NFL Schedule Change = NASCAR schedule change?

Posted on March 27th, 2009. Written by Emmett Jones.

Most of you have probably heard by now that the NFL is at least in preliminary discussions to extend their regular season from 16 to 18 games, eliminating two of those extremely exciting, pulse pounding preseason games.  What you may not have known is that there is one sport that is watching the NFL’s moves with baited breath.  That sport is NASCAR…and apparently, a move might not be the worst idea.

The suits who run the NFL appear to be close to extending their season deep into February, adding games here and there in an attempt to feather their bed even more. The NFL is the Godzilla of professional sports and, even in this sour economy, can do generally whatever it wants. It might be the personalities, the uniforms, the team logos, the competition – whatever. It’s working.

Now the NFL is threatening to put its Big Event, the Super Bowl, on the same Sunday as NASCAR’s Big Event, the Daytona 500. If the NFL season is extended – and there is every reason to believe it will, the moneychangers having seen the potential of a longer schedule – it is very possible that the huge television event that is the Super Bowl will wind up on the mid-February Sunday NASCAR always has reserved for its version of the Super Bowl.

In this scenario, NASCAR probably would be forced to push its season-opener at least a week later on the calendar, and that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Chances are central Florida weather would be a touch better, and teams would have another week or so to tinker with their cars. One of the precious off weekends during the year probably would be lost, but, to coin a phrase, it is what it is.

NFL versus NASCAR…probably not an exciting show down, seeing as how the Super Bowl dwarfs every sporting event in America (the only thing close is probably the NCAA Tournament).  But, besides the fact that NASCAR would undoubtedly lose some of its fan base if the events were held on the same day, there is also the precarious position of some of the sponsors of the event; Sprint sponsors both the NFL and NASCAR.

“If we end up in a position where the two marquee events for both sports are the same day, then we’re going to have to start asking questions about are we able to extract the best possible value from both sponsorships,” said Steve Gaffney, Sprint’s director of sports and entertainment marketing. “We don’t know that it’s going to be the case – it’s [probably] three years down the road, so there’s a lot of things that have to happen.

“But it does get to a question because there are many of us who are partners of both sports, we’d have to say, ‘Can we extract that value that we expect … from both of these sports if their marquee event is exactly on the same day?’ ”

“I have a hard time believing that would be beneficial to a partner in both sports,” Gaffney said.

Even if NASCAR wouldn’t admit it, and they probably would, moving the Daytona 500 is clearly the best option.  Better for your fan base, better for your sponsorship partners, better for the weather…But is it a moot point?  Sure, the NFL brass want to extend the season, there’s even been talk of playing some of those new regular season games on neutral international fields (Continuing the idea of a global sports economy), but there might be one severely large hang up.  Broadcast partners? No. Continuity among the owners regarding scheduling and revenue? No. Collective Bargaining Agree….AH!  The owners opted out of the CBA, leaving 2010 as an uncapped season, and leaving 2011 as a virtual no man’s land.  And sure, while everyone can say that they just have to renegotiate a new CBA, the sides (at least before incoming director DeMaurice Smith took the job) were at a fairly substantial impasse.

So, all of you NASCAR fans that were depressed or excited about a potential moving of the Daytona 500…I guess the only that that I can really say to you is, “wait and see”.

SceneDaily — The NFL toys with the Daytona 500

SceneDaily — Daytona 500 date likely to change if NFL moves Super Bowl to traditional Daytona weekend

1 Responses »

1. 

   Lacresha Felipa

   March 20, 2010 • 3:04 pm

   Nascar rules! I just wish that Dale was doing better this year.

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