There is a big debate going on about whether the NFL should or should not move to an 18 game schedule. The upside is more meaningful football. The downside is injuries are expected to rise and the season may soon extend to March. I think this is a great time to bring up my idea for an 17 game international schedule.
(1) The regular season is expanded from 16 to 17 games and the pre-season exhibition games are decreased from 4 games to 2 games (1 home game per team). The regular season is expanded from 17 weeks (with one bye) to 19 weeks (with two byes).
(2) Each NFL team is assigned one of four (or one of eight) home international markets. I would propose London, Berlin, Beijing, and Mexico City, but these could vary depending on interest.
(3) Each of the four international markets has a four game season over four weeks. These are staggered throughout the season with as little overlap as possible.
(4) Each team would play one ‘home’ game and one ‘away’ game every other season. The ‘away’ games would rotate so that every NFL team played in every international market at least once every six years. During that same six years, the team would play three ‘home’ games. Thus, the Arizona Cardinals 6 year schedule would be Mexico City, Berlin, Mexico City, Beijing, Mexico City, London.
(5) Every team playing an international game would have a bye after they played the international game. Every team would also have a second bye somewhere else in the season.
(6) All revenue from the international games would be split evenly amongst the teams, but teams would be able to keep any revenue from increased sales of merchandise.
(7) The NFL pre-season would begin around the same time. The NFL regular season would start one week earlier and end one week later. The week off between the Championship Games and the Superbowl would be eliminated (stupidest thing ever), and the Superbowl would be played the same week.
The reason I think this plan would work is because it increases meaningful football. It also increases the opportunity for the NFL to expand to other countries. By having ‘home’ teams, locals could invest in teams knowing that they would return every other year. International marketing could skyrocket, along with TV deals. The extra bye week, hopefully, would cut down on injuries.
