Seahawks' Championship Opener Faces a Wednesday Night Problem
The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks might have to open their title defense on a Wednesday night, Sept. 9, but here's the catch: the Emerald City has a scheduling collision waiting to happen. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal's Joe Flint on Tuesday, the NFL is planning to move its traditional Thursday night season opener to Wednesday so they can slot the San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams matchup in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday instead. Sounds good in theory, right? Except Seattle has two massive problems with that plan.
The Double-Booking Nightmare
First issue: the Seattle Mariners are scheduled to play the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park at 6:40 p.m. that exact night, in the second game of a three-game series. Second issue: Lumen Field is already booked. The Seattle Sounders are set to host Sporting Kansas City at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. So you've got the Hawks trying to defend their championship while their home stadium is occupied by soccer, and the ballpark across the street is hosting baseball. That's not a scheduling conflict. That's a disaster.
A Familiar Precedent
This has happened before, actually. The Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII and had to open the 2013 season on the road against the Denver Broncos because of a scheduling conflict with the Baltimore Orioles game. M&T Bank Stadium sits right next to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, just like how Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park are neighbors in Seattle. History might repeat itself here, forcing the Seahawks to hit the road for their opener.
We won't know the NFL's decision anytime soon. The league typically announces the full regular season schedule in mid-May, either Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, the defending champs are in scheduling limbo. One of the strangest problems to have after winning it all.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.