The NFL is heading back across the pond.
After playing a highly successful game in London last October, the NFL announced that it would return to the United Kingdom for a regular-season game in 2008 as part of the NFL's International Series of regular-season games.
"The game in London was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the entire 2007 season," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "The fan interest was tremendous. The passion they demonstrated for our sport that day continued throughout the season, as television viewership in the U.K. has grown by 40 percent since the game. We had an overwhelmingly positive response to the event from all involved – the teams, our sponsors and business partners and of course the fans themselves. We look forward to another spectacular event in 2008."
Details about the game -– including the venue and competing teams -– are expected to be confirmed during Super Bowl week (Jan. 28-Feb. 3) in Arizona.
In 2006, NFL owners approved a five-year plan to stage a limited number of regular-season games outside the United States. The series kicked off in London on October 28 when the New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins, 13-10, before a sellout crowd of 81,176 at Wembley Stadium.
The NFL played its first-ever regular-season game outside the United States on Oct. 2, 2005 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. A crowd of 103,467 –- the largest for a regular-season game in NFL history –- saw the Arizona Cardinals defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 31-14.
