Get ready for the NFL invasion this Labor Day weekend

The last regular-season NFL game was played on Labor Day weekend in 2001, when the logo still included the letter L. winding lineIt’s only a matter of time before the NFL reclaims the turf it vacated 23 years ago.

It’s inevitable. If/when (when) the NFL adds an 18th game, and if the NFL Players Association requests a second off, the dream of hosting the Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day weekend will only become a reality if the NFL starts operating on Labor Day weekend.

And that’s before the NFL pushes for a 19- or 20-game regular season, which will also happen. In time.

In the near future, the NFL will return to Labor Day weekend.

The league moved away from that as viewership dropped, thanks to people enjoying the last unofficial weekend of summer. People weren’t at home to watch games on TV.

Now they can watch anywhere, but on their phones. The numbers will still be high.

And with the ban on NFL games on Friday and Saturday nights (that is something for something (in the event of an antitrust exception for broadcasting that would not go into effect until the second Friday in September), the NFL could open each season with five nights of prime-time games — Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Sorry, college football. You’ll go back to being second fiddle on your debut weekend.

Don’t feel sorry for the college game. After flooding the airwaves on Saturday, mostly The Cornell-Hofstra MassacresThere’s one game today and one game tomorrow night. There should be college games in all windows, both days.

NFL games will soon be played on Labor Day weekend. Thursday night, Friday night, multiple Saturday slots (maybe three), multiple Sunday slots (definitely three), and maybe even multiple Labor Day slots.

Why have nine or ten games start at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday when they can be spread out in separate slots that will generate huge ratings? Especially since each team’s glass is half full at 0-0. People will flock to watch their favorite teams play.

We’re not advocating for it. We’re just anticipating it. And it’s just a matter of time before it happens. It’s kind of surprising that it hasn’t happened yet.