The precise day and time of the 49ers’ season opener depends on, well, which continent and time zone you’ll catch them in the NFL’s Australian debut.
Officially, they’ll be early risers down under against the host Los Angeles Rams, with a 10:35 a.m. start (AEST) on Friday, Sept. 11 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Back on the West Coast, that translates to 5:35 p.m. PT on Thursday night, Sept. 10.
Defending Super Bowl champion Seattle still gets to play the NFL’s first game of the season, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, against a to-be-announced foe at Lumen Field.
The NFL revealed during Super Bowl week last month that the 49ers and Rams would be dispatched as their Australian ambassadors, the first of a NFL-record nine international games next season.
Just prior to Wednesday’s official confirmation of the date and kickoff time, the NFL’s health and safety czar weighed in on how international games are an “incredibly important area” of the NFL’s growth that clearly adds stress to participating franchises.
“It’s a lot of give and take, certainly with the clubs,” NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said on a media conference call, ahead of next week’s annual league meeting in Phoenix.
“Many aspects that go into playing games overseas, and certainly from a business development perspective, how that’s advancing the league’s interests with fan base growth, with media deals, and all those other aspects that go into playing games,” Miller added. “But most importantly, playing the games in front of international fans and doing so in a way that reflects well on the NFL. So, it’s an incredibly important area of our business and growth and takes up a good amount of time during these meetings.”
Yet to speak up on the overseas opener is 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who will be available to the media with other NFC coaches Monday morning in Phoenix from the NFL meetings.
“Australia is pretty far,” 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey told this news organization before Pro Bowl practice. “I’d love to see how the schedule would work. Transparently, that might be a little too far.”
The 49ers will play another international game later in the season, perhaps late November or early December, in Mexico City.
When advised of such a potential doubleheader, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said in an exclusive interview: “That’s not fair. Then the NFL, I feel, is doing us a disservice. Because if we’re going to talk about health and safety, to do two international games like that is almost like playing three games in 13 days.”
Team officials from the 49ers and the Rams have embraced being pioneers in Australia.
“We are thrilled to kick off our season in Melbourne, enhancing an already historic moment for both the NFL and the Rams,” Stephanie Cheng, the Rams’ head of international, said on their website. “Every time members of our organization visit, including earlier this month, we see firsthand the growing excitement from folks across Melbourne in anticipation of this game. Not only will it be special playing the 49ers on a Friday morning in Australia, it also will be great for our fans back at home to be able to watch this matchup in primetime on Thursday night.”