It seems the NFL will not stray away from its current plans.
The NFL will release its 2020 schedule next week without any major changes, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.
The 2020 schedule will include the season opener, which remains set for Sept. 10, along with a Feb. 7 Super Bowl.
“We plan to start on time,” McCarthy told ESPN, adding the league’s vision is to have fans in attendance.
The league remains optimistic that it will play a full 16-game schedule, while the schedule itself is expected to be released by May 9, as previously discussed by NFL executive vice president Jeff Parsh.
The league has evaluated contingency plans should the pandemic intensify, according to ESPN. One of those contingencies is delaying the season until mid-October, according to the Sports Business Journal, while empty stadiums and no bye weeks have also been discussed.
One option not available, according to ESPN, is gathering players at a centralized location to execute a season. While the NBA and MLB have discussed playing at neutral locations, the NFL doesn’t plan to do so.
While additional reports have surfaced about the NFL perhaps playing more Saturday games, the schedule released May 9 is not expected to include additional Saturday games.
