NFL announces 2015 International Series games
The NFL announced on Thursday the six teams that will play in London next season as part of the league's annual International Series.
The Miami Dolphins will play the New York Jets Oct. 4, the Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 25 and the Detroit Lions will take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 1.
The Dolphins and Chiefs will serve as the home teams for the games, meaning they'll have just seven traditional regular season home games in 2015.
The Dolphins-Jets matchup will be the first divisional game ever played in London and it also marks the time Jacksonville will play an AFC opponent in London. The Jaguars lost to the San Francisco 49ers 42-10 in 2013 and play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
Miami played in London this season as the designated road team in a game against the Oakland Raiders, which the Dolphins won 38-14.
By giving up a home game to play in London, the Dolphins and Chiefs will reportedly be eligible to host a Super Bowl through 2020. NFL owners reportedly voted to require teams that host a Super Bowl to give up a home game and play in London over a five-year period encompassing both games.
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Super Bowl host stadiums have already been chosen through the 2017 season: the Arizona Cardinals' University of Phoenix Stadium this season, the San Francisco 49ers' Levi's Stadium in 2016, the Houston Texans' NRG Stadium in 2017 and the Minnesota Vikings' still-to-be-built Vikings Stadium in 2018.
The Vikings are reportedly exempt from the London rule. It's unclear if the other scheduled hosts are as well.
The NFL has been increasing its presence in London in recent years in possible preparation for a permanent London franchise.
This season marks the first time three games are being played in London, and it was reported last Sunday that the league is aiming to play games in the city in back-to-back weeks next season to help test the viability of a London franchise. A British official said last month that the country's government would support a London NFL team.
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The other game in London this season featured the Atlanta Falcons playing the Detroit Lions, with the Falcons serving as the designated home team.
- Ben Estes and Scooby Axson
