Thanksgiving is an annual holiday tradition that can be documented all the way back to North American colonies in 1619. Over the years, Thanksgiving has become synonymous with football, as families around the United States gather to load their plates with food and watch teams battle it out on the gridiron.
Why does the NFL play annually on Thanksgiving? Here’s a look back at the league’s historic tradition.
How Long Has the NFL Played on Thanksgiving?
The NFL has played games on Thanksgiving dating back to the league’s inception in 1920. Yet, the annual tradition of playing at least one game on Thanksgiving with national coverage began in 1934, thanks to the first owner of the Detroit Lions, George A. Richards.
Richards started the idea of playing annually on Thanksgiving as a way to get people to attend Lions games. While other teams previously attempted to draw interest by playing on the holiday, Richards owned radio station WJR, which eventually allowed him to negotiate an agreement with NBC to carry Detroit’s Thanksgiving games live across the network.
Thanks to Richards’ efforts on the national holiday, the NFL has now grown Thanksgiving into one of the biggest days in sports each year. The league has expanded the holiday’s slate from one game to three, making Thanksgiving football an all-day spectacle.
What Was the First NFL Game Played on Thanksgiving?
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first NFL game ever played on Thanksgiving was on Nov. 25, 1920. The Akron Pros defeated the Canton Bulldogs by a final score of 7-0. It was a historic matchup that is regarded as the springboard moment for the NFL’s tradition on Thanksgiving.
Akron was led by Hall of Famer Fritz Pollard, the first African-American quarterback in the NFL. Pollard and the Pros were able to outduel Hall of Famer Jim Thorpe, regarded as the first superstar of professional football, and the Bulldogs.
Which NFL Teams Always Play on Thanksgiving?
Both the Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have traditionally played on Thanksgiving. The Lions have played on the national holiday dating back to 1934, while the Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving since 1966.
Both Detroit and Dallas have been involved in the NFL’s two-game slate on Thanksgiving since 1970, but the league expanded to a three-game slate in 2006. Detroit and Dallas have continued their tradition to host Thanksgiving Day games, while the third game rotates each season.
In 2024, the Lions will host the Chicago Bears, while the Cowboys will host the New York Giants. Meanwhile, for the first time in the NFL’s history, the third game on Thanksgiving has been designated as an “extra” inter-conference game between the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers.