In 2000, the NFL made the decision to no longer start its season on Labor Day weekend. The league announced that the following Sunday and Monday would be the last time it would begin the season on this day. The reason given was that people wanted to enjoy the last days of summer, so from 2001 onwards, the NFL season would kick off on the weekend after Labor Day.
However, this decision seems to have been more about maximizing TV audiences than anything else. The NFL determined that starting the season on Labor Day weekend was not beneficial for this purpose, as people were generally busy with end-of-summer activities. But with talks of expanding the season to 18 games and adding a second bye week, it may be worth reconsidering this stance.
The world has changed significantly since the NFL moved the start of the season to the week after Labor Day. Technology has made it possible for people to watch games anywhere on their portable devices, and there is potential for opening weekend to become a five-night event, with games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Given that federal prohibition on Friday and Saturday games doesn’t begin until September 2nd, Labor Day weekend could be utilized for multiple standalone games.
While there is no indication that the NFL has revisited this idea, it may be something worth considering. Just as Thanksgiving and Christmas attract large audiences in football fans across America, opening weekend games on Labor Day could also draw in millions of viewers and generate significant revenue. By making more of this holiday weekend’s potential, the NFL could potentially enhance its season kickoff and engage fans in new and exciting ways.