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Scott Van Pelt questions NFL schedule expansion into Wednesday and international markets

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 10, 2026, 12:30 AM

Last updated Sep 10, 2026

Scott Van Pelt questions NFL schedule expansion into Wednesday and international markets

Summary

The NFL season kicks off with a Wednesday night game followed by an international NFC West matchup in Melbourne. Scott Van Pelt criticized the league's strategy of scheduling significant divisional games outside the traditional Sunday window, characterizing the expansion as unnecessary. The NFL continues to grow its calendar through partnerships with Netflix and the addition of more regular-season games. Van Pelt argued that the league risks marginalizing its core Sunday audience by spreading high-profile games across the week. While NFL viewership numbers remain strong, the league is currently on a path toward an 18-game regular season schedule.

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By the Numbers

•The NFL season begins with a Wednesday night game.
•A regular-season NFC West game is scheduled for Melbourne.
•Scott Van Pelt stated the league is taking significant games out of the traditional Sunday window.
•The league is reportedly planning toward an 18-game season.

Latest Updates

12:30 AMYahoo Sports — Scott Van Pelt: ‘Entirely unnecessary’ to open NFL season on a Wednesday, play in Australia

What they're saying

"
The NFL season is here. The festivities open with a Wednesday-night edition of Sunday Night Football, followed by an NFC West clash that kicks off at 10:30 a.m. local time in Melbourne. It is just the latest sign of the NFL’s insatiable hunger to dominate the sports calendar, growing and expanding by whatever means necessary. People will watch, and the…
— Yahoo Sports

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