Imagine an NFL European Division with four teams playing each other, while U.S.-based NFL teams make regular trips overseas.
The man who could help make that possible, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, had no problem envisioning that scenario Saturday. Speaking to reporters a day before the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants meet in London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Goodell said London can support two NFL franchises.
“There’s no question that London could support not just one franchise, (but) I think two franchises,” Goodell said. “I really believe that. That’s from a fan perspective, a commercial standpoint, and a media standpoint.”
But when an NFL reporter based in the UK jokingly asked about adding an NFL European division, actually drawing chuckles from reporters, Goodell embraced the thought.
“That’s part of what we’re doing, right?” Goodell said. “We’re trying to sort of see, could you have multiple locations in Europe where you could have an NFL franchise? Because it would be easier as a division.”
There’s been talk of adding one or two London franchises for years. Some observers say the move is inevitable because the potential revenue is just too lucrative to ignore. But having only two teams based in London could pose scheduling difficulties, with the two teams frequently flying back and forth across the Atlantic. U.S. teams would also be forced to travel more. But franchises in a four-team NFL European division could spend almost half their season playing division games, cutting down on travel.
Besides London, other European cities that have been mentioned in the past as feasible NFL franchise sites include Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Spain, and Frankfurt, Germany.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.