Report: Saints could end up playing Saturday games in 2020 season

AsylumGuido · 05-04-2020, 08:42 AM

Report: Saints could end up playing Saturday games in 2020 season

What if college football doesn’t get played in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus? That’s one question the NFL schedule-makers are pondering, and they might have an idea of how such a big change could shake up the pro game.

According to a report from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the NFL is considering whether it could move some of its games to Saturdays, typically reserved for college kickoffs. The Post report suggests as many as three games could be played on each Saturday, though obviously a lot needs to change between now and then.

As pointed out by the Post, the NFL is allowed a more flexible schedule than the NCAA because of it doesn’t have to worry about its players living and working on possibly-closed college campuses. It’s an advantage the league is prepared to exploit should the upcoming college football season be cancelled, which is no sure thing just yet.

But it is worth keeping an eye on. The NFL typically plays a few Saturday games each year in the closing weeks of the regular season, and during the playoffs. So the infrastructure is already in place should those time slots open up. However, the long-term implications of a year without college football are unclear — particularly in view of the 2021 NFL Draft, scheduled to open up in downtown Cleveland.

Don’t expect any concrete answers when the NFL releases its schedule ahead of its May 9 deadline. With the exception of prime-time games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday night, just about every contest on its 2020 slate of games should be considered flex-ready to a Saturday time slot.

05-04-2020, 08:42 AM	#1
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,573	Report: Saints could end up playing Saturday games in 2020 season Report: Saints could end up playing Saturday games in 2020 season What if college football doesn’t get played in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus? That’s one question the NFL schedule-makers are pondering, and they might have an idea of how such a big change could shake up the pro game. According to a report from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the NFL is considering whether it could move some of its games to Saturdays, typically reserved for college kickoffs. The Post report suggests as many as three games could be played on each Saturday, though obviously a lot needs to change between now and then. As pointed out by the Post, the NFL is allowed a more flexible schedule than the NCAA because of it doesn’t have to worry about its players living and working on possibly-closed college campuses. It’s an advantage the league is prepared to exploit should the upcoming college football season be cancelled, which is no sure thing just yet. But it is worth keeping an eye on. The NFL typically plays a few Saturday games each year in the closing weeks of the regular season, and during the playoffs. So the infrastructure is already in place should those time slots open up. However, the long-term implications of a year without college football are unclear — particularly in view of the 2021 NFL Draft, scheduled to open up in downtown Cleveland. Don’t expect any concrete answers when the NFL releases its schedule ahead of its May 9 deadline. With the exception of prime-time games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday night, just about every contest on its 2020 slate of games should be considered flex-ready to a Saturday time slot. jeanpierre likes this.
	“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill