Pro Football Hall of Fame game moves to Thursday night for 2017 event
After the mix-up during last year’s event, the Pro Football Hall of Fame decided to make a scheduling change to its annual event.
This year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame game will be held on Thursday, making the official start of the NFL season the first event in induction weekend, instead of the last, CBS Sports reported.
The move allows the field crew enough time to prep and paint the field for the game, a luxury they didn’t have last year with the enshrinement ceremony Saturday and the game on Sunday.
Because of the short turnaround last year, crews at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, were unable to get the field uncovered and painted with enough time for the paint to dry. The paint congealed and rubberized, resulting in a slick playing service unfit to play on.
The game will be played Aug. 3.