NFL Approves Playoff Expansion, CBS To Air Extra Wild Card Game

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(CBS Local)- The National Football League announced Tuesday that its member clubs voted unanimously to approve an expansion of the playoff field to 14 teams for the upcoming 2020 season.

The vote, which was held remotely, follows the recommendation of the league's Competition Committee, Management Council Executive Committee and Media Committee.

The two additional Wild Card teams, one per conference, will face off with the No. 2 seed in their respective conference on Wild Card weekend. CBS will air one of the additional games on January 10, 2021 at approximately 4:40 p.m. EST/PST. In addition to the over-the-air telecast, the game will be streamed on CBS All Access. A separately produced telecast that is more kid friendly will air on Nickelodeon.

The matchups for the Wild Card round of the playoffs will now see the No. 2 vs No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5 teams square off. The last time that the NFL expanded the playoff field was in 1990 when the league moved from 10 teams to 12.