Bears to play Bucs Oct. 23 in London
The Bears’ game in London, England, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium will be played Oct. 23, the NFL announced Monday.
Kickoff will be at noon Chicago time (6 p.m. in the UK), and the game will be televised live on FOX.
“To return to London to play an NFL game — this is going to be fun,” said Bears chairman Michael McCaskey. “I remember how enthusiastic the fans were in 1986 when we played in Wembley Stadium and defeated the Dallas Cowboys (in a preseason game). London fans were so welcoming and blended their traditions of singing soccer songs with the NFL-style of presenting games.”
“Playing abroad will be a unique experience for our players, and we embrace the opportunity to serve as ambassadors for our game,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “It should be an excellent matchup with two teams coming off double-digit-win seasons. We know Bears fans follow us from all over the world, and we look forward to playing in front of many of them in London.”
The game marks the first time the Bears have participated in the NFL International Series. The Bears have played six international games, but only one regular-season contest, in franchise history. They will play outside of North America for the first time since an exhibition game against the Steelers on July 27, 1997 in Dublin, Ireland. In addition to defeating the Cowboys Aug. 3, 1986, the Bears have also played contests overseas in Gothenburg, Sweden (1988) and Berlin, Germany (1991).
The matchup marks the second straight season the Bears will play an international game. They beat the Bills 22-19 in Torontolast season.
The Bears-Buccaneers contest in 2011 is the fifth time the NFL has held the International Series in the United Kingdom. Last season, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 24-16 at sold-out Wembley Stadium.
The Bears-Buccaneers matchup takes the place of the Bears’ road game in Tampa Bay.
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