National Football League

NFL looking to extend regular season

Published Mar. 26, 2009 3:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

The National Football League ended its annual meeting Wednesday with the major focal point being discussion about increasing the regular season to 17 or 18 games.

"We are looking at a variety of formats for restructuring," Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the conclusion of the meetings. "Our goal is to improve the quality of what we're doing."

That is as much about decreasing the number of preseason games, which Goodell acknowledged are not quality games, as adding to the regular season. The latter, of course, is a way "to grow the game," according to Goodell, as well as create additional revenue.

No vote occurred at this meeting, although Goodell said "camps are definitely forming" with those that favor 17 or 18 games. It's possible, although not definite, that a vote could come at the league's spring meeting in May.