In their 42 seasons of existence, the Seahawks have climbed stairways to airplanes if not a Stairway to Heaven. They've traveled Over the Hills and Far Away, and they've faced Benny (Cunningham) and the Jets, though not at the same time.
Up to this point, however the Seahawks had yet to receive a London Calling. On October 14, however, Seahawks fans in the UK can finally get some Satisfaction and will no longer have to Imagine what it would be like to see the Seahawks in London, because the NFL announced Thursday that Seattle will play its Week 6 game against the Oakland Raiders in London, the first NFL game at the new home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, which will open later this year.
The Seahawks, who will be the road team against the Raiders, were one of six teams in the NFL to have not played in London heading into the 2018 season. Two other teams, the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles, will also make their London debuts next season, with the Eagles playing Jacksonville and the Titans facing the Los Angeles Chargers. Those games will take place in Weeks 7 and 8, though the dates have not been set. Ticket information will be announced by NFL UK on January 18. Fans interested in receiving the latest information on attending games in London should register at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/nfl.
The 2018 London Games Schedule:
|
Week |
Date |
Visiting Team |
Home Team |
Site |
|
6 |
10/14/18 |
Seattle Seahawks |
Oakland Raiders |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
7 or 8 |
10/21/18 or 10/28/18 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
Wembley Stadium |
|
7 or 8 |
10/21/18 or 10/28/18 |
Tennessee Titans |
Los Angeles Chargers |
Wembley Stadium |
This will be Seattle's first regular-season game overseas, though the Seahawks have left the country for a regular-season game, playing the Buffalo Bills in Toronto in 2012. The Seahawks have also twice left the United States for preseason games as part of the American Bowl series. In 1990, the Seahawks played the Denver Broncos in Tokyo, Japan, then in 1998 they faced the San Francisco 49ers in Vancouver, B.C.
"London is the international home of the NFL and I am really excited to welcome the world's best American football stars and their thousands of fans from around the globe back to our city," London mayor Sadiq Khan said in a press release. "I'm delighted Tottenham Hotspur's fantastic new stadium is joining the lineup of world-class sports arenas in our great city."
The NFL began playing regular-season games in London in 2007, and by the end of the 2018 season, the league will have played 24 regular-season games in London with 29 of 32 teams participating. The NFL and Tottenham Hotspur announced in 2015 a 10-year partnership to hold games in the new stadium, which will open this summer. The stadium features a retractable grass field with an artificial surfaces underneath that will be used for NFL games, as well as dedicated facilities for the NFL including locker rooms, medical and media facilities.
The NFL will announce the full 2018 schedule sometime this spring, though Seattle's 2018 opponents are already set.
So get ready, UK Seahawks fans, because while it's true that You Can’t Always Get What You Want, you can get a Seahawks game in London in 2018.
