Rooney: Steelers willing to concede home game to play in Mexico City

The Pittsburgh Steelers have never given up a regular-season home game in order to play outside the United States, but that could change with the prospect of playing in Mexico City looming.

The NFL is looking to expand its International Series and will play four games abroad this season - three in the United Kingdom and one in Mexico.

While forgoing a home game at Heinz Field may not be ideal, Steelers owner Art Rooney II says the team would be willing to do so in order to further the league's worldwide expansion.

"There will be a game in Mexico for the next three years, so like I said, we've kind of raised our hand for that one, and hopefully we'll get selected one of these years," Rooney said, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

There are few teams that are willing to give up a home game, so Rooney, who is part of the NFL's international committee, appears set on setting an example to the rest of the league.

"So, we're going to need maybe, let's say six to 10 at some point," Rooney said. "That's going to be a challenge to find that many games. I think that's going to get a lot of discussion at this meeting in terms of where we're going with that."

Rooney admitted that fans wouldn't be very happy with the prospect of losing a home game, with the Steelers selling out every game at Heinz Field since 1972.

"We only have a handful of teams that don't mind giving up a home game, and they are the ones kind of in the mix," Rooney said. "That is definitely a challenge. It is a challenge for us. We would like to play in some of these games, but we are not anxious to give up a home game. Maybe some year, we may have to do it once."

The Oakland Raiders and the Houston Texans are the teams slated to play in the NFL's regular-season return to Mexico next season. The two teams will face off on Monday Night Football on Nov. 21.