By late September, even voters interested in the presidential election may be ready for some football as an alternative to politics. Yet two of the three televised debates between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton have been scheduled on nights when NFL games are to be broadcast, too.

The dates are Monday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 9 (the last debate is set for Wednesday, Oct. 19).

Had the debate commission wanted to minimize the number of viewers for the first two debates, it could not have done a better job. Millions of people will watch the hard hits on the field rather than those on the stage.

There are several alternative dates available for the debates. The commission should change its schedule.