The Super Bowl-champion New York Giants will host the NFL's Thursday night season opener, with the game possibly starting an hour-and-a-half earlier to avoid clashing with the Republican National Convention.
The game is now scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4 - the concluding night of the Republican convention - and will be televised by NBC. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday that the NFL is talking with the network about changing the game's starting time to 7 p.m.
The Super Bowl winner traditionally hosts the game. While reports earlier this week indicated the opponent would be the Washington Redskins, a league spokesman would only say the matchup will be announced Monday at the owners' meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.
Other highlight games of the NFL's first weekend also will be announced Monday. The rest of the schedule will be announced later next month.
