Eli will kick off his Super Bowl defense against Dallas. (Getty Images)

We'd previously told you that the 2012 NFL season would begin on Wednesday, September 5 to avoid President Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. And the NFL announced on Tuesday that the defending Super Bowl champion Giants will play the Cowboys to kick off the season.

The game will be played at MetLife Stadium with kickoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC. "NFL Kickoff 2012" will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET that same night.

There was much speculation that the Giants would play the Packers, with the Saints likely removed following the bounty scandal. The Cowboys placement in the primetime spot should generate plenty of attention, with neither the Cowboys nor Giants being fans of one another.

Since the NFL began putting the defending Super Bowl champion in the kickoff game eight years ago, said defending champ is 8-0 in season openers.