Last week, the NFL announced that the Los Angeles Chargers’ game against the Denver Broncos in Week 16 had been flexed from Sunday, Dec. 22 to Thursday, Dec. 19. It marked the first Thursday Night Football flex in NFL history.
Because it involved changing the day of the game, not just the time, the NFL made the decision with a 28-day heads up for fans (the usual flex window is 12 days). Having nearly a month to change plans won’t help fans who had booked non-refundable flights and hotels to attend the Broncos-Chargers game on the original date (or fans who planned to attend the originally-scheduled TNF game).
May Trask, the former CEO of the Raiders who now works for CBS Sports, has suggested that the NFL should reimburse fans when a TNF game is flexed.
“There are business reasons for flexing games, but I believe it appropriate to reimburse fans who can’t adjust to a schedule flex for reasonable out of pocket costs,” Trask tweeted on Sunday.
Thank you @fangsbites for watching TOPS @CBSSportsNet – as I shared this morning, there are business reasons for flexing games, but I believe it appropriate to reimburse fans who can’t adjust to a schedule flex for reasonable out of pocket costs. https://t.co/Z96zG4c5ZE
— Amy Trask (@AmyTrask) November 24, 2024
Trask is certainly not alone in her stance.
The NFL is doing a handful of fans wrong. Reimburse them in full. https://t.co/5DBQ5zzS2L
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) November 23, 2024
The NFL is unlikely to refund anyone. Traveling fans would be wise to only book refundable flights and not prepay for hotels in the second half of the season because the NFL’s flex scheduling caters to television ratings, not fans traveling to attend games in person.
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