NFL schedule release could become for May what the draft is to April

The NFL is just so much bigger than everything else in American sports. In an era where taste in just about everything is defined by niches, the National Football League attracts across all demographics and psychographics. It's in a place right now where there really isn't an offseason, but May and June are definitely the slowest months on the calendar.

The draft is over, free agency is pretty much settled and training camp is still a ways away. Other than OTAs and mini-camps, there is little to talk about. Enter the NFL schedule release, which is becoming an event in and of itself. Its already reached "announcement of an announcement" status, as the 2026 edition takes place this Thursday, May 14th at 8pm EST.

The full 18-week, 272-game slate will be revealed on NFL Network, ESPN2, and Fubo. Some higher profile games, like international contests and prime time broadcasts, have already leaked. Having the schedule released in mid-May every year is optimal for the NFL because there isn't much to compete against. Yes, the NBA Draft Combine is this week, and this class contains a lot of elite prospects, but it's not a true spectator event. At this point in the Stanley Cup and NBA Playoffs, most fans have already seen their respective teams eliminated.

As for Major League Baseball, we're still months away from the pennant races, so this isn't peak season for interest there either. And the two revenue-producing college sports (football and men's basketball) are both in off-season. In other words, this is portion of the sporting calendar which is a bit lacking, so the NFL schedule release has a tremendous opportunity to step up and fill the void.

They can really "make it a thing" in May, like the draft eventually became in April. After all, the draft wasn't always a hugely popular, mainstream sporting event. It began as a meeting in a hotel conference center room, not a spectacle for live broadcast. And for NFL social media teams, this is their Super Bowl week.

The Los Angeles Chargers have a reputation for including some savage attacks on their opponents in their schedule release videos. We'll all be waiting and pins and needles to see what they do when they get to the New England Patriots portion of the vid. How will they handle the Mike Vrabel situation?

Or will they go in a different direction?

This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: The NFL schedule release is becoming an event in and of itself.