Apparently, MLB has mandated the AFL begin on the first full week of October no matter what, so we’re a week behind last year’s schedule. Not sure why that is but between the coup d’état of 2020-21 and the current lapdog commmissioner* it’s pointless to wonder.
* Let’s face it: If the Pete Rose scandal happened in 2024 instead of 1989, DraftKings would be taking bets on the number of games he would have been suspended.