The NFL will kick off its 105th season at the same place it started its 104th – Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. As the defending Super Bowl champions – just as they were last year — the Kansas City Chiefs will serve as the hosts for the first game of the 2024 campaign.

Kansas City will square off against the Baltimore Ravens at 7:20 p.m. CDT Sept. 5, the NFL announced on Monday.

The Chiefs defeated the Ravens 17-10 in last season’s AFC Championship Game before beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII.

The NFL picked the Ravens from eight choices for a season-opener in Kansas City. Also in play were the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kansas City has had 11 consecutive winning seasons and nine in a row with at least 10 victories. In the previous five seasons, the Chiefs have won the Super Bowl three times and lost in the NFL title game once. Kansas City has played in the AFC Championship Game for six consecutive seasons.

The NFL has opened its season with a Thursday night game annually since 2002.

The first of the NFL’s 272 regular-season games will be televised by NBC.

The NFL will reveal its entire schedule for the 2024 season at 7 p.m. Wednesday on NFL Network.

The game could mark the Ravens debut of former Alabama All-American Derrick Henry. The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner signed with Baltimore as a free agent this offseason after eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans. The players from Alabama high schools and colleges on the rosters of Kansas City and Baltimore include:

· Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama)

· Chiefs defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs (Alabama)

· Ravens quarterback Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing)

· Ravens guard Darrian Dalcourt (Alabama)

· Chiefs defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy)

· Ravens running back Derrick Henry (Alabama)

· Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (Hoover, Alabama)

· Ravens guard Tashawn Manning (Auburn)

· Ravens cornerback Christian Matthew (Samford)

· Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (Samford)

· Chiefs running back La’Mical Perine (Theodore)

· Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce (Daphne)

· Chiefs tight end Gerrit Prince (UAB)

· Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross (Central-Phenix City)

· Chiefs tight end Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama)

· Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount)

· Chiefs wide receiver Montrell Washington (Samford)

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.