How do they make the NFL schedule?

Answer 1

Per the NFL Operations website, the schedule is created by computers and 4 league officers. The league officers are Senior Vice President of Broadcasting Howard Katz, Director of Broadcasting Blake Jones, Manager of Broadcasting Charlotte Carey and Senior Director of Broadcasting Michael North .

From the NFL Operations website operations.nfl dot com :

"A formula determines each team's opponents every year, and a rotating schedule ensures that every team plays each of the other 31 at least once in a four-year period.

It takes hundreds of computers in a secure room to spit out millions of possible schedules - a process that sets the stage for the schedule-makers to begin the arduous task of picking the best possible one."

Answer 2

Well, first, each team plays six games within it's division, Just as an example, we'll use the 2009 Denver Broncos roster:
Denver plays 2 games against: San Diego, Kansas City and Oakland.


Next, they choose another division from each conference to play.
So for the entire AFC West, they play the AFC North and the NFC East.
Denver plays 2 games against: San Diego, Kansas City and Oakland,
As well as one game against: Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland (AFC North)
And one game against: New York Giants, Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington.


Finally, the last two games are played against the other two in-conference teams that finished in the same place in their divisions. Denver finished second behind San Diego, and since they already play Baltimore, who finished 2nd behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North, they play the teams that finished second in the AFC South, Indianapolis, and the AFC East, New England.


So for example Pittsburgh would play:
Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinnati twice, the AFC West (Denver, San Diego, Kansas City, Oakland) and the NFC North (Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Detroit) once, and then the other two first place finishers in the AFC: Tennessee and Miami.


Detroit, who finished last in the NFC North plays:
Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota twice, the AFC North (Pitt, Bal, Cin, Cle) and the NFC West (Sea, SF, Az, StL) once, and the other two last place finishers in the NFC: New Orleans and Washington.

Answer 3

There is a group of specific schedule makers in each league that create the schedule for their sport. The NHL is no exception as a committee creates their league schedule.