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The NFL announced on Thursday morning that the Detroit Lions have been selected to take part in the league's 2014 International Series. This means that the Lions are going to play one of their games next season in London. Specifically, their road game against the Atlanta Falcons will take place at Wembley Stadium in London.
Here's what Lions president Tom Lewand had to say about the news (via a press release):
"We are excited for the opportunity to play on an international stage against a quality NFC opponent. It will be a different challenge for our football team; one that we fully embrace.
"The global platform also presents a unique and special opportunity for our fans and business partners to join us in sharing the many positive stories about the City of Detroit, the state of Michigan and the Lions."
As noted by the Lions in the press release, this won't be the team's first game outside of the United States. They actually played the Dallas Cowboys in London in a preseason game back in 1993 (they tied 13-13). Also, the Lions beat the Boston Patriots by a score of 22-9 in a preseason game in Montreal back in 1969. (This came after the Lions held training camp in Windsor in 1945.)
The date and time for the Lions' 2014 game against the Falcons in London is undetermined at this time. The same goes for the other two games in London for next season: Cowboys at Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders.