Here Are 3 Factors That Convince Me There Will Be Professional Football This Fall
Start writing a post
Sports

Here Are 3 Factors That Convince Me There Will Be Professional Football This Fall

Three significant factors have led me to believe that there will be an NFL season this fall.

32
Here Are 3 Factors That Convince Me There Will Be Professional Football This Fall

As COVID-19 continues to plague all areas of society, those in the sports world are wrestling with the realities of altered norms for the foreseeable future. The NBA continues to discuss how to resume its regular season that has roughly twenty percent of it left, while Major League Baseball is in negotiations with players to get its season started. For sports fans who feel like basketball and baseball are doomed for this season, all eyes are now on America's most-watched sport, the NFL, and how the league plans to approach the upcoming season, slated to kick off on September 10 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Objectively speaking, I am firmly convinced, barring the coronavirus pandemic significantly worsening in the next three months or so, that there will be professional – maybe not college – football this fall, and three significant factors have led me to this conclusion.

The NFL has time.

This factor is two-fold as both the present and the future should be taken into account. First, the present:

Since the virus shut down the world in March, the NFL has been the most normally functioning entity in the country, and by that, I mean that the schedule has not been altered in any way. Though it happened virtually, the draft went on as planned, garnering its highest ratings ever; free agency came and went as scheduled with teams able to close deals like every other year with a few hiccups; and the league released its game schedule for the upcoming season as it usually does.

Furthermore, it is the schedule release, the "future" aspect of this factor, that should give fans the most hope that there will be a season. As it stands, there are 118 days until the league is slated to kick off, giving the NFL the breathing room that other leagues are not afforded. The league will use this time to assess whether the contingencies, including a mid-October start, no bye-weeks, and Super Bowl LV being played on February 28, within the NFL's schedule release should be enacted.

Obviously, we don't know which of the plans will end up as a reality but the NFL's position thus far is clear: "we have operated as if there will be a normal-ish season, and we intend to operate that way until otherwise notified."

The fan bases have a large significance, whether they attend games or not.

Nevertheless, the question concerning fan attendance continues to be present. Obviously, fans add to the energy of a football game whether you're a player on the field or watching a game on television. But in the NFL, fans are not a necessity for having a season. For instance, in 2019, the difference between the largest average fan attendance (AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas) and the lowest (StubHub Center in Carson, California) is 59,179.

This is significant because limited fan attendance should not make-or-break a season because some teams (i.e. the Chargers, Bengals, and Jaguars) already play in stadiums that are not filled. Again, those in the NFL are proceeding as if there will be fans in attendance, which should further the basic expectation of a season. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and President Tom Garfinkel have already outlined how his organization would host spectators at Hard Rock Stadium.

Additionally, fan attendance has been down in the last few seasons, in general, while NFL continues to thrive. For instance, four of the twelve sports franchises that have seen drops in attendance over the last decade are from the NFL. Revenue from ticket sales, concessions, and other game day experiences by fans made up much less than a third of the NFL's revenue from the 2019 season. That money comes from another source - television.

The NFL has an increased focus on a televised experience.

One major reason, aside from absurdly expensive ticket prices, that interest attending games has declined is because of the constantly improving television spectacle and experience. As a result, the NFL has shifted the majority of its focus to television.

How focused is the NFL on television? In 2011, the league inked deals worth a combined $39.6 billion with CBS, Fox, and NBC to air NFL games between 2014 and 2022. ESPN also closed a deal with the league to air Monday Night Football through 2021 for $15.2 billion. The league also raked in $5 billion on advertisements during the 2019 regular season. Just based on those raw numbers, the league made $11.09 billion in 2019 and that number would expect to jump in the coming season. This matters is because the NFL likely would not turn down $11 billion dollars unless it absolutely had to. So forget fans at games, television drives the NFL's revenue.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

71039
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132609
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments