Bears-Bucs to meet in London

For the second time in three seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play hosts to a football game in London.

The Bucs will have their home game with the Chicago Bears moved from Raymond James Stadium across the Atlantic Ocean. Tampa played the New England Patriots at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2009. The news was first reported by ESPN 1000 in Chicago.

The NFL is expected to announce the regular season schedule at some point this month, but no exact timetable is known. Typically, the game is played in late October. The league has been plagued by some lopsided matchups in London in the past few years. The Bears and Bucs figure to be an intriguing matchup. Chicago is a team that will generate interest in Europe.

The Bucs have a tie to England because owner Malcom Glazer also owns the English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United. But Glazer is more or less vilified there. The Bears played an international game last season, facing the Buffalo Bills in Toronto.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune