An 11-game national preseason television schedule featuring a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIV and American Bowls in Tokyo and Mexico City was announced today by the National Football League.
ABC-TV kicks off the schedule with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Monday night, July 31 between the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers at 8:00 PM ET.
The game will be the conclusion to a weekend in which three former 49ers – RONNIE LOTT, JOE MONTANA and DAVE WILCOX – are inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with DAN ROONEY and HOWIE LONG.
It is the second consecutive Hall of Fame Game to be played on a Monday night. Last year’s – between the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys – was the highest-rated (10.1) Hall of Fame Game ever.
The rematch of Super Bowl XXXIV, won this past January 30 in Atlanta by the St. Louis Rams over the Tennessee Titans 23-16, takes place on Monday, August 14 when the Titans host the Rams on ABC-TV at 8:00 PM ET. Tennessee defeated St. Louis when the teams played in Nashville last season, 24-21.
On Saturday, August 5, the NFL returns to Tokyo with an American Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys to be televised on ESPN at 10:00 PM ET. It will be the 10th American Bowl in the Tokyo Dome (1989-96, 1998).
Mexico City returns to the American Bowl lineup in a nationally-televised game on Saturday, August 19 when the Indianapolis Colts take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on CBS-TV at 8:00 PM ET. Three American Bowls have been played in Mexico City, including in 1994 when the largest crowd to see an NFL game ever – 112,376 – watched Dallas face the Houston Oilers.
The preseason national TV schedule also features a rematch of Super Bowl XXXII when the Denver Broncos host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, August 13 on FOX-TV at 4:00 PM ET.
2000 NFL PRESEASON NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE
DATE |
GAME |
TIME |
NETWORK |
| HALL OF FAME WEEKEND | |||
| Monday, July 31 | Pro Football Hall of Fame Game | 8:00 p.m. | ABC |
| New England vs. San Francisco | |||
| at Canton, OH | |||
| PRESEASON WEEK 1 | |||
| Saturday, August 5 | American Bowl – Tokyo | 10:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Atlanta vs. Dallas | |||
| PRESEASON WEEK 2 | |||
| Friday, August 11 | New York Giants at Jacksonville | 8:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Saturday, August 12 | Buffalo at Detroit | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sunday, August 13 | Green Bay at Denver | 4:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Monday, August 14 | St. Louis at Tennessee | 8:00 p.m. | ABC |
| PRESEASON WEEK 3 | |||
| Friday, August 18 | Arizona at Minnesota | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Saturday, August 19 | American Bowl – Mexico City | 8:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Pittsburgh vs. Indianapolis | |||
| Sunday, August 20 | Tampa Bay at New England | 4:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Monday, August 21 | Green Bay at Miami | 8:00 p.m. | ABC |
| PRESEASON WEEK 4 | |||
| Thursday, August 24 | St. Louis at Dallas | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |