How do they determine NFL schedules?

Question

Pre-season and regular season?

Is it random (besides division games)? or is it based on how they did last year, or something else?

Answer 1

It rotates and every year you. Like last year the NFC North played the NFC East and the AFC West, and this year they play the AFC SOUTH and the NFC South, Then Next year the NFC north will play the AFC north and the NFC West  and also 2 more games it will rotate with teams in a division within their conference but 1 each from the other division division they are not already playing so this year your bears will play all 4 nfc south teams as well as 1 nfc east team and 1 nfc west team and that will also rotate, it is easy once you understand it more

Answer 2

You always have your division games and then 6 from the AFC and 6 from the NFC

Answer 3

the NFL season is based upon a schedule rotation.  it is not based solely upon the previous season's performance as it once used to be like that.  the rotation was planned from 2002-2009.  you may notice how every team in your division plays the same teams, with the exception of 2 additional teams.  for example, the NFC North teams this season play the AFC South and NFC South teams.  in 2004, the NFC North faced the AFC South.  the teams that played home in 04' will play away against those same teams this season.  when you take those 8 games, the 6 division games you play, you have 2 games left over. those 2 games are based upon the previous season's performance.  

i am not exactly for sure in how Preseason games are scheduled.  i know some teams schedule it on a more consistent basis each season, such as the Packers and Titans seem to play each other each Preseason.  a lot of persistence for teams wanting to play each other can make things happen for a scheduled Preseason matchup.

as far as when the teams play each other during the Regular Season, that is determined during the offseason.  i have a link for this information saved on my old computer, but considering i'm on a new one, i dont have it.  just google "NFL Schedule Rotation."  you should find more answers there.  this will include why the schedule rotation was introduced.

Answer 4

Helovajob has the correct answer. The others are totally wrong. I read about how the NFL determines the schedules and it is exactly what he said.

Answer 5

I don't know about Pre-season. The regular season is like this: You play each other team in your division twice every year, then you play every team in one division of the opposing confrence. Then they just pick other teams. To get a more in-depth look at the schedule formula go to www.nfl.com.

Answer 6

U face ur division twice, and all out of conference teams u face every 4 yrs... ex. Nfc east wnt face afc east till 2011...

Answer 7

the teams u played this year in pre-season they will play in last 4 games of next season

then they put 2 games each agenst your divsion opponents

Answer 8

Basically what chaboy said.  Here's how it goes:

Your team will obviously have their division opponents twice each, so there's 6 games.

Next, they play an entire division from within the conference.  For example, the AFC North this year plays the AFC South, so there's another 4 games.

Next, they play an entire division from the opposite conference.  For example, the AFC North this year plays the NFC East, so there's another 4 games.  So far, that is 14 games.

The last two are against teams from the other two divisions from the same conference that are not up in the rotation.  In this example, the AFC North team has the AFC East and AFC West.  Those games are decided by the teams finish the previous year.  Division champions play division champions.  Second place plays second place, etc.

That is how the opponents are determined.  Home field, in case you are wondering, is also on a rotation basis.