The league begins collecting information from the clubs in January about any events that may create scheduling conflicts. The schedule makers will have to work around events that are already scheduled to take place in or near NFL stadiums - events that may compete with the games, put undue stress on the playing surface, or create traffic or logistical nightmares. The NFL schedule makers - Vice President of Broadcasting Michael North, Senior Vice President of Broadcasting Howard Katz, Senior Director of Broadcasting Blake Jones, Director of Broadcasting Charlotte Carey, Vice President of Broadcasting Onnie Bose, and Broadcasting Senior Coordinator Lucy Popko - must consider the fans, the league’s broadcast partners and many other factors when building the 272-game schedule that spans the 18 weeks of the NFL season and showcases the league’s best matchups and talent. The schedule makers consider bye weeks and travel to maintain competitive equity.Flexible scheduling helps showcase the best late-season matchups to the largest audiences.
Each spring, six NFL executives take on an enormous task: creating the NFL schedule for the next season.
