NFL
Why are there NFL Wild Card games on a Saturday?
Few NFL regular season games take place on Saturdays, but almost a third of the postseason action will, starting in the Wild Card round.
The 2024 NFL season regular season is over, which can only mean one thing: it’s time for the postseason playoffs. The Wild Card round gets underway on Saturday, January 11, when the Chargers take on the Texans (4:30 p.m. ET) before the Steelers face the Ravens (8:00 p.m. ET).
Three games will follow on Sunday, January 12 (Broncos vs Bills, Commanders vs Buccaneers, Packers vs Eagles), while the opening round of the playoffs will conclude on Monday, January 13, when the Vikings take on the Rams.
NFL Wild Card round schedule
Satuday, January 11
- Texans vs Chargers, 4:30 p.m. ET
- Ravens vs Steelers, 8:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, January 12
- Bills vs Broncos, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Eagles vs Packers, 4:30 p.m. ET
- Buccaneers vs Commanders, 8:00 p.m. ET
Monday, January 13
- Rams vs Vikings, 8:00 p.m. ET
Why NFL postseason games are played on Saturday
To some, NFL action on a Saturday still feels somewhat peculiar, considering how few games are played on that day during the regular season.
Since the establishment of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, NFL regular season games are rarely played either on Fridays or Saturdays.
The agreement prevents pro football games from being broadcast nationally on Friday nights (after 6:00 p.m.) or Saturdays between the second Friday in September and the second Saturday in December, with a view to protecting attendances at high school and college football.
Technically, that’s only if the pro game is being played within 75 miles of at least one high school or college game, although that’s almost always the case.
Of course, we have long since passed the second Saturday in December, which means NFL can now be shown on national television despite potential clashes with the College Football Playoffs, which the league often, but not always, tries to avoid.
Of the 13 remaining games in the current NFL season, four are expected to be played on a Saturday (with eight on a Sunday and one on a Monday, with the Vikings-Rams clash moved to Arizona by the league after safety concerns relating to the ongoing wildfires in California.
Generally speaking, the league attempts to ensure teams play their playoff games close to one another in terms of time, so that none have significantly shorter or longer weeks (i.e. more or less preparation time) than their potential opponents, depending on the round in question.
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