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The NFL announced that the 2012 NFL schedule will be released on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST.
The season will kick off with a matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants on Sept. 5 at 8:30 p.m. EST. Via the NFL's release:
Though the league has traditionally opened its season on Thursdays, the 2012 opener will be played on a Wednesday so as not to conflict with President Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The Lions will open the preseason in Detroit against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 (Aug. 9-13), before a nationally-televised game on Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. The Lions will also play the Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders in the preseason.
For more on the Detroit Lions, check out Pride of Detroit. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NFL hub at SBNation.com/NFL.