Owners Approve Resolution to Play As Many As Two Regular Season Games Outside the U.S. Annually

NEW ORLEANS--The NFL's team owners today approved a resolution to play as many as two regular season games outside the U.S. per year.

League officials said they will begin accepting bids from potential host venues in Mexico, Canada, Germany and England with the goal of selecting a site for a game next season by the Super Bowl in February. The plan is to play one game abroad next season and as many as two games abroad annually beginning in the 2008 season.

The league didn't put a timetable on selecting the teams that would be involved in next season's game.

"These are important decisions about our future, about growing our game and reaching new fans," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "... There are competitive issues. There are logistical issues... but we are talking about a limited number of games that we think will have a tremendous impact. It's in response to the growing fan interest in our game overseas."

Goodell's toughest task will be convincing teams to surrender home games. But the owners' resolution contains several provisions designed to aid him. Each club could designate one home game that could not be held in a foreign country. Games between divisional opponents could not be played outside the country unless both teams consented. Clubs playing an international game would have home games the week before and byes the week after.

"I think there's a pretty good feeling about that," Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said. "We're pretty comfortable with it. For us [the Broncos], we'd like to play in Mexico or Canada and not travel to Europe. From a league perspective, I think it's a good idea."

The owners' resolution also contains a provision that teams surrendering home games would be guaranteed of fees equal to their average revenues in their other home games.

"If we lose a home game, we'll be compensated for it," Bowlen said.

The league staged its first regular season game in a foreign country last season when the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers played in Mexico City. The game grew a crowd of 103,467, a record for an NFL regular season game. League officials discussed the possibility of playing a game in London this season but scrapped the plans. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to play a preseason game next year in China.

Under the resolution, the international games would continue at least through the 2011 season.

Goodell, like predecessor Paul Tagliabue, has made increasing the NFL's popularity globally a top priority.

By Mark Maske |  October 24, 2006; 9:18 PM ET  | Category:  League
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