The NFL typically announces the full divisional round schedule late on Wild Card weekend, once all Wild Card results are locked in, including the Monday night game if there is one.

When the schedule is announced

  • In recent seasons, the league has released the divisional round dates/times on Sunday night of Wild Card weekend, or immediately after the final Wild Card game finishes.
  • When there is a Monday night Wild Card game, the final pieces of the divisional schedule (especially for the team that plays Monday) are confirmed after that game so no team is stuck with an unfair short week.

Why they wait

  • Matchups depend on reseeding, so the league must know every Wild Card result before locking in times and TV slots.
  • Networks want the biggest brands and storylines in the best windows (late Sunday, prime time), so they wait to see which teams advance before finalizing.

What you can expect this year

  • For the 2025–26 playoffs, the divisional games are already blocked on the calendar for Saturday, January 17, and Sunday, January 18, with two games each day.
  • Exact team vs. team listings and kickoff times will be public shortly after the last Wild Card game ends, and will be pushed on the league site, major sports sites, and TV partners the same night.

Practical tip

  • If you’re planning travel or tickets, assume the general windows (Sat afternoon/night and Sun afternoon/early evening) and watch for the official release the night Wild Card weekend wraps up, especially after the Monday game if there is one.

Bottom line: the answer to “when will NFL divisional round schedule be announced” is: once all Wild Card games finish, usually Sunday night (or right after a Monday Wild Card game), with dates already set for that following Saturday and Sunday.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.