Saints Only Prime Time Game To Honor ‘Domecoming’ Legacy
The National Football League has officially released the complete schedule for the upcoming season. The New Orleans Saints received a playing calendar that features a notable lack of national television exposure. League executives assigned the franchise just one single prime time game for the entire regular year.
This lone night game will center completely on a historic franchise milestone. The league selected this specific broadcast date to honor the 20th anniversary of the post-Hurricane Katrina reopening of the stadium. The national sports spotlight will focus entirely on this commemorative football event rather than traditional season matchups.
Monday Night Football Pairs Rivals For New Orleans Milestone
The high-profile contest will take place on Monday October 5th when the Saints host the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans. This game marks almost exactly two decades since the famous 2006 return to the home stadium. The original matchup became a lasting symbol of recovery for the entire region after massive storm damage.
Football history records the 2006 event as the 'Domecoming' game. The most notable moment from that night was the Steve Gleason blocked punt...which now stands as a permanent statue outside the sports facility. The league built the current prime time television schedule specifically around this historical anniversary.
Saints Have As Many Games In France As They Do Prime Time Games
The single prime time appearance matches another unique scheduling element for the football team this season. The Saints will travel across the Atlantic Ocean for a regular season game in France. This international designation changes their standard home schedule rotation for the year.
The European matchup will take place during Week 7 of the season. Because of the geographic time difference, local football fans will experience a morning kickoff time for the television broadcast. This leaves the 'Domecoming' anniversary as the only nighttime national broadcast for the entire club.