Blog Briefing Room

NFL commissioner wants to put Super Bowl on Presidents Day weekend

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday he wants the league to move to fewer preseason games so the Super Bowl would fall on Presidents Day weekend, a three-day weekend.

“I think we’re good at 17 [games] now, but listen, we’re looking at how we continue. I’m not a fan of the preseason. I don’t think we need preseason,” Goodell told ESPN host Pat McAfee before the second day of the NFL draft.

Goodell continued, saying he would rather replace a preseason game with a regular season game “any day” because that’s “just picking quality.”

Moving the league to have two preseason games and 18 regular season games is “not an unreasonable thing,” he said.

“That ends up on Presidents Day weekend, which is a three-day weekend, which makes the [game] Sunday night and you have Monday off,” Goodell said, with cheers erupting behind him.


Fans have increased their pleas for the big game to coincide with the observed federal holiday.

While he did not confirm when the idea could take shape, Goodell said it’s something he is supportive of.