NFL schedules will be released Thursday night

By Staff Reports

May 7, 2020 at 4:24AM
Vikings fan Zane Ziebell waved is sword on the plaza before kickoff against Washington at U.S. Bank Stadium. The 2020 schedule will be announced Thursday - but will games be played, and will there be fans?
Vikings fan Zane Ziebell waved is sword on the plaza before kickoff against Washington at U.S. Bank Stadium. The 2020 schedule will be announced Thursday - but will games be played, and will there be fans? (Brian Stensaas — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The NFL schedule will be released Thursday night as the league moves forward with plans for the 2020 season.

The schedule announcement (7 p.m., NFL Network) was delayed two weeks as NFL facilities are shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and teams plan minicamps that will be online only.

The Vikings already know who their 2020 opponents will be based on the league's rotating schedule. The opponents are:

Home and away: Chicago, Detroit Green Bay

Home: Jacksonville, Tennessee, Atlanta, Carolina, Dallas

Away: Houston, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Seattle

For 2020, NFC North teams will play each team in the AFC South and AFC North, and the other NFC North teams home and away. The Vikings also play the NFC East and West teams (Dallas and Seattle) who finished in the same place the Vikings did in the NFC North (second).

It's unclear whether the league will have a schedule that is flexible should the season be delayed because of the pandemic. Teams have not yet finalized their preseason schedules, either.

The Hall of Fame exhibition game between Dallas and Pittsburgh is scheduled for Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio. The Hall's induction ceremonies are Aug. 8 in Canton, although there are contingency plans for an expected delay. The Baseball Hall of Fame already has canceled its annual induction weekend set for July 23-26.

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