Thursday Night Football opener in jeopardy with Ravens-Orioles schedule conflict

Harry How

The Baltimore Ravens could open their season on a Wednesday.

As Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens are scheduled to open their title defense in the first game of the NFL's 2013 season, which is set for Thursday, Sept. 5. However, like the 2012 season opener, next season's kickoff game could be moved due to a scheduling conflict. Unlike last year, the season won't open on the first Wednesday of September, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post.

The NFL has ruled out playing the opener on Wednesday night, Sept. 4 because of Rosh Hashanah.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) March 18, 2013

For more on the Ravens: Baltimore Beatdown

In 2012, the first game of the season was bumped up to avoid head-to-head competition with President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. The defending Super Bowl champ New York Giants fell at home to the Dallas Cowboys, 24-17.

Next year's opener is set to face a more localized conflict. The Ravens are in line to host the Week 1 game, with kickoff likely scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. The Baltimore Orioles have a home game that evening against the Chicago White Sox, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Ravens president Dick Cass told the Baltimore Sun last month his team and the Orioles would find a resolution to the conflict:

"We've made contact with the Orioles," Cass said. "We recognize the issue. We are confident we can work it out with the Orioles."

One of the by-laws introduced by the NFL's competition committee last Thursday bumped up the final roster cut-down from the last Saturday before the regular season to the last Friday, per Maske. That change would have allowed for a Wednesday night opener for the second-straight year. But that won't be happening. Whether or not the game will be pushed back to the weekend, or if the Orioles will adjust their schedule, is not yet known.

The Ravens' season-opening opponent as not been determined.