# Pro Football Hall of Fame Game

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is an annual National Football League (NFL) preseason exhibition game in Canton, Ohio, held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, part of the Hall of Fame Village and located adjacent to the Hall of Fame building. The first game was played in August 1962, the year when ground was broken for the Hall of Fame, and it was used as a fundraiser for the construction project.
The game is generally held early in August and is used to mark the opening of the NFL preseason. It is anticipated by fans as the first NFL contest since the prior season's Super Bowl, held nearly six months earlier.

## Team selection

The two teams that play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game are typically selected by the league in advance of the remainder of the preseason schedule. The participants are usually announced around the time that the new Hall of Fame members are announced, which coincides with Super Bowl week. Often, when a particularly notable player will be entering the Hall of Fame that year, a team with which he had been strongly associated may be selected to play in the game to help maximize attendance and publicity of the game itself.
From 1971 to 2010, the opponents for each game usually included one AFC team and one NFC team. In 2009, as recognition of the 50th anniversary of the American Football League, the game paired two AFC teams who were part of the "original eight" franchises of the AFL (1960), the Tennessee Titans (dressed as their previous incarnation, the Houston Oilers) and the Buffalo Bills, whose owner, Ralph Wilson, was inducted into the Hall that year. An all-NFC matchup was scheduled for 2011, but it was canceled by the lockout; the following year, another intra-conference matchup of two NFC teams took its place. From 2011 onward, each team selected to play in the game has had at least one prominent alumnus being inducted into the Hall that year.
Since the Hall of Fame Game and the Hall of Fame induction ceremony are scheduled for the weekend before the normal NFL preseason season starts, both teams end up playing an additional exhibition game compared to the remaining teams in the league (formerly four, three as of 2021).
The last four expansion teams added to the league all played in the Hall of Fame Game as their first game. In 1995, expansion clubs Jacksonville and Carolina played each other, and Houston appeared in 2002. When the new Cleveland Browns returned to the league in 1999 with a rebooted roster, they played in the Hall of Fame Game.
The Baltimore Ravens, officially established in 1996 as a result of the Browns' relocation, did not play in the Hall of Fame Game until 2018. With the Ravens' participation, all 32 current NFL teams have at least one appearance.

### Scheduling

Prior to the AFL–NFL merger, the Hall of Fame Game was played in August or September, in some cases at the end of the preseason. In 1970, it was moved to the beginning of the preseason. Prior to 2001, it was not uncommon for the game to be played in July. Since 2001, when the league permanently moved the start of the season to the weekend after Labor Day, the game has always been played in early August. In 2002, the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony was moved from the steps of the museum to the football stadium. This created a tight schedule between the ceremony and the game.
The 2011 game was originally scheduled between the St. Louis Rams and the Chicago Bears, but the game was canceled by an ongoing labor dispute that had disrupted nearly all league activity during the 2011 offseason. The two clubs had set a deadline of July 22 to ratify a resolution in enough time to prepare for the game: the league and players did not ratify the agreement until July 25, forcing cancellation of the game.
The 2016 edition, which was scheduled to be played between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts, was canceled at the last minute for unsafe playing conditions. Mike Silver of NFL.com reported that on the morning of the game, it was discovered that the logos at midfield and the end zones had been painted using paint which was not intended for use on the newly installed synthetic FieldTurf. Subsequently, the paint had not fully dried, and officials heated the field to speed up the drying process, causing its rubber infill to melt; the affected areas were described as being slick and "like cement," making it impossible to get decent footing. Stadium officials attempted to address this issue by applying paint thinner to the turf before a Packers employee alerted them to a label warning that the substance could result in burns when exposed to skin. In deciding to cancel the game, the league and the Players Association cited safety concerns.
Both teams were told at 6:40 p.m. EDT, eighty minutes before kickoff, that the game was going to be canceled. However, fans in the stadium only learned of the pending cancellation via social media, and no official announcement was made until just before the scheduled 8 p.m. kickoff, which was greeted by boos and jeering.
The next year, in 2017, the game was moved to Thursday night, making it the first event of the Hall of Fame weekend: the game was moved prior to the ceremony to prevent a repeat of the 2016 incident, and has been maintained since. Immediately following the game, the stage and seating area for the Hall of Fame ceremony are erected in the stadium.
The game in 2020, which was scheduled to be played between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as all other preseason games, was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The matchup was held over for the 2021 game.

## Television and radio

Unlike the majority of NFL preseason games, which air on local television stations, the Hall of Fame Game airs nationwide. From 1999 to 2005, the game was held on Monday night, televised as part of ABC's Monday Night Football package. It had previously been held typically on Saturday afternoons, except from 1963 to 1965 on Sunday afternoons, televised as part of ABC's Wide World of Sports package (still using the MNF crew). In 1998, the game was put in the MNF package, and played on a Saturday night, which served as a test run for the move to Monday night.
Since 2006, the game has largely aired on NBC as part of the Sunday Night Football package (which replaced MNF as the NFL's flagship primetime broadcast that season), except in 2007 (when NBC planned to air the China Bowl preseason game in Beijing, which was postponed and ultimately canceled) and in all Summer Olympics years (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024, 2028, and 2032) due to NBC's broadcast rights to the Games. In these years, the game is sold to one of the NFL's other media partners, such as NFL Network (under Thursday Night Football), ESPN (under the current iteration of Monday Night Football), and Fox. The 2024 game, which was broadcast by ESPN due to the 2024 Summer Olympics, was simulcast by ABC. CBS is presently the only network that has yet to air the Hall of Fame Game.

### 2010s

* 2010 (NBC) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Andrea Kramer
* 2012 (NFL Network) Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Stacey Dales
* 2013 (NBC) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
* 2014 (NBC) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
* 2015 (NBC) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Paul Burmeister
* 2017 (NBC) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy (4th quarter only), Michele Tafoya
* 2018 (NBC) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
* 2019 (NBC) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy (2nd half only), Michele Tafoya

### 2020s

* 2021 (Fox) Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi
* 2022 (NBC) Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, and Melissa Stark
* 2023 (NBC) Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, and Melissa Stark
* 2024 (ABC/ESPN) Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, and Laura Rutledge

## Game history

| Date | Away team | Away score | Home team | Home score | Recap |
| August 11, 1962 | New York Giants | 21 | St. Louis Cardinals | 21 | Recap |
| September 8, 1963 | Cleveland Browns | 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | Recap |
| September 6, 1964 | Baltimore Colts | 48 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17 | Recap |
| September 12, 1965 | Detroit Lions | 3 | Washington Redskins | 20 | Recap |
| August 5, 1967 | Cleveland Browns | 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | 28 | Recap |
| August 3, 1968 | Dallas Cowboys | 24 | Chicago Bears | 30 | Recap |
| September 13, 1969 | Green Bay Packers | 38 | Atlanta Falcons | 24 | Recap |
| August 8, 1970 | New Orleans Saints | 14 | Minnesota Vikings | 13 | Recap |
| July 31, 1971 | Houston Oilers | 6 | Los Angeles Rams | 17 | Recap |
| July 29, 1972 | Kansas City Chiefs | 23 | New York Giants | 17 | Recap |
| July 28, 1973 | San Francisco 49ers | 20 | New England Patriots | 7 | Recap |
| July 27, 1974 | Buffalo Bills | 13 | St. Louis Cardinals | 21 | Recap |
| August 2, 1975 | Washington Redskins | 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | 9 | Recap |
| July 24, 1976 | Denver Broncos | 10 | Detroit Lions | 7 | Recap |
| July 30, 1977 | Chicago Bears | 20 | New York Jets | 6 | Recap |
| July 29, 1978 | Miami Dolphins | 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | 17 | Recap |
| July 28, 1979 | Dallas Cowboys | 13 | Oakland Raiders | 20 | Recap |
| August 2, 1980 | San Diego Chargers | 0 | Green Bay Packers | 0 | Recap |
| August 1, 1981 | Atlanta Falcons | 10 | Cleveland Browns | 24 | Recap |
| August 7, 1982 | Baltimore Colts | 14 | Minnesota Vikings | 30 | Recap |
| July 30, 1983 | New Orleans Saints | 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27 | Recap |
| July 28, 1984 | Seattle Seahawks | 38 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0 | Recap |
| August 3, 1985 | New York Giants | 21 | Houston Oilers | 20 | Recap |
| August 2, 1986 | New England Patriots | 21 | St. Louis Cardinals | 16 | Recap |
| August 8, 1987 | San Francisco 49ers | 20 | Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | Recap |
| July 30, 1988 | Cincinnati Bengals | 14 | Los Angeles Rams | 7 | Recap |
| August 5, 1989 | Washington Redskins | 31 | Buffalo Bills | 6 | Recap |
| August 4, 1990 | Cleveland Browns | 0 | Chicago Bears | 13 | Recap |
| July 27, 1991 | Detroit Lions | 14 | Denver Broncos | 3 | Recap |
| August 1, 1992 | New York Jets | 41 | Philadelphia Eagles | 14 | Recap |
| July 31, 1993 | Green Bay Packers | 3 | Los Angeles Raiders | 19 | Recap |
| July 30, 1994 | San Diego Chargers | 17 | Atlanta Falcons | 21 | Recap |
| July 29, 1995 | Carolina Panthers | 20 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 14 | Recap |
| July 27, 1996 | Indianapolis Colts | 10 | New Orleans Saints | 3 | Recap |
| July 26, 1997 | Minnesota Vikings | 28 | Seattle Seahawks | 26 | Recap |
| August 1, 1998 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 30 | Recap |
| August 9, 1999 | Dallas Cowboys | 17 | Cleveland Browns | 20 | Recap |
| July 31, 2000 | New England Patriots | 20 | San Francisco 49ers | 0 | Recap |
| August 6, 2001 | St. Louis Rams | 17 | Miami Dolphins | 10 | Recap |
| August 5, 2002 | Houston Texans | 17 | New York Giants | 34 | Recap |
| August 4, 2003 | Green Bay Packers | 0 | Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | Recap |
| August 9, 2004 | Denver Broncos | 17 | Washington Redskins | 20 | Recap |
| August 8, 2005 | Chicago Bears | 27 | Miami Dolphins | 24 | Recap |
| August 6, 2006 | Oakland Raiders | 16 | Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | Recap |
| August 5, 2007 | New Orleans Saints | 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 20 | Recap |
| August 3, 2008 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | Washington Redskins | 30 | Recap |
| August 9, 2009 | Buffalo Bills | 18 | Tennessee Titans | 21 | Recap |
| August 8, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | Recap |
| August 7, 2011 | Canceled due to NFL lockout | Canceled due to NFL lockout | Canceled due to NFL lockout | Canceled due to NFL lockout | Ref. |
| August 5, 2012 | Arizona Cardinals | 10 | New Orleans Saints | 17 | Recap |
| August 4, 2013 | Miami Dolphins | 20 | Dallas Cowboys | 24 | Recap |
| August 3, 2014 | New York Giants | 17 | Buffalo Bills | 13 | Recap |
| August 9, 2015 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 | Minnesota Vikings | 14 | Recap |
| August 7, 2016 | Canceled due to poor field conditions | Canceled due to poor field conditions | Canceled due to poor field conditions | Canceled due to poor field conditions | Ref. |
| August 3, 2017 | Arizona Cardinals | 18 | Dallas Cowboys | 20 | Recap |
| August 2, 2018 | Chicago Bears | 16 | Baltimore Ravens | 17 | Recap |
| August 1, 2019 | Denver Broncos | 14 | Atlanta Falcons | 10 | Recap |
| August 6, 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Ref. |
| August 5, 2021 | Dallas Cowboys | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | Recap |
| August 4, 2022 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 11 | Las Vegas Raiders | 27 | Recap |
| August 3, 2023 | New York Jets | 16 | Cleveland Browns | 21 | Recap |
| August 1, 2024 | Houston Texans | 17 | Chicago Bears | 21 | Recap |

### Notes

* ↑ The 1980 game was called with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter due to lightning.
* ↑ The 2003 game was called with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter due to lightning.
* ↑ The 2011 game was scheduled to be between the St. Louis Rams and the Chicago Bears, but was canceled due to the NFL lockout.
* ↑ The 2016 game was scheduled to be between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts, but was canceled due to poor field conditions.
* ↑ The 2020 game was scheduled to be between the Dallas Cowboys versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
* ↑ The 2024 game was called with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter due to lightning and torrential rain.

## Appearances

| Team | Games | W | L | T | PCT | Last appearance |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 2021 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 | 2021 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | 2024 |
| Cleveland Browns | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 2023 |
| Washington Redskins/Commanders | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2008 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .700 | 2014 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 2012 |
| Arizona/St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .300 | 2017 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 2019 |
| Denver Broncos | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 2019 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 2015 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2006 |
| Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2008 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .375 | 2003 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 2013 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 2014 |
| Las Vegas/Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2022 |
| New England Patriots | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2000 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2000 |
| Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2001 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2003 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 1991 |
| Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2009 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2010 |
| New York Jets | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2023 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1997 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1998 |
| Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | 1994 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 2022 |
| Houston Texans | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 2024 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1995 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2018 |
* Most appearances
   * 7 – Dallas Cowboys (1968, 1979, 1999, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2021)
   * 7 – Pittsburgh Steelers (1963, 1964, 1983, 1998, 2007, 2015, 2021)
* Fewest appearances
   * 1 – Baltimore Ravens (2018)
   * 1 – Carolina Panthers (1995)
* Most wins
   * 5 – Chicago Bears (1968, 1977, 1990, 2005, 2024)
   * 5 – Washington Redskins/Commanders (1965, 1975, 1989, 2004, 2008)
* Longest active streak without Hall of Fame Game appearance
   * 32 seasons – Detroit Lions (last appearance in 1991)
   * 29 seasons – San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (1994)
   * 28 seasons – Carolina Panthers (1995)