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Its not just MNF. There is a Sunday night game every week, and this year, a Thursday night game (or Wed in one) all but the last week. Figure on 3-4 assignments on these "off" times as well as mid-week and offseason activities, and you have a busy schedule. Remember, this goes on for 4 solid months, and doesn't include a playoff game for roughly half the officials.
Even a good D1 college crew works about a dozen games, most on Saturday. They'll have a camp, a 2 or 3 day meeting, a scrimmage, and 8-12 games and maybe a bowl game. Mid week activities can be handled in one evening, mostly, though some conferences may have more requirements. You can leave Friday after lunch, be home Sunday a little after noon only on weeks when you fly a long way. Just as an example, IF I worked in the Big 12, I'd drive to games in Austin, Waco, Norman, Stillwater, College Station, Dallas, Fort Worth, maybe Houston, maybe San Antonio, and fly everywhere else. All but a few flights would be short (hour to an hour and a half). For a 2:00 game, I'd be home by Sat. midnight everywhere except those games where we had long flights.
In the NFL, on the other hand, I MAY drive to one of those cities, fly the rest, and the flights would be 2-4 hours, except maybe New Orleans. Leaving early Sat. morning and returning very late Sun. night or early Monday would be the norm.
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