Due to scheduling guidelines, the National Football League has asked the Green Bay Packers to move their preseason finale with the Tennessee Titans.
Kicking off the Labor Day weekend at Lambeau Field, the rescheduled contest will take place Friday, Sept. 1, at 3 p.m. CDT. The Packers chose that time primarily to avoid conflicts with the region's Friday night high school football schedule.
Wisconsin is home to 459 high school football programs, and a large number of those teams are within 70 miles of Lambeau Field. Many of those schools have scheduled home games for that night. The Packers haven't forgotten frustrations expressed by local high schools due to conflicts with Lambeau Field preseason games in recent years.
Both the Titans and Packers had previously agreed to a 7 p.m. contest Aug. 31. But because that slot fell only 72 hours after the Packers' Monday night game at Cincinnati, Aug. 28 on ESPN, the NFL requested the date be moved back.
The Packers fully realize the impact any game change has on the region, and after the league asked for the change, the team chose the time it felt was best for the community given the proximity to Labor Day and the high school conflicts. The organization wanted to communicate the new kickoff time three and-a-half months before the contest to give fans as much time to adjust as possible.
-- PRESEASON SCHEDULE --
Sat., Aug. 12
9 p.m. (TV: state)
Sat., Aug. 19
ATLANTA FALCONS (Gold Pkg.)
(Midwest Shrine Game)
7 p.m. (TV: state)
Mon., Aug. 28
7 p.m. (TV: ESPN)
Fri., Sept. 1
TENNESSEE TITANS
(Bishop's Charities Game)
3 p.m. (TV: state)
-All times indicated are Wisconsin
