NFL: 17 Game Regular Season | KC Rohn's Blog

08:24 PM ET 08.06 |

The Current Season Is Unfair

As you know, there are a couple of teams each year that play 5 preseason games. Most if NFL coaches would welcome to have extra preseason games. This gives the coaches extra time to evaluate and develop players for the regular season. By having two teams play 5 preseason games is unfair to the other 30 teams.

The NFL also have a regular season game that is played on a neutral site; overseas. This year the Broncos play the 49ers in London. This forces the 49ers to give up a home game to play in London. The other 31 teams, including the Broncos, still have all 8 of home game. This is unfair to the 49ers and to the NFL fans in San Francisco.

A Fair Season

I propose that the NFL should have a 17 game regular season; not 18 or the current 16. It will make the schedule fair for all 32 teams and it will help the NFL market its product. The teams will play the 17^th game on a neutral site. Each team will play 8 home games, 8 away games, and 1 game played on a neutral site. This will eliminate the need for the NFL to have 2 teams play 5 preseason games, while the other 30 teams only gets 4 preseason games. The 5^th preseason game is played on neutral site. It will also eliminate a team giving up a home regular season just to play a game over seas.

A Marketing Tool

Having each team play 1 game at a neutral site gives the NFL 16 games that cities around the world bid and compete for. The same way that the NCAA has cities bid and compete to host their Bowl games, conference championship, basketball tournaments, etc. Under this schedule, the NFL could award the city of Los Angeles 4 to 6 games. LA could feel like it is a NFL city without a NFL team. The current NFL cities could also compete to host these neutral site games also. NFL fans in cities that consistently sellout their home 8 home games will come out to see a NFL game, even if it is not their home team.

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