Bucks move home opener tip time to make room for Brewers' World Series night
The Bucks shifted their Oct. 23 home opener against the Bulls to 3 p.m. CT so it would not collide with the Brewers hosting Game 1 of the World Series that evening.
Why the Bucks are trending
People are searching the Bucks because the team just rearranged its own home opener around someone else's game. The Bucks announced Friday that their Oct. 23 opener against the Chicago Bulls will tip off at 3 p.m. CT instead of the originally scheduled 7 p.m. The reason sits a few miles from Fiserv Forum: the Brewers are hosting Game 1 of the World Series that same night, and the Bucks did not want their opener landing on top of it.
What is known is straightforward. The Bucks worked with the NBA league office to get the time change approved, and the move is confirmed for this one game. What is not yet known is who the Brewers will actually be playing, since that World Series matchup between the Guardians and the Rays had not been settled as of the announcement. Game 1 itself is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Brewers earned this scheduling favor
The Brewers clinched their first World Series berth since 1982 on Thursday, sweeping the Dodgers, the back to back defending champions, in the National League Championship Series. That is a 44 year wait ending in a city that is not exactly used to hosting two professional franchises on the same marquee night.
The Bucks leaned into that in their own statement, calling it a special moment for Milwaukee and sports fans across Wisconsin. They added that they are proud to clear the stage, and thanked the NBA for signing off on the swap.
What happens next
The Bucks open their regular season on the road Wednesday at Washington before coming home for the rescheduled 3 p.m. tip against the Bulls on Oct. 23. That is the only announced time change so far.
There is a second potential pinch point already on the calendar. The Bucks are set to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on the night of Oct. 31, which is also when a Game 7 of the World Series would be played in Milwaukee if the series goes the full distance. No change to that date has been announced yet, so it is one to watch if the Brewers push things that far.
The ripple effect is already showing up elsewhere in the state. Packers coach Matt LaFleur showed up to his Friday press conference in a Brewers cap and said plainly that he wants to support the Brewers.