Sports: NFL maintains 16-game slate

But commissioner Paul Tagliabue said the league is still studying ways for the playoffs to include 12 teams and expects a decision shortly. A more likely scenario has the wild-card round being eliminated, reducing the postseason to three division winners and one wild card in each conference.

"We believe that the full 16-game regular-season schedule is vital to our fans and the integrity of our season," Tagliabue said. "Each team needs to be guaranteed the same number of home and away games plus an equal number of divisional games. The NFL Competition Committee was unanimous on this point."

The league considered a 15-game schedule and keeping the playoff format intact but decided there would be too many competitive disadvantages.

"I think it's the only equitable decision given the problem that a 15-game schedule would create," said Bucs general manager Rich McKay, the co-chairman of the competition committee. "I certainly hope that we don't lose playoff teams. But if we do, I still think it would be the best way to go given the inequities created by a 15-game schedule."

Among the ideas the league is considering is moving the Super Bowl back a week. The NFL is trying to locate organizers of an automobile convention in New Orleans to discuss switching dates with compensation, according to ESPN.

"We continue to work on keeping six division winners, six wild cards and our entire postseason format in tack," Tagliabue said. "Several options have been presented to us in recent days that would help us accomplish that. We will review them and make a decision shortly. If we cannot resolve our entire postseason lineup in a satisfactory fashion, we then will go to a system of six division winners and two wild-card teams for this one season only."

McKay did not sound convinced the NFL would find an alternative. "I don't know whether it's feasible or not," Mckay said. "But there are some other things we'll discuss over the next couple of weeks that would involve some unique scheduling approaches to still try and play these playoff games."

But Bucs coach Tony Dungy, whose team has been a wild card two of the past three seasons, said his team can rely only on winning the NFC Central.

"What we have to do is proceed with the idea that there won't be a full playoff season," Dungy said. "That will really put a premium on winning our division, which is the only way to ensure right now that you're going to be in. If it turns out that we do get the normal amount, we'll be happy with that."

With the Bucs game against Philadelphia moved to Jan. 6, Tampa Bay will finish with three consecutive home games.

"We've always finished strong," Dungy said. "We've liked the December games, and having December home games has been good for us."

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