How an 18th NFL Game Could Have Ripple Effect for PGA Tour Schedule

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Could the PGA Tour have to rearrange its schedule after the 2030 season?

Seems a bit early to discuss schedule changes six years down the road, but what if the NFL went to an 18-game regular season in 2030, likely moving its first game to late August instead of its current position in early September?

While fans would probably be giddy to see the NFL a week early, such a move would conflict with the PGA Tour season finale (the Tour Championship) and force the Tour to reassess its schedule so as not to compete with sports’ behemoth.

Josh Allen and his NFL brethren could be playing an 18-game regular season schedule in the coming years. 

Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour via Getty Images

In his press conference Tuesday at the Players Championship, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan mentioned some previous changes to the PGA Tour schedule, when moving away from football was high on the list.

“The work on these changes dates back to 2017 and includes the move of the Players to March, the PGA Championship to May, which subsequently allowed us to contest the three FedExCup Playoff events in August prior to the start of the NFL and college football seasons,” Monahan said.

So how significant would an additional NFL game be to the Tour?

With every week from early January to early September booked with golf, the Tour would have no wiggle room on the front or back end.

According to John Ourand of Puck, such a move by the NFL could not happen immediately since the networks just finished the first of an 11-year contract, of which the NFL has an opt-out clause in after the seventh year.

And even if the NFL opted out, the NFL’s Players Association would need to agree to add another game, which may be difficult.

When the NFL floated a move from 16 to the current 17-game season and eliminating the meaningless fourth preseason game, it took a revenue-share adjustment from 47 to 48.5% to bring the NFLPA kicking and screaming into a new agreement.

Moving 17 to 18 games likely would be just as difficult, and it’s unclear if the NFL owners would be willing to induce such an agreement with an additional percentage to the players, or if the players would accept an additional revenue bump.

No one can predict the future, but as the NFL goes others must adjust, and the PGA Tour would have to adapt to such a change, though what that change would be is anyone’s guess.