Schedule set: The National Football League released its new scheduling rotation for the next eight seasons. In effect, all teams know the identity of 14 of their 16 opponents through 2009.

In the 32-team realignment, the Packers will begin play next year as a member of the NFC North with Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit. They will play six games against those teams each year, home and away.

The Packers also will play the same four teams from another division in the NFC on a rotating three-year cycle (four games) and the same four teams from a division in the AFC on a rotating four-year cycle (four games).

In addition, they will play two games against teams from the other NFC divisions that they aren't playing that season. These games will match first-place teams, second-place teams, third-place teams, etc.

Here is the Packers' non-divisional schedule for the next eight years:

2002: Home games against Atlanta, Carolina, Buffalo, Miami and a team from the NFC East; road games against New Orleans, Tampa Bay, New England, the New York Jets and a team from the NFC West.

2003: Home games against San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Kansas City and a team from the NFC East; road games against Arizona, St. Louis, Oakland, San Diego and a team from the NFC South.

2004: Home games against Dallas, the New York Giants, Jacksonville, Tennessee and a team from the NFC West; road games against Philadelphia, Washington, Houston, Indianapolis and a team from the NFC South.

2005: Home games against New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and a team from the NFC West; road games against Atlanta, Carolina, Baltimore, Cincinnati and a team from the NFC East.

2006: Home games against Arizona, St. Louis, New England, the New York Jets and a team from the NFC South; road games against San Francisco, Seattle, Buffalo, Miami and a team from the NFC East.

2007: Home games against Philadelphia, Washington, Oakland, San Diego and a team from the NFC South; road games against Dallas, the New York Giants, Denver, Kansas City and a team from the NFC West.

2008: Home games against Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Indianapolis and a team from the NFC East; road games against New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Tennessee and a team from the NFC West.

2009: Home games against San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Cincinnati and a team from the NFC East; road games against Arizona, St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and a team from the NFC South.

As a result, the Packers will have played every team in the NFL from 2002-'05 and will have hosted every team during the eight-year rotation.

A team's record from the previous year will have less of a bearing on its schedule with only two, rather than four, games being based on the previous year's standings.