when do nfl teams travel for sunday games

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Inside the Massive Job of Transporting an NFL Team to an Away Game

The NFL has evolved into one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. Each game is nearly a rock concert ; thousands of things have to be in place for it to go off without a hitch. Because of this, it’s crucial that NFL teams travel with their equipment and materials .

NBA teams and MLB ballclubs also have a lot to consider when traveling. But with huge rosters, football teams have even more components. Let’s look at the huge undertaking involved in transporting an NFL team to an away game.

Who pays for and arranges an NFL team’s transportation?

Responsible for arranging all accommodations, NFL teams pay for associated travel costs. Huffington Post shed some light on the New York Giants ‘ travel plans as an example of an NFL front office’s responsibilities:

• Approximately 140 people travel with the team: players, coaches, executives, trainers, managers, video staff, and medical staff. 
• The team books a hotel as far in advance as possible and then follows up roughly three weeks before a game to finalize accommodations. 
• Once at the hotel, players must avoid the bar area and are forbidden from ordering room service. They’re usually served a protein-focused diet prepared by the hotel staff.

NFL players are on a tight schedule when they arrive, exit for the stadium, and leave to go home. The team coordinates all of this, telling them when and where they need to be in advance to ensure no one misses a flight or bus. 

How do NFL players travel? 

For an NFL team, traveling logistics would be a nightmare if franchises tried to fly commercial. Imagine more than 53 large men trying to squeeze into coach seats on a cross-country flight. That’s why most NFL teams charter flights. It’s pricey, reports travel expert The Points Guy , as it can cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour, but it’s certainly worth it.

This allows teams to avoid the logistical issues associated with commercial travel.  Teams typically have a contract with one of the major airlines to provide a jet that carries the entire team. 

Opting for private jets over more traditional, commercial airliners has become so accepted in the NFL that one team, the New England Patriots, actually owns its own plane. They have two Boeing 767s, to be precise, which they bought in 2017. 

What and how much do NFL players and teams pack? 

While players are tasked with packing their own bags, including personal equipment and pads, the team carries the rest of the equipment. According to Giants’ executive, Jim Phelan, the total weight of a team’s baggage can be around 15,000 pounds. 

Teams pack based on the weather. For example, if the forecast calls for snow or a cold snap, they’ll need to carry winter gear. They also have to bring extra equipment. Phelan said they could “replace half the team” with the amount of equipment they bring. The training staff brings medical equipment and supplies in case of emergencies, too.

Packing and moving an NFL team requires a lot of moving parts coming together. It involves precise planning, coordination, and execution on game day. While most teams have it down to a science, the sheer volume of work that goes into each team’s trip will never cease to be impressive. Throw in the fact that teams do it eight times per year and it’s even more astounding. 

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How do NFL teams travel during the season?

The National Football League (NFL) is preparing to kick off a new season with current champions the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Detroit Lions. 

But how do the 32 teams within the NFL travel to games? Ahead of the start of the 18-week season, AeroTime takes a closer look. 

Some teams will cover more than 25,000 miles (40,233 kilometers) during the football season. For example, the Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to travel a whopping 31,600 mi (50,855 km).  

Other teams, like the Cincinnati Bengals, will fare better, with a schedule resulting in a total travel distance of 11,942 mi (19,218 km), making them the team with the fewest miles to cover, according to a chart prepared by Bookies.com.  

The chart does not include the possibility that teams could stack travel when playing back-to-back games within the same region. 

Only two private jets 

Out of all 32 teams, only two, the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, have their own aircraft. 

The New England Patriots, based near Boston, the United States (US), bought a pair of Boeing 767-300ER aircraft in 2017. The two twin-aisle jets, registered as N225NE and N36NE, were delivered to American Airlines in 1991 before eventually being phased out by the airline in 2016.  

According to ch-aviation data.com, as of May 31, 2016, N36NE had 99,342 Flight Hours (FH) and 15,656 Flight Cycles (FC), while N225NE had 99,267 FHs and 15,902 FCs. 

However, neither of the aircraft joined the Patriots for the NFL preseason games. While one game (versus the Houston Texans) was played at home, images shared by their media team showed the Patriots traveling to Green Bay to play the Packers on a Delta Air Lines aircraft in mid-August 2023. 

Both of the Patriots’ Boeing 767s are operated by Eastern Airlines and are currently undergoing maintenance at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), ch-aviation.com data showed. 

Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals bought a Boeing 777-200ER in 2021. At the time, the team’s owner, Michael Bidwill, said that the ex-Delta Air Lines bird “will not only provide major convenience but also maximum comfort for our players when getting them to and from road games”. 

Now registered as N867DA, the aircraft has been with the team since December 2021. While the Cardinals have played both of their preseason games in Pheonix, Arizona, so far, they will have to travel to Minnesota to face the Vikings on August 26, 2023. 

According to flightradar24.com data, the Boeing 777-200ER moved from Roswell International Air Center Airport (ROW) to San Antonio International Airport (SAT) on June 30, 2023. 

Special-liveried aircraft 

Several airlines over the years have introduced special liveries to commemorate their partnerships with NFL teams or to try to appeal to passengers within those teams’ home markets. 

For example, the New York Jets have a partnership with JetBlue dating back to 2009, when the team named the carrier its official airline. A year later, JetBlue re-assured its commitment to the New York Jets by introducing the “JetGreen” livery, dedicated to the team.  

In 2017, the airline unveiled an updated “JetGreen” livery on an Airbus A320, registered as N746JB.  

Las Vegas Raiders’ colors can also be seen on an Allegiant Airlines Airbus A319, registered as N328NV, introduced in 2021, and a Viva Aerobus Airbus A320, registered as XA-VAK, introduced in 2022.  

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In 2014, Boeing painted one of its Boeing 747-8F aircraft with a special Seattle Seahawks sticker to celebrate the team reaching the Super Bowl. 

According to planespotters.net data, the Seattle Seahawks livery was briefly sported by the aircraft between January and May 2014. 

US Airways, which eventually merged with American Airlines, had several special NFL liveries, including paint jobs dedicated to the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers.  

AirTran, which merged with Southwest Airlines in 2014, displayed liveries featuring the Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Indianapolis Colts. 

Nowadays, teams favor wide-body aircraft that are chartered to travel to away games. 

Chartering to games 

NFL entourages are huge. Team rosters alone are filled with 53 players, not to mention the coaching, medical, communications, and technical staff traveling to away games either eight or nine times per single regular season. 

According to a Bleacher Report article from 2016, the Baltimore Ravens traveled with around 185 passengers on a trip. Bob Eller, the team’s then-senior vice president of Operations, told the publication that there were “more people involved in game day” that year than during previous NFL seasons. 

In March 2023, Miami Dolphins published a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube which showed the team’s travel day logistics in partnership with Atlas Air. According to Scott Bullis, the senior director of Team Operations at the Miami Dolphins, the team hands over its schedule to Atlas Air the moment NFL publishes the schedule for the upcoming season in May in an attempt to reserve aircraft beforehand. 

“We travel with approximately 180 passengers on the aircraft, about 69 players, 30 coaches, 70 support staff, and 10 media,” Bullis added. “We load approximately 10,000 pounds [4,535.9 kilograms] underneath the aircraft.”  

The team travels with a specially configured Atlas Air Boeing 747-400, which has more business and first class seats.  

“Normal 747s at Atlas [Air] have 477 seats and this one has 189,” David Mercado, a captain at Atlas Air, explained during the video.

Typically, though, NFL teams will use the services of the large scheduled commercial airlines in the US, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, which have wide-body aircraft to comfortably accommodate large traveling parties. 

For example, the New York Jets flew on United Airlines charter flights during the 2022 season despite JetBlue being the official airline partner for the team.  

Photographs taken when the team were heading to a game against the Denver Broncos in October 2022 show players boarding an aircraft with the old United Airlines livery. This includes an all-white top side of the fuselage with a grey bottom side separated by a golden stripe, as well as an all-blue engine cowling.   

However, all of JetBlue’s engine cowlings have “jetblue.com” written on them, something that cannot be seen in the images. 

When the Green Bay Packers traveled to London to play the New York Giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, pictures shared by local Green Bay news site showed that the team chartered a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 to cross the Atlantic. 

Other teams travel with airlines whose hubs coincide with the teams’ home cities, like Minnesota Vikings and Delta Air Lines, which has a hub at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). Another example is the Dallas Cowboys traveling with American Airlines to their preseason game in Seattle, with the airline’s main network hub being Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). 

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Why NFL flexes games and how changing the schedule works

Nfl has expanded flexing to include monday night football and thursday night football, by max molski • published october 10, 2023 • updated on january 3, 2024 at 12:45 pm.

The NFL schedule release is one of the most exciting moments of the offseason. While it’s great to see all 272 games lined up months before anyone takes the field, the initial plan is never likely to be the final product.

The league sets up the schedule with intriguing primetime matchups in mind. However, once the season starts, a once-promising showdown can turn into a dud. On the other side, a Sunday afternoon matchup that didn’t stand out on the initial schedule could later become a highly anticipated contest worthy of its own time slot.

That’s where “flexible scheduling” comes in, and it looked much different in 2023.

Here’s a look at the NFL’s procedure for moving games around during the season.

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What is NFL flex scheduling?

The NFL introduced flex scheduling in 2006 as a way to make sure there was a quality matchup on NBC’s Sunday Night Football each week.

While the NFL had the ability to move games through postponements prior to the founding of flex scheduling, the system allows the NFL and networks to move games from their original kickoff times based on intrigue.

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How does nfl flex scheduling work.

Flex scheduling for Sunday Night Football can be used twice between Weeks 5-10 and anytime between Weeks 11-17.

Through 2022, flex scheduling only impacted Sunday Night Football. Starting in 2023, however, the league opened that option up for Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football .

The league can flex games in and out of Monday Night Football anytime between Weeks 12-17. The Thursday Night Football rules are slightly more strict, as the NFL can only flex games in and out of that spot a maximum of two times per season and do so between Weeks 13-17.

A Sunday afternoon game with a kickoff time of 1 p.m., 4:05 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. ET time can be moved into any of the three weekly primetime slots, while the tentatively scheduled primetime game would be moved to Sunday afternoon. Games can also be moved from 1 p.m. to either 4:05 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. ET, and vice-versa.

The NFL decides which games will be flexed after consulting with networks.

How far in advance can the NFL flex a game?

For Sunday Night Football games from Weeks 5-13, the league must provide 12 days notice before flexing. That time period is reduced to six days for Sunday Night Football games from Weeks 14-17.

When it comes to Week 18, the league wants to ensure Sunday Night Football has a game with meaningful playoff implications to serve as the regular season finale . Since those playoff implications are not fully known until the conclusion of Week 17, Week 18 flex scheduling also requires only six days notice. The two Saturday games in Week 18 must also be decided by the prior Monday.

All Monday Night Football flexing must be finalized at least 12 days before the game.

With an even more significant change in days, Thursday Night Football flexing decisions must be made at least 28 days ahead of time.

Which NFL games have been flexed in 2023?

The NFL made its first ever Monday Night Football flex for Week 15.

The league moved the Philadelphia Eagles’ road game against the Seattle Seahawks from 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 17, to Monday Night Football on Dec. 18. In turn, the league moved the original Monday Night Football matchup of the Kansas City Chiefs at the New England Patriots to 1 p.m. on Dec. 17. Chiefs-Patriots aired on FOX, which originally had Eagles-Seahawks.

The NFL also landed on its Game 272 : Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins . The winner of the primetime matchup will win the AFC East.

How does flex scheduling affect fans?

Fans need to be mindful of the NFL’s flex scheduling policies. Tickets do not change even if the NFL moves a game’s kickoff time.

The NFL’s updated flex scheduling will lead to major travel and logistical challenges for teams and fans who made arrangements for a specific date.

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Super Bowl status: How do NFL teams fly?

Editor's Note

Super Bowl LV will look different this year.

Usually, throngs of fans travel to the host city to catch one of the world's most-watched events. But with the pandemic raging, stadium capacity is capped, and many would-be travelers are stuck at home watching the match-up on television.

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs are taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida in Super Bowl LV.

Though Sunday's game is the first time that the home team is playing in their home stadium, the Chiefs still need to get to Tampa. So, how do they do it?

And how do other teams get around the country during the regular season?

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Chiefs take to Tampa with United

In years past, teams usually arrive in the host city about a week before the big game. Due to the pandemic, however, the Chiefs' convoy headed down Tampa on Saturday, Feb. 6, just one day before the Super Bowl.

To maintain proper social distancing, the Chiefs took two planes, both United charters, to Tampa.

Most of the coaches and players took the first jet, a 21-year-old Boeing 777-200, that took off at 1:27 p.m. and landed at 4:39 p.m. The second plane, a 12-year-old Boeing 737-800 arrived just 20 minutes later at 4:59 p.m.

The 777, registered N78013 , was recently outfitted with United's latest Polaris retrofit , sporting 50 business-class pods, 24 premium economy recliners and 202 coach seats.

The more modest 737, registered N76515 , was delivered to the carrier in 2008. The single-aisle jet has room for 166 passengers, with 16 seats up front in biz and the remainder in coach.

Neither plane is painted in United's latest Blue Evolution livery .

VIPs take their own planes to the big game

In most years, there are plenty of private, VIP jets flying to the host city in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. (There's also a mass exodus of the world's nicest planes the evening and morning after the game.)

On Friday, award-winning quarterback Peyton Manning and his son Marshall headed to Tampa on a Boeing 737 business jet, registered N101TD, owned by Bopper Airways LLC, according to Federal Aviation Administration documents .

The company's mailing address has an attention for the Indianapolis Colts, and rumors have it that the team's owner, Jim Irsay, owns the 737.

The Patriots own their jet

While the New England Patriots have made 11 Super Bowl appearances, the team won't be playing in the 2021 championship.

The Patriots were the first team to own their own aircraft, however. They bought two used Boeing 767s in 2017. The 767-323ER shown below is an extended range version that can fly for 12 hours.

Though the 12-hour range isn't necessary for domestic hops, it's safe to say that the Pats bought their 767, which used to fly for American Airlines, for its large size and relatively cheap price on the used market.

The aircraft is outfitted with domestic first-class recliner seats in a 2-3-2 and 2-2-2 configuration — each with its own entertainment system. Its home base is T.F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island (PVD).

Most teams charter

Other NFL teams travel by chartered aircraft. It allows teams to have the feeling of flying private without the costs of owning an airplane. Still, chartering jetliners can cost tens of thousands of dollars an hour, so it's not exactly cheap.

The big three U.S. airlines operated almost all NFL team flights up until 2017, when American and United dropped clients when they found they could make more money using the planes for regular commercial service.

Of course, the pandemic has shifted the equation, with many planes parked in long-term storage due to the drop in demand. Throughout the 2020-2021 season and into the playoffs, a mix of American, Delta and United jets ferried teams across the country.

With many airlines retiring some of their older international wide-body jets , teams have enjoyed some of the more luxurious passenger jets in the sky.

For instance, Delta's swanky Airbus A330-900neo took the Seattle Seahawks to San Francisco during Week 17. Lucky flyers could enjoy one of the 29 posh Delta One Suites.

Two lesser-known companies, Atlas Air and Miami Air, have also recently helped teams criss-cross the country in style.

Atlas Air is a large cargo, charter and airline lessor. It counts 118 aircraft in its fleet with a whopping 55 747s (the biggest fleet of Boeing 747s in the world), mostly cargo.

The Miami Dolphins charted a 747-400 from Atlas Air for some of the season. The jumbo jet, usually operated for long-haul travel, was used on domestic hops, such as during Week 17 from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Buffalo (BUF), a roughly three-hour flight.

In years past, teams have chartered some of Miami Air's seven 737-800s. The 737s it uses for sports charters are outfitted with a VIP interior containing only first-class seats in a 2-2 layout.

Featured image by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

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What NFL games are on tomorrow? Full weekend schedule for wild card round

The wild card round of  the NFL playoffs are here . Six games across three days will determine which teams make the  final four in the AFC and NFC . Saturday  kicks off the postseason schedule  with a rematch of two AFC games seen during the regular season, but with much different circumstances.

The No. 5-seed  Cleveland Browns  head on the road to take on the AFC South champion and No. 4-seed  Houston Texans  to start the playoff action. The two teams met in Week 16 with the  Browns winning 36-22  in Houston but the Texans were playing without Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite  C.J. Stroud  at quarterback.

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Once the Texans and Browns wrap up, the No. 3-seed  Kansas City Chiefs  take on the No. 6  Miami Dolphins  in a rematch of their Week 9 matchup in Germany.  Kansas City won that game 21-14  but Saturday's rematch could be  one of the coldest NFL games ever .

Here's what you need to know about the Browns-Texans and Chiefs-Dolphins games on Saturday.

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How to watch Saturday's games

The Browns and Texans kickoff at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The Chiefs and Dolphins kickoff at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock.

Cleveland Browns (11-6) at Houston Texans (10-7)

The Browns rested some of their starters in Week 18 after securing the top wild card spot in the AFC playoffs. Cleveland is one of the hottest teams entering the playoffs in the AFC; the Browns won four straight before the season finale behind a surprisingly productive  Joe Flacco at quarterback .

Houston secured a playoff spot  in thrilling fashion in Week 18 with a 23-19 win over division foe Indianapolis . With the win and  Jacksonville's loss to the Tennessee Titans  a day later, Houston secured its first AFC South title since 2019.

The last time these teams met, Stroud was out of the game and the Texans offense had one of its worst days of the year, committing multiple turnovers and managing just 250 yards. His return could be the difference in Houston's first home playoff game in four years.

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Miami Dolphins (11-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)

Miami  lost its season finale to Buffalo on Sunday Night Football to drop to a wild card spot in the playoffs. Miami's defense has been torched in its last two games (nearly 500 yards per game allowed) and will be without top pass rushers  Bradley Chubb  and  Jaelan Phillips  due to injury.

Kansas City  enters the playoffs outside of the top two seeds for the first time since the 2017-18 playoffs. Unlike previous playoff runs, the Chiefs' defense is the team's top unit heading into the postseason and  one of the best defenses in the league in 2023 .

Saturday's game will be in freezing conditions with a wind chill as low as negative eight degrees. It'll be a return to Arrowhead Stadium for wide receiver  Tyreek Hill . The Dolphins will be without cornerback  Xavien Howard  for the game and wide receiver  Jaylen Waddle  is questionable for the matchup as well.

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How to watch Sunday's games

The first game of the day between the  Steelers  and  Bills  kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. The second game of the day and the first NFC playoff matchup between the  Packers  and  Cowboys  kicks off later at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The final matchup of Sunday's trio of playoff games between the  Rams  and  Lions starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) at Buffalo Bills (11-6)

The two teams meet in what will be  another weather-impacted game . Forecasts show temperatures around 24 degrees with more than seven inches of snow predicted on Sunday. Despite the cold temperatures, Buffalo enters the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Bills have won five straight since their bye in Week 13 to secure the AFC East title.

After a  Week 15 blowout loss to the Colts , Pittsburgh went on a three-game winning streak to secure the final seed in the AFC playoffs. Quarterback  Mason Rudolph  is 3-0 as a starter since coming in and set a  Steelers completion percentage record  in Week 18. Besides the snow impacting the game, the Steelers will also be without star pass rusher  T.J. Watt  who is  out with a knee injury .

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Green Bay Packers (9-8) at Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy faces the franchise he won a Super Bowl with in 2010 for the first time in the playoffs. McCarthy and the Cowboys are undefeated at home and won their final two games, including a  controversial ending against the Lions  in Week 17.

Green Bay reached the playoffs thanks to three consecutive wins to close the regular season. The Packers' offense posted its two best performances of the year in Weeks 17 and 18 to give Green Bay momentum heading into the playoffs.

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Los Angeles Rams (10-7) at Detroit Lions (12-5)

The NFC finishes off Sunday's schedule with another reunion, this time with longtime Lions quarterback  Matthew Stafford  returning to Detroit as the Rams' quarterback. Same with Lions quarterback  Jared Goff  facing the team that  drafted him first overall in 2016 .

Los Angeles is one of the hottest teams in the NFC and went 7-1 to close the season. Stafford posted a 16:3 touchdown to interception ratio over that stretch to secure a wild card spot. The Lions went 4-3 to close the regular season and Detroit's standout rookie  tight end Sam LaPorta is questionable  for the game after an injury in the finale.

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How to watch Monday's game

Wild card weekend wraps up on Monday night with the  Eagles  and  Buccaneers facing off at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN. The game will also be streaming on ESPN+.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)

Philadelphia may be one of the coldest teams entering the playoffs after losing five of their final six regular season games. Pro Bowl wide receiver  A.J. Brown  did not practice Thursday and injuries to wide receiver  DeVonta Smith  and quarterback  Jalen Hurts  could impact their production in the wild card finale.

Tampa Bay , by contrast, won five of their last six games to secure the NFC South title. Quarterback  Baker Mayfield  and the offense were stymied  in the season finale against Carolina  but played well down the stretch. These teams met two years ago in Hurts' first playoff start for the Eagles  with the Buccaneers winning 31-15 .

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NFL games this weekend: Everything you need to watch, wild card round

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Nfl team travel totals 2023: which teams have to travel the most (sorry, seahawks) and least (bengals), share this article.

The Seattle Seahawks better have a good frequent flier program set up. They’ve got more than 30,000 miles of away games to fly to in 2023.

Road trips to New York, Baltimore, Nashville and Detroit will dial up the Seahawks’ jet lag, giving Seattle the longest travel distance of any NFL team this upcoming season — even without an International Series game. A look at this year’s busiest schedules shows Pete Carroll’s team is merely the biggest example of the downsides of playing on the West Coast. The San Francisco Chargers, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers all rate out as top five teams when it comes to the distance they’ll cover to play road games this fall.

Here’s the full list, compiled by Bookies.com’s Bill Speros .

How far is your @NFL team going to travel this season? Here's the rundown — from the @Seahawks to the @Bengals and all 30 teams in between https://t.co/KwyrUMqpQw pic.twitter.com/UMHHNoQprF — Bill Speros (@billsperos) May 10, 2023

The five teams who’ll have to travel most:

• Seattle Seahawks: 31,600 miles across 36 time zones
• San Francisco 49ers: 29,958 miles across 36 time zones
• Miami Dolphins: 27,110 miles across 18 time zones
• LA Rams: 26,332 miles across 34 time zones
• LA Charger: 26,102 miles across 30 time zones

And these are the five teams who’ll travel the least in 2023:

• Cincinnati Bengals: 11,942 miles across 14 time zones
• Green Bay Packers: 11,956 miles across 16 time zones
• Chicago Bears: 12,253 miles across 12 time zones
• Carolina Panthers: 12,257 miles across 12 time zones
• Minnesota Vikings: 13,226 miles across 16 time zones

So, if you’re keeping score, the Bengals, Packers and Bears will have to travel almost one-third the distance the Seahawks will this season. That’s a lot of streaming time for Seattle — and brutal timing for a writer’s strike.

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Roger Goodell wants NFL season to run to Presidents' Day – creating three-day Super Bowl weekend

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday that he is "not a fan of the preseason" and would prefer to replace one of the three weeks of preseason play with an 18th regular-season game − something that has been a hot-button issue for players and their union in recent years.

In an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on ESPN , Goodell said the NFL does not have any immediate plans to go to an 18-game schedule, a move that would of course have to be collectively bargained with the NFL Players Association. But he floated the idea of an eventual 18-game schedule in which Super Bowl weekend would align with Presidents' Day weekend, which means many fans would have the Monday after the game off.

"I think we're good at 17 now. But listen, we're looking at how we continue," Goodell said on ESPN. "I'm not a fan of the preseason. ... And I don't think these guys [the fans] like it, either.

"But the reality is: I'd rather replace a preseason game with a regular-season (game) any day. That's just picking quality, right? So if we got to 18 (regular-season games) and 2 (preseason games), that's not an unreasonable thing."

The league office has shown a continued interest in adding games to the schedule, in part because of the significant television revenue that comes with each additional game.

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In 2020, the NFL expanded the playoff field from 12 teams to 14, which added two more playoff games to the schedule. And in 2021, it went from a 16-game regular season to a 17-game regular season following the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement with the players' union.

Any future expansion of the schedule would again have to be negotiated with players, many of whom have expressed concerns that longer seasons will lead to more injuries. In the most recent round of CBA negotiations, the NFL attempted to assuage some of these concerns by offering players a slightly larger chunk of the revenue and making other concessions, such as the expansion of gameday rosters and a reduction in training camp practices.

On Friday's appearance with Pat McAfee, which followed the conclusion of the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night , Goodell also touched on another hot-button issue that figures to loom over the league's future hopes for expansion: The possible increase in international games, and maybe even a team or division eventually being based overseas.

Goodell said the NFL believes "we can become a global sport" and sees at least 16 games per season being played abroad "at some point in time."

"Will (an international) franchise ever happen, or a division? Maybe," he told McAfee . "I think that's beyond 10 years, though."

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.

UFL Schedule Week 5: Complete List of Football Games on Today With TV Channels, Start Times, and More

W eek 5 arrives as the UFL hits the halfway point of its inaugural season. With a similar format to the first three weeks, what does the UFL schedule for Week 5 look like?

While it wasn’t the easiest of tests, the Birmingham Stallions remain the only undefeated team in the UFL after Week 4. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Brahmas bounced back from their first loss and the St. Louis Battlehawks continued to surge.

The league splits the games between Saturday and Sunday again but will air a Saturday doubleheader. Here are all the matchups on the UFL Schedule in Week 5.

What UFL Games Are on Today?

Week 5 sees the UFL return to their standard scheduling format after airing three games on Saturday and a stand-alone matchup on Sunday in Week 4.

The games are evenly split this week, but the UFL will air a Saturday night doubleheader. Week 5 begins as the Brahmas take on the Arlington Renegades alongside the Stallions facing off against the Houston Roughnecks at 7 p.m. ET.

Then, on Sunday, the Battlehawks start the day as they take on the D.C. Defenders at noon ET. Finally, the Memphis Showboats host the Michigan Panthers at 3 p.m. ET.

Here’s a look at the Week 5 UFL schedule.

San Antonio Brahmas at Arlington Renegades

• Date : Saturday, April 27, 2024
• Start time : 7 p.m. ET
• Channel : Fox

Week 5 of the UFL schedule kicks off with a Saturday night doubleheader. The first matchup sees the Brahmas head to Choctaw Stadium to take on Arlington. After losing QB Chase Garbers in Week 3, Quentin Dormady took over under center to help San Antonio recover from their first season loss. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown.

They face off against a Renegades team desperate for a win. Arlington has started the season winless and needs a turnaround soon to make another championship run. The offense was dreadful, and while the defense only allowed 17 points, it was against Houston, one of the lower-scoring offenses in the UFL.

The Bob Stoops-led Renegades can only get better from here. The loss to Houston pushes Arlington to the bottom of the league as the only winless squad. Things don’t get easier with a matchup against the Brahmas. Dormady did well in his first start and should improve with more snaps and reps. Can San Antonio keep its foot on the pedal?

Birmingham Stallions at Houston Roughnecks

• Start   time : 7 p.m. ET
• Channel : FOX

The Stallions continue their undefeated run with a trip to Rice Stadium to take on the Roughnecks. Birmingham is undefeated, but they got quite a scare last week against the Defenders. While the Stallions continue to roll through the schedule, the defense took a hit this week as Birmingham legend LB Scooby Wright announced his retirement.

Interestingly, the Roughnecks are the only team that has taken down the Stallions in the last two seasons. Can they add another win and take down both 2023 spring football champions in back-to-back weeks?

St. Louis Battlehawks at DC Defenders

• Date : Sunday, April 28, 2024
• Start time : Noon ET
• Channel : ESPN

Sunday’s UFL action starts in Washington, DC, as the Defenders host the St. Louis Battlehawks in Audi Field. While the Stallions are undefeated, the Battlehawks have rattled off a three-game win streak after losing the season opener. On the other hand, the Defenders enter Week 5 after a heartbreaking last-second loss to the Stallions a week ago.

The Week 5 QB matchup between AJ McCarron and Jordan Ta’amu features some of the better signal-callers in the league. Ta’amu completed 12 of 22 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns in the sloppy Birmingham weather. Conversely, McCarron completed 35 of his 45 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns.

This game is a huge matchup for both of these teams. The Battlehawks have rocketed to the top of the XFL conference while the Defenders stay afloat. St. Louis’ offense has been far more impressive than the Defenders’ unit this season — that could be the difference.

Michigan Panthers at Memphis Showboats

• Start time : 3 p.m. ET

The final matchup of the Week 5 UFL schedule features the Panthers heading to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to take on the Showboats on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are trying to bounce back from losses in Week 4. The Panthers dropped a low-scoring affair to the Brahmas while the Showboats were thoroughly outmatched by the Battlehawks 32-17.

KEEP READING: What Is the UFL Playoff Format in 2024?

The Showboats are having issues on offense. Case Cookus has not looked as good as last season, and he’s not having much time in the backfield to do anything. He’s been sacked 13 times in four games. However, Cookus may be missing against the Panthers, forcing Troy Williams to start under center.

The Panthers will also be looking at a change under center. Michigan placed E.J. Perry on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury last week against San Antonio. Danny Etling took over in the second half, completing 11 of 14 passes for 105 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Pining for more football? We’ve got you covered on all things UFL , including the top 20 players , player salaries , and much more.

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2024 NHL Playoffs bracket: Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule, start times, games, TV channels for Round 1

The 2024 nhl postseason is in full swing.

The 2024 NHL Playoffs have officially arrived, providing some of the most heart-pounding action in the sports world. With the Vegas Golden Knights set to defend their title, the chase for Lord Stanley's Cup is underway. 

The New York Rangers captured the Presidents' Trophy with the best record throughout the 2023-24 regular season. When the regular season concluded, the Rangers finished with a 55-23-4 record (114 points) as they just edged out the Dallas Stars for that honor.

The structure of the playoffs is as follows:

• The division winner with the most points in each conference will face the second Wild Card team in the first round. The division winner with fewer points in each conference will match up with the top Wild Card team in the first round.
• Each series will be a best-of-seven format.
• Home-ice advantage goes to the team with the top seed in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The team with the most points in the regular season has home-ice advantage in the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.
• The Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin on April 20 with a matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders .

Below is how you can follow each series in the first round along with updating results and scores from each game. Bookmark this page for the duration of the playoff run to stay up to date with everything on the ice.

Stanley Cup Playoffs viewing information

TV:  ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, TNT, SN, SNE, SNW Stream:  fuboTV ( try for free ) Follow:  CBS Sports App

All times Eastern (* if necessary)

Eastern Conference

(1) New York Rangers vs. (WC2) Washington Capitals

Game 1: | Rangers 4, Capitals 1  | Recap Game 2: | Rangers 4, Capitals 3  | Recap Game 3: | Rangers 3, Capitals 1  | Recap Game 4: | Sunday, April 28, 8 p.m. | at WSH | TV: TBS Game 5*: | Wednesday, May 1, TBD | at NY | TV: TBD Game 6*: | Friday, May 3, TBD | at WSH | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Sunday, May 5, TBD | at NY | TV: TBD

(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) New York Islanders

Game 1: |  Hurricanes 3, Islanders 1  |  Recap Game 2: | Hurricanes 5, Islanders 3  | Recap Game 3: | Hurricanes 3, Islanders 2  | Recap Game 4: | Saturday, April 27, 2 p.m. | at NY | TV: TBS Game 5*: | Tuesday, April 30, 7:30 p.m. | at CAR | TV: TBS Game 6*: | Thursday, May 2, TBD | at NY | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Saturday, May 4, TBD | at CAR | TV: TBD

(1) Florida Panthers vs. (WC1) Tampa Bay Lightning

Game 1: | Panthers 3, Lightning 2  | Recap Game 2: | Panthers 3, Lightning 2 (OT)  | Recap Game 3: | Panthers 5, Lightning 3  | Recap Game 4: | Saturday, April 27, 5 p.m. | at TB | TV: TBS Game 5*: | Monday, April 29, 7 p.m. | at FLA | TV: ESPN Game 6*: | Wednesday, May 1, TBD | at TB | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Saturday, May 4, TBD | at FLA | TV: TBD

(2) Boston Bruins vs. (3) Toronto Maple Leafs

Game 1: | Bruins 5, Maple Leafs 1  | Recap Game 2: | Maple Leafs 3, Bruins 2  | Recap Game 3: | Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2  | Recap Game 4: | Saturday, April 27, 8 p.m. | at TOR | TV: TBS Game 5: | Tuesday, April 30, 7 p.m. | at BOS | TV: ESPN Game 6*: | Thursday, May 2, TBD | at TOR | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Saturday, May 4, TBD | at BOS | TV: TBD

Western Conference

(1) Dallas Stars vs. (WC2) Vegas Golden Knights

Game 1: | Golden Knights 4, Stars 3  | Recap Game 2: | Golden Knights 2, Stars 1  | Recap Game 3: | Saturday, April 27, 10:30 p.m. | at VGK | TV: TBS Game 4: | Monday, April 29, TBD | at VGK | TV: ESPN Game 5*: | Wednesday, May 1, TBD | at DAL | TV: TBD Game 6*: | Friday, May 3, TBD | at VGK | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Sunday, May 5, TBD | at DAL | TV: TBD

(2) Winnipeg Jets vs. (3) Colorado Avalanche

Game 1: | Jets 7, Avalanche 6  | Recap Game 2: | Avalanche 5, Jets 2  | Recap Game 3: | Avalanche 6, Jets 2 | Recap Game 4: | Sunday, April 28, 2:30 p.m. | at COL | TV: TNT Game 5*: | Tuesday, April 30, TBD | at WPG | TV: TBD Game 6*: | Thursday, May 2, TBD | at COL | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Saturday, May 4, TBD | at WPG | TV: TBD

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (WC1) Nashville Predators

Game 1: | Canucks 4, Predators 2  | Recap Game 2: | Predators 4, Canucks 1  | Recap Game 3: |  Canucks 2, Predators 1 | Recap Game 4: | Sunday, April 28, 5 p.m. | at NSH | TV: TBS Game 5: | Tuesday, April 30, 10 p.m. | at VAN | TV: TBD Game 6*: | Friday, May 3, TBD | at NSH | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Sunday, May 5, TBD | at VAN | TV: TBD

(2) Edmonton Oilers vs. (3) Los Angeles Kings

Game 1: | Oilers 7, Kings 4  | Recap Game 2: | Kings 5, Oilers 4 (OT)  | Recap Game 3: | Oilers 6, Kings 1  | Recap Game 4: | Sunday, April 28, 10:30 p.m. | at LA | TV: TBS Game 5: | Wednesday, May 1, TBD | at EDM | TV: TBD Game 6*: | Friday, May 3, TBD | at LA | TV: TBD Game 7*: | Sunday, May 5, TBD | at EDM | TV: TBD

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