NFL becoming a winter league? Schedules change later and later each decade

If you follow the NFL long enough, you start to see pattern change, if not repeat themselves. In 1977 the NFL was still a run first league, until the rule changes in 1978 allowed for Pass Interference, and the age of the QB was born. Joe Montana, Dan Marino, John Elway all came about at a time the NFL was changing into a passing league..but yet again in the 2010’s we have a new wave of rules pushing forward the passing game.

Also in 1978, the NFL chopped 2 games off its preseason menu of 6 games with 14 regular season games and went to the current 4 Preseason games and a 16 game schedule. Ever wonder why a 1,000 yard season is still such a big deal even though just about every back gets them? For decades it was the milestone because you have 14 games, or less if you go farther back. Now the NFL wants to go to 18 games…

But a really interesting trend in the NFL over the last few decades is the slow move to football deeper in the year. For the first time in history, we’ve been watching SuperBowls….in February! And its not the addition of more playoff teams, or more playoff games, but the fact that they are just played later in the year.

Back in the inaugural season of the Bucs, the first preseason game was played July 31st, 1976. Fast Forward to 2015 and the Bucs do not even start CAMP until August the 1st. The whole process has moved forward about one month over the last 30 or so years, like I said, enough to where if you’ve been a fan of the NFL for some time, you can see the pattern.

The Bucs don’t start preseason games until the middle of August, with a start of the regular season during the middle of September. Is the NFL trying to move deeper into the winter?

One of the pluses for a later start can be found right here in Tampa Bay. The Bucs were not allowed to schedule games at 1pm the first two weeks of the regular season back in the day. The early seasons in Bucs history in the late 70s and early 80s, Tampa Bay played the first week or two at night time on a Saturday night, and the game was only available on a local network (which is why a lot of those games are not available for collecting). Tampa Bay opened the 1978 season with two home games on Saturday Night, opened the 1979 season at home vs Detroit on a Saturday night too. Same with 1981 opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Over time those opening games went from Sept 1 to Sept 7th or 8th. Now its September 13th. Will we see an NFL starting even later? Its Doubtful as the College season still starts at the same time, but those are predicated on NCAA rules. Now that we will have Super-Conferences, will they change the way College Football goes up against the nfl?

For most of the history of the SuperBowl it was played around Jan.19th-21st. Now its in early February, and yet still the NFL schedules Cold Weather Super Bowls in cities with new stadiums.

The NFL will always evolve, its why it has endured and thrived over the decades. The rules will change, even the days or times may alter, but the NFL adapts and fans adapt with it. One day we will look back and laugh at the day the NFL kickers lined up at the 2 yard like for extra points instead of the 50!!!!