NFL announces expansion of regular season to 17 games

The NFL implemented its first regular-season expansion since 1978 on Tuesday, adding a 17th contest to the 2021 season.

The league’s owners ratified the schedule expansion after months of speculation, ESPN reported.

Updated March 30, 2021, 4:14 p.m. EDT: Players agreed to the extra game as part of their 2020 collective bargaining agreement. The preseason will be reduced from four games to three as part of the CBA.

There will still be a bye week for each team. The season will begin on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, and end on Jan. 9, 2022, the NFL said in a news release. The Pro Bowl will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 6, 2022, and Super Bowl LVI will be played on Feb. 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

“This is a monumental moment in NFL history,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “The CBA with the players and the recently completed media agreements provide the foundation for us to enhance the quality of the NFL experience for our fans. And one of the benefits of each team playing 17 regular-season games is the ability for us to continue to grow our game around the world.”

Original report: According to a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the last time owners altered the schedule, the number of regular-season games increased from 14 to 16.

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Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis offered the following insights into what the proposed changes mean for the 2021 season:

• No extra bye week (17 games on 18 weekends)

• Week 1 (first regular season Sunday): Sept. 12, 2021 (week after Labor Day weekend)

• Week 18 (final regular season Sunday): Jan. 9, 2022

• Super Bowl Sunday: Feb. 13, 2022 (week before President’s Day weekend)

• Wild Card Weekend will have two games on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022; three games on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022; and one game on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022

According to CBS Sports, NFL owners voted in December on a “scheduling formula” for a 17-game season that creates an “interconference matchup” based on both “divisional standings” from the previous campaign and on a “rotating divisional basis” for the final regular-season contest.

For instance, the first-place team from the National Football Conference East could the first-place team from the American Football Conference East, with the other division teams following suit based on where they finished in 2020, the outlet reported.

The NFL’s complete 2021 season schedule is expected to be released in May.

Cox Media Group