In 2000, the NFL made the decision to stop starting its season on Labor Day weekend. The league announced that the following Sunday and Monday would be the last time it would begin the season on this holiday weekend. The reason given for this change was that people wanted to enjoy the last days of summer, so from 2001 onwards, the NFL season would kick off on the weekend after Labor Day.
Although this decision seemed to align with the idea that football is a family-oriented sport, it’s important to remember that football is also a business. The NFL determined that starting the season on Labor Day weekend was not beneficial for maximizing TV audiences, as people were generally busy with end-of-summer activities. However, with talks of expanding the season to 18 games and adding a second bye week, the NFL may need to reconsider its stance on this issue.
The world has changed significantly since the NFL moved the start of its season to the weekend after Labor Day. Technology has made it possible for people to watch games anywhere on their portable devices. As such, opening weekend could be expanded into a five-night event, with games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Given that federal prohibition on Friday and Saturday games doesn’t begin until the second Friday in September, Labor Day weekend could be utilized for multiple standalone games.
While there is no indication that the NFL has revisited this idea of working on Labor Day weekend, it may be something worth considering. Just as we see large audiences watching Thanksgiving and Christmas games every year, opening weekend games on Labor Day could also draw in millions of viewers and generate significant revenue for the league. By making use of this holiday weekend in new ways,