The expansion of the NFL playoff field from 12 to 14 teams was one of the most significant changes that was agreed upon in the new collective bargaining agreement. On Tuesday, team owners voted to make that official. The league has also revealed its new postseason schedule.
Only one team in each conference will now receive a bye, meaning Wild Card Weekend will feature six games in total: three on Saturday and three on Sunday.
Wild Card Weekend for the 2020 NFL season now will consist of three games on Saturday, January 9, and three games on Sunday, January 10, 2021. pic.twitter.com/UsZrrbDj1j
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 31, 2020
That means there will be a full slate of NFL games on both days of the opening playoff window. There will be an early afternoon game, a late afternoon game, and a night game.
NFL will have three wild-card games on Saturday and three on Sunday of its first postseason weekend. Games will start at 1:05 pm, 4:40 pm and 8:15 pm ET each day.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 31, 2020
Some have expressed concern that fans won’t want to watch that much football, but the ratings will likely tell a different story.
The NFL could face scheduling issues down the road due to the coronavirus outbreak, but the league has reportedly not discussed making any rash decisions at this time. By adding two extra games in Wild Card Weekend, there won’t be a need for the season to be any longer than it has been in past years.
