Why is the NFL's 2026 season-opener on a Wednesday? Scheduling quirk explained
The NFL is not a league that tends to break from tradition. When it does, it usually has a good reason.
For the first time since 2012 - and second time since 1948 - the NFL season will start on a Wednesday.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will host the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots for a Super Bowl 60 rematch on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Since the NFL introduced its annual "Kickoff Game" in 2002, almost every season has begun on the Thursday after Labor Day in September. The season-opener for 2026 will mark the second time since the first NFL Kickoff Game that the league has pushed the game forward one day.
The last occasion was in 2012, when the league moved the first game of the year one day earlier to avoid conflicting with then-president Barack Obama's re-election acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Here's why the 2026 season-opener is happening on Wednesday, not Thursday:
NFL PREDICTIONS: Which NFL teams will make or miss the playoffs in 2026?
Why 2026 NFL season will start on a WednesdayThe scheduling quirk behind year's season-opener has nothing to do with politics. It has only to do with the NFL's expansion of its International Series of games.
In 2026, the NFL will play its first regular-season game in Australia. That game - between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams - is scheduled to take place at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, Sept. 11, local time.
Due to the time difference, the 49ers-Rams matchup will air at 8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 10 in the United States. That allows the NFL to avoid encroaching on federal laws that prohibit the league from playing games on Fridays and Saturdays that would conflict with high school and college football calendars.
The Australia game is a continuation of the NFL's efforts to expand its reach abroad - something that has been a staple of Roger Goodell's tenure as the league's commissioner. It will air on Netflix as the streaming giant continues its push into broadcasting live sporting events.
NFL Week 1 scheduleWednesday, Sept. 9- New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (Melbourne, Australia), 8:35 p.m. ET, Netflix
1 p.m. ET
- Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers, Fox
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals, Fox
- New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions, Fox
- Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers, Fox
- Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, CBS
- Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts, CBS
- Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars, CBS
- New York Jets at Tennessee Titans, CBS
4:25 p.m. ET
- Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders, Fox
- Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles, Fox
- Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers, CBS
- Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, CBS
- Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
- Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is the NFL's 2026 season-opener on a Wednesday? Scheduling quirk explained