We've often said that the National Football League is as big as it is because it's the one major sport. . .well, one major American sport, anyway. . .that's truly a year-round event. Training camps start in July, pre-season starts in August, the regular season dominates until the New Year when the playoffs take over, and the Super Bowl ends the season in February. Of course, that's just in time for the Scouting Combine to get underway, followed by free agency and the NFL Draft.
Well, the National Football League apparently thinks they can spread things out even more, as they're apparently considering moving a few things around the calendar.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the NFL is considering changes to its off-season calendar that would move the Combine to March, the start of free agency to April and the draft to May. The NFL is also considering having all 32 teams start training camp on the same day.
The players' union would have to approve such a radical change to the calendar, but the NFL may be able to persuade the players to buy in with an argument that it would increase revenue - some of which is shared with the players - and make the Combine, free agency and the draft bigger events.
Some have speculated that moving things back is part of attempting to build towards an 18-game regular season, which I wouldn't much care for. The league is denying that there's a connection between any new league calendar and an 18-game schedule.
Personally, I sort of like things the way they are right now. Of course, I'm not in charge of running the league or how it makes its money, either.
What do you think of a possible change to the NFL off-season, folks?