The NFL made official some expected news on Monday, canceling its slate of international games during the 2020 season.
All regular season games will now be played in the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic and the traveling and logistical difficulties that playing overseas would have presented.
“After considerable analysis, we believe the decision to play all our games domestically this season is the right one for our players, our clubs, and all our fans in the US, Mexico and UK,” NFL Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Christopher Halpin said in a statement. “We greatly appreciate the support of our governmental and stadium partners in Mexico and the United Kingdom, who all agree with this decision, and we look forward to returning for games in both countries in the 2021 season.”
The decision was widely expected, and means that four games in London and one in Mexico City will not take place this season. The league said the plan is for these games to return for the 2021 season.
While we don’t know what the world will look like come September and October, the reality is this was going to be way too difficult to pull off no matter what this year. The NFL is making the right call, and it could prove to be the first of several major changes to the league’s regular season schedule.
