NFL football finally feels like it is on the way, but there is still quite a bit that needs to get done before the Minnesota Vikings take the field for the season opener. Minicamp, training camp, and the preseason are all big milestones, but there is another major event that gets a lot of attention from fans. Not to mention the team needing to hire a full-time general manager.
The schedule release has become a major event for fans of every team, not just the Vikings. Although the opponents the purple and gold will face, as well as whether the game will be played on the road or at U.S. Bank Stadium, are already known, being able to start planning for big games.
Typically, those schedules are assembled around this time of year and are released around the middle of May. However, fans may need to be patient with the league since the release might be a little later than usual.
The 2026 NFL schedule could be released later than usual, which wouldn't make Minnesota Vikings fans happy.
CBS Sports released an article on Friday explaining the situation with the schedule release for the 2026 NFL season. In that piece, author John Breech expounded on the current issue, giving reasons the schedules for every team, including the Minnesota Vikings, could be delayed.
Pro Football Talk shared news that the NFL is working on a five-game package of games that are still up in the air for broadcasting rights. Until those games are finalized with the broadcasting rights in place, finalizing a schedule will be extremely difficult.
How late could the schedule release be? CBS Sports shared a quote from vice president of broadcast planning Mike North on the "It's Always Game Day in Buffalo" podcast, explaining when fans might see the schedules finalized and released.
"I don't think it's coming out in June, but that second week in May has been our target the last few years, but I don't know that it's impossible to think about that third week in May."
Minnesota Vikings fans should be optimistic that the 2026 NFL season schedule could be released in the third week of May. Of course, there is still a chance it could be done in the middle of the month, but the worst-case scenario is that broadcasting pushes the release to June. Hopefully, that isn't the case, and fans of the purple and gold can start planning their football trips as soon as possible.
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