A nationally televised contest and two trips west highlight the Green Bay Packers' 2008 preseason schedule. The preliminary schedule was communicated by the National Football League on Thursday.
Mon., Aug. 11
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Bishop's Charities Game
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Week 2
Time: TBA
TV: state
Week 3
Time: TBA
TV: state
Week 4
TENNESSEE TITANS (Gold pkg.)
Midwest Shrine Game
Time: TBA
TV: state
-All times Central; remaining dates and times to be announced
The Packers have designated the Monday Night Football preseason opener against the Bengals as the 48th annual Bishop's Charities Game, a charitable contest initiated in 1961 by Vince Lombardi and the Diocese of Green Bay that has raised more than $3.4 million. Green Bay and Cincinnati last met in the preseason in 2006, also a Monday night contest.
In the second weekend of NFL preseason action, Green Bay will travel west to take on the 49ers in San Francisco. The two clubs have not met in the preseason since 1975. The Packers then travel to Denver to face the Broncos in the third preseason contest. Green Bay and Denver last met in preseason action in 2001.
The Packers and Titans will close out the preseason at Lambeau Field in the 59th annual Upper Midwest Shrine Game. The tradition, which began in 1950, has raised more than $3.1 million for the Midwest Shrine's burn centers and hospitals for crippled children. Green Bay has won four in a row, and eight of its last nine, in the Shrine series. The two clubs will meet in the preseason finale for a seventh consecutive year, as the league allows teams to determine one of their preseason opponents.
Other than the Cincinnati contest, exact dates and times for the Packers' other three preseason games are to be determined. All three will be broadcast by CBS Sports and Green Bay's WFRV-TV (Ch.5), in conjunction with Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV, over a nine-station network throughout the state of Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Northeastern Minnesota. In addition to WFRV-TV and WTMJ-TV, the games are televised over WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire, Wis.; WYOW/ABC, Eagle River, Wis.; WJMN/CBS, Marquette, Mich.; and KQDS-TV/FOX, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis.
The league is expected to release the remainder of the regular-season schedule later this month.
The Packers will kick off the 2008 regular season at Lambeau Field in a Monday Night Football contest against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8, the 95th installment in the border rivalry. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
