GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) -The NFL and the Green Bay Packers announced today that the Packers will play an international regular-season game for the first time in 2022, with a matchup set for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The date and opponent have yet to be determined.
Last year, as part of the League’s expansion of the regular season to 17 games, it was determined that, beginning with the 2022 season, up to four of the teams from the conference whose teams were eligible for a ninth regular-season home game would instead be designated to play a neutral-site international game each year.
“The Green Bay Packers are excited to make our international debut during the 2022 season,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said.
“Our fans in the UK and elsewhere in Europe have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to see the Packers play in their backyard and that desire becomes a reality this season. It will be an honor to represent the NFL, as well as Green Bay and the state of Wisconsin, internationally. This will be a great opportunity to introduce Green Bay and our area to an international audience and encourage fans in the UK to visit us in person at Lambeau Field and Northeastern Wisconsin. We’re looking forward to playing in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and reconnecting with their organization after they visited Lambeau Field prior to building their new stadium in 2016.”
With the matchup set for London, the Packers will become the 32nd NFL team to play in the city since 2007. Previously, the Packers have played internationally during the preseason on three occasions: in Toronto in 1997, Tokyo in 1998 and Winnipeg in 2019. The latter of which was played on a shortened 80-yard field at the home of the CFL’s Blue Bombers due to complications with reconfiguring the 110-yard CFL field to NFL standards.
Because the game will not be played at Lambeau Field, it will be considered a neutral-site international game. The normal allotment of regular-season games will be designated for Green (six) and Gold (two) package ticket holders. Therefor, Green Bay will play two road preseason games, one home preseason game, eight games each at home and on the road in the regular season, and one international game for which they are the designated home team.
As part of the NFL’s season restructuring to 17 regular season and three preseason games, the league can now mandate that teams from the conference that plays a 9th home game in the regular season give up one such game to play internationally. That was the case with the Packers, who have traditionally not given up home games to play abroad because of their ownership structure. Meanwhile, teams hosting Green Bay have been reluctant to give up the cash flow that comes with hosting their hearty traveling fan base.
More information about how the enhanced NFL schedule and the international games impact Season Ticket Holders is available at packers.com/tickets.
The NFL today announced initial information about the 2022 international games. Details of the dates, matchups and kickoff times will be confirmed as part of the full schedule announcement later this year. Ticketing, travel package information and fan engagement activities are still being finalized and will be announced at a later date.
