There is quite a bit of difference in the number of football games in a season depending on the level of play. There is also a lot of debate about how many games should be played in a football season. Some people think there are too many, and some people think there should be more.
This debate is one that is argued by players, coaches, league management, and people in the media. No matter what the opinions are, I’m not sure there is a clear cut reason to side with one way or the other.
People that want more games could be motivated by financial reasons, and those that do not want more games added to the season are concerned for injury or burn out of the players. The NFL is a union based league, so some of the decisions are negotiated through the players union.
How many football games in a season? In this article, we will take a look at the different levels of football, and as we look at the lower levels of high school, we have to take into account each state that is represented. The NFL, NCAA, and high school football all have different length seasons, and for several different reasons.
How Many Football Games In a Season?
The NFL season is 17 weeks, but every team in the league gets a bye, which means they have one week where they do not play. The regular season consists of 16 games for each team. There are 32 teams in the NFL, broken up into different divisions, each playing 16 total regular season games.
The lower levels, NCAA football, high school football, and youth football have a different amount of games than the NFL. NCAA typically has 12 regular season games, and high school ranges from 6-10 regular season games.
What Days does the NFL Play Games on?
This is an interesting one because it isn’t that consistent. Years ago, the NFL was very consistent and standard on the days of the week that games were played on. Years ago, the NFL played games on Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, and Monday night. It has changed quite a bit since then.
Today, the NFL plays much more than they used to. Most games were played on Sunday years ago, but anymore. The majority of games are still played on Sundays, however.
Games are played on Sunday afternoon starting at 1:00pm and then also there are games starting at 4:15pm. Additionally, there is also a game that starts at 8:20pm every Sunday.
Monday night football has been a popular staple of the NFL, with the idea of using two good teams each week. These games start at 8:15pm each week. The first week of the season there are two Monday night games, the second game a west coast game to account for the time difference.
The NFL added a Thursday night game, which is played at 8:20pm, and actually starts the week of football. This game is typically two teams that are rivals, or have been traditionally pretty competitive.
Occasionally there are some other games, played on Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening, depending on the year. There are also three games played on Thanksgiving Day. The Detroit Lions always play the early game, the Dallas Cowboys always play in the second game. The third game on Thanksgiving Day does not have a set team, and is different each year. This makes for a very exciting Thanksgiving Day for most people, and has become a tradition to watch in many households.
How Many Football Games in an NCAA Season?
The NCAA Division 1, or FBS, which stands for Football Bowl Subdivision, is also commonly referred to as division 1-A, typically plays 12 regular season games. Following the regular season, there is also a conference championship games, and for some teams, a bowl game as well. This brings the total number of games for some teams up to 14.
The two teams that play in the national championship play 12 regular season, a conference championship, a playoff game, and the national championship, which brings the total number of games to 15.
How Many of the NCAA Games are Within The Conference?
Most teams will play in 9-10 conference games, the rest of the games being played as non conference or independent. FBS teams are allowed to schedule non conference games with whoever they choose to play against, regardless of conferences.
The FBS currently has 10 conferences, as well as the “Power 5” conferences, which are the very well known conferences that are a part of the FBS. Included are the following conferences; Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
How Popular is College Football?
College football may be the most popular sport in America. Many of the big time FBS teams have stadiums that can accommodate over 100,000 people for a contest. The following for NCAA football is unprecedented, especially with the top teams in the nation.
Parents, students, and fans tend to travel with their teams as well, and the popularity is really an amazing thing. The excitement and passion for college football has been something that is great to watch, as people from all over come to support their favorite college teams. Although the talent level at the college level is much less than the professional level, the NCAA sees such a drastic difference in attendance than the NFL.
How Many Games are in a High School Football Season?
Depending on the state, there is a difference in the amount of regular season games played at the high school level. The most common number of regular season games for most states is 10. The regular season typically determines the postseason, and each state has a different qualification for entering the postseason.
Some states play less than 10 games, these include Kansas and Michigan, who play 9 regular season games. Minnesota limits their regular season games to eight, which New York high school regular season is only seven games.
Most states play only one game per week, many of them on the weekends, either Friday or Saturday. This makes for an exciting weekend of football during the fall. High school football has become a social event throughout America, one of the most exciting sports for years, and the popularity of high school football is huge.
Including the postseason, many high school football teams can end up playing 14-15 games in a season. In Ohio, for example, there are 10 regular season games, four playoff games, and one championship game. Ohio has their state championship games at the Canton Pro Football Hall of Fame stadium, a great venue for the final games.
How Does the Postseason Work?
Most states crown a state champion, as the road to the finals are very difficult and strenuous. This is the ultimate prize for high school teams, as each fall, they strive to make it to the big game.
One state, New Jersey, does not crown a state champion. New Jersey does have regional champions and that is as far as the recognize.
Typically the state championship games are played at neutral sites, whether at a college or NFL stadium. The reason for this is due to the high attendance for the state championship games. These stadiums can accommodate the crowd, and it also makes for a great experience for the young men that play football in the state championship games.
Junior High and Freshman Teams
Typically these teams will max out at 10 games. Usually these levels don’t end up playing that many games, as it is more common for these levels to play between 6-8 games throughout the season.
These levels are designed to be developmental, as these young adults learn the game, but are also still maturing and growing. As they grow, the objective is to prepare them to be able to move on to the next level, the varsity level.
Youth Teams
Youth teams typically will have a six game season. Some of them also have a playoff game to determine the champion. These seasons are typically much shorter, and cover a much less time span over the course of the season.
Most youth leagues have rules designed for the safety of the kids playing, and will limit the amount of days for practice. This is mainly to allow kids to concentrate on their school work, but also stay healthy and fresh as they continue to grow and mature physically.
What About Training in the Offseason?
This really is an integral part of developing young people into superior athletes. The science and research behind weight lifting and training has evolved dramatically throughout the years. Over the past 30 years, high school training for sports has become very demanding, as coaches require year round training to be at the top level physically.
Many states have rules about how soon after a season coaches can train players. In Ohio, for example, there is a 30 day no contact period, where coaches can not train their athletes until 30 after their season. This is to give kids a break and to let their bodies recover after a long, and sometimes grueling football season.
The college and professional levels are like full time jobs for many athletes, as they are year round and preparing for the sport of football. Many of the college level players are on scholarship, so this is as demanding as it gets.
Is Training in the Off Season Beneficial?
Training in the offseason is extremely important, but especially if done correctly and strategically. Training for muscle development and speed are crucial for success, and at the high school level, the most successful programs have great offseason attendance.
Training in the offseason allows young men to stay healthy, as football is a demanding a grueling sport. Training the body and mind has become an important part of the game, and those that train the hardest seem to last the longest on the field and during the season.
Training allows athletes to stay healthy if trained correctly. Although not all injuries are avoidable, training in the offseason will reduce the risk of injury in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Every level of football plays a different number of games. As the levels increase, the consistency of the number of games gets more consistent. The lowest level, of youth, the discrepancy is huge, and is dependant on the league rules, as well as city rules.
The NFL is consistent with 17 weeks, and each team playing 16 games. NCAA is also fairly consistent with 12 games being the standard. The high school level isn’t as consistent and does vary from state to state. The most common number of regular season games is 10.
The postseason for each level is different as well depending on the level and state. There are many different theories around the number of games and requirements for each level, some people concerned about playing too many games, and other wanting more games to be played.
Whatever level of football it is, there is one common theme; people love it and there is passion that comes with it. Football at all levels brings out the best. Whether you have six games or 16 games, football teaches so much about sports, teamwork, and life in general.