[1] The first game was played in August 1962, the year when ground was broken for the Hall of Fame, and it was used as a fundraiser for the construction project.

It is anticipated by fans as the first NFL contest since the prior season's Super Bowl, held nearly six months earlier.

The two teams that play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game are typically selected by the league in advance of the remainder of the preseason schedule.

In 2009, as recognition of the 50th anniversary of the American Football League, the game paired two AFC teams who were part of the "original eight" franchises of the AFL (1960), the Tennessee Titans (dressed as their previous incarnation, the Houston Oilers) and the Buffalo Bills, whose owner, Ralph Wilson, was inducted into the Hall that year.

The Baltimore Ravens, officially established in 1996 as a result of the Browns' relocation, did not play in the Hall of Fame Game until 2018.

Prior to the AFL–NFL merger, the Hall of Fame Game was played in August or September, in some cases at the end of the preseason.

Since 2001, when the league permanently moved the start of the season to the weekend after Labor Day, the game has always been played in early August.

Stadium officials attempted to address this issue by applying paint thinner to the turf before a Packers employee alerted them to a label warning that the substance could result in burns when exposed to skin.

However, fans in the stadium only learned of the pending cancellation via social media, and no official announcement was made until just before the scheduled 8 p.m. kickoff, which was greeted by boos and jeering.