' population (over 65, obese, immune comprimised) shouldn't go to games.   Everyone else - wash your hands, stay home if you're sick.   

Is this the mayor of Las Vegas?

[Matthew007b]

I wonder if the league could play in front of empty stadiums.. ? Not ideal.. I know but.. yeah I'm worried this season is lost.. ?

[DetroitRed]

Zero chance there is no football season.   Way too much TV money. If even one governor gives the OK, the league will move every game there

[LionelRichie]

43 minutes ago, Spoot-Face said:

As long as they're smart about it and have a comprehensive plan in place to keep everyone safe and limit exposure/transmission. While I would love to see some football this season (especially since I'm kinda excited after this draft) I'm firmly in the "better safe than sorry" crowd.

this is so wrong on every level.   the players risk of complications from COVID-19 is virtually non-existent.   that is what the DATA says, not the fear mongering media.   no underlying conditions, 18-45 years old mortality rate is .01% which is 1 out of 10,000.   

The best thing for the country would be to start college football early, develop more herd immunity in the younger population, and then get on with life.   The worst mistake for the country was cancelling college.   

[GreenReaper]

1 hour ago, Grandy said:

The players are NOT going to accept no bye week, as they shouldn't.

A full season and no bye week is going to lead to an outbreak of major injuries.  

This is not only unfair to the players...but fans too.  

Maybe shortening the season to 14 games should also be considered.

[DetroitRed]

3 minutes ago, LionelRichie said:

this is so wrong on every level.   the players risk of complications from COVID-19 is virtually non-existent.   that is what the DATA says, not the fear mongering media.   no underlying conditions, 18-45 years old mortality rate is .01% which is 1 out of 10,000.   

The best thing for the country would be to start college football early, develop more herd immunity in the younger population, and then get on with life.   The worst mistake for the country was cancelling college.   

People don't like these facts

[LionelRichie]

6 minutes ago, Jet hustle said:

Is this the mayor of Las Vegas?

look at the data.   now that the initial models are being replaced by actual data the numbers are .01% or 1 out of 10000 mortality rate for 18-45 w/o underlying conditions.   Those #'s are from NYC.   Death rate under 18 is 0 out of 100,000 - much less than flu or probably even playing on the playground.   In New York State, 99.2% of deaths had an underlying illness.   This is data not fear.    Wake the f up.   

[T0mShane]

7 minutes ago, DetroitRed said:

People don't like these facts

 

7 minutes ago, LionelRichie said:

look at the data.   now that the initial models are being replaced by actual data the numbers are .01% or 1 out of 10000 mortality rate for 18-45 w/o underlying conditions.   Those #'s are from NYC.   Death rate under 18 is 0 out of 100,000 - much less than flu or probably even playing on the playground.   In New York State, 99.2% of deaths had an underlying illness.   This is data not fear.    Wake the f up.   

Soooooo, it’s your guys’ position that we should have sacrificed two million people over the age of 45 so you could watch Wake Forest vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff? 

[DetroitRed]

Just now, T0mShane said:

 

Soooooo, it’s your guys’ position that we should have sacrificed two million people over the age of 45 so you could watch Wake Forest vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff? 

Yes, that's exactly what I said.  And get back to me when world loses 300k, before we put the US alone , at 2 mil

[T0mShane]

1 minute ago, DetroitRed said:

Yes, that's exactly what I said.  And get back to me when world loses 300k, before we put the US alone , at 2 mil

Did you pick 300k because a wee 200k have died already?