One of the major offseason events is unveiling the NFL football schedule. Fans can start making their football predictions as the match list is released four months before the actual Super Bowl. The 272-game schedule takes into account the fans, the broadcast partners, and many other things while it is being prepared. A computer formula makes sure that each team plays the other 31 at least once during a period of four years.

When is the NFL schedule released

The NFL (National Football League) reveals its entire football schedule in the spring. The opponents for the following year are known as soon as the regular season concludes in January and the new season begins until September. Before the announcement of the complete schedule, the league also released several fixtures, including contests that are a part of the International Series.

How is it divided

The 2022 schedule will kick off on September 8, when the defending Champion Los Angeles Rams take on the Buffalo Bills. The schedules for each squad are listed below. Each team will play a total of 17 matches against opponents from the two conferences and the four divisions.

Six matches against teams from the same division. These consist of two games against each team, one at home and the other one away.

Four contests with opponents from one conference. Here, every team has to play two home games and two away games.

Four games against teams from the other conference. This will be against teams from one division. There will be two home games and two away contests. This fixture rotates each season among the two conferences’ four divisions. Each team plays twice against each other.

Two games within the conference. These matches will be against groups from the last two divisions. They involve one home and one away game. Teams that finished in the same place in their respective division in the previous season will face off in matches based on division rankings.

One match with a non-conference opponent from a division that the team is not scheduled to play in. The clubs that finished in the same position in their respective divisions will face off in the matchup based on division rankings from the previous season.

Every season, conferences alternate between home and away games. When the NFL switched from a 16-game to a 17-game season in 2021, this game was added to the football schedule. Either eight regular-season games and two preseason games, or nine regular-season games and one preseason game are hosted by each team.

Factors that are considered while making a football schedule

The schedule planners aim to place the finest matchups during the best times. Premier games are frequently played late on Sunday, while primetime games are held on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

Bye weeks are another factor. In addition to determining where each team’s bye week will fall between Weeks 6 and 14, the schedule designers have to aim to minimize the number of times a team plays a rival after its bye.

Travel is also taken into consideration. Though there are times when teams end up playing three straight away games, the schedule makers try to avoid assigning a club more than two straight away games at any point in the season. Additionally, they make an effort to prevent clubs from having to travel the following week after playing an away game on a Monday night.

They must also be conscious of any scheduling difficulties. The league starts asking teams in January about activities that can pose logistical challenges, such as concerts at the stadium or other sporting events at close-by venues.

Who makes the NFL schedule

Six NFL executives put together the NFL football schedule. Howard Katz, senior vice president of broadcasting; and Blake Jones, director of broadcasting, are joined by other executives to prepare the schedule. Charlotte Carey, Michael North, and Onnie Bose, vice presidents of broadcasting, along with broadcasting manager Nick Cooney all help in preparing the league matches.

Thanks to technology, schedule makers also receive assistance. It is up to the schedule creators to choose the best one from among the thousands of potential football schedules generated by thousands of computers.

What you should know about flex scheduling

The NFL introduced something called “flexible scheduling” in 2006. This method makes sure that there will be a primetime match on Sunday night. For the 2022 season, flex scheduling can be used twice between Weeks 5-10, Weeks 11-15, and Week 17. Games may be shifted because of things like bad weather or other emergency situations.

Even after many hours of looking at computer-generated schedules, choosing the best one might be very difficult. There are possibilities that a particular team may be treated unfairly or may feel they are slighted. The executives responsible for making these crucial judgments will ultimately have to choose the football schedule they believe features the most exciting and enjoyable matches.