Friday night games coming

[Red Five]

How is it that Michigan, Northwestern, and Penn St. can opt out but Nebraska cant?

 

We can. Eichorst just needs to do it.

[Cdog923]

Lincoln schools are not the only ones affected by this. I sit at our HS games with a lot of people that then head to Lincoln either Friday after the game or the next morning.....plus, the people that will then stay home and watch the Huskers on TV instead of going to the HS game.

 

Still think this is the dumbest damn scheduling decision in a very very very long time.

They're not, they're just the ones most directly affected.

[Frostberg]

 

How is it that Michigan, Northwestern, and Penn St. can opt out but Nebraska cant?

 

We can. Eichorst just needs to do it.

 

 

I don't understand what Nebraska would gain with a home Friday night game. Away friday night games against low level teams I can handle. I'm sure it has to do with us being the "new" guys and just playing nice. If Northwestern has enough pull to opt out than we absolutely do as well.

[knapplc]

This is pretty darned tone deaf. High School football is the life blood of College Football. How do you not consider the impact on High School when you make this decision?

 

[Cdog923]

 

Nebraska/Illinois this year will be on a Friday, and Nebraska will have 1 home Friday game within the 3 year window.

 

I doubt that Nebraska will ever play a Friday home game. The B1G already moved 2 games on the original Friday schedule to Saturday

 

I don't necessarily like it, but best resign yourself to the thought that it's probably going to happen.

[huKSer]

This is pretty darned tone deaf. High School football is the life blood of College Football. How do you not consider the impact on High School when you make this decision?

 

Did not expect blowback?

 

Really?

 

From the same people who thought "Legends and Leaders" would be a hit?

[dvdcrr]

As a college football purist, Friday night games are a terrible thing. Many have put forth the obvious reasons why, none of which does the conference care in the slightest about. This is because there is one almighty currency they DO care about.

As a coach I will not be watching too many Friday college games. OH well, at least I will miss the ridiculous replays, ejections, and commercials.

[Mavric]

"From a Nebraska perspective, what we've asked is to be a participant in a very limited basis," Eichorst said.

 

He listed some reasons Michigan and Penn State had given for not wanting involvement, before adding, "That's their perspective. Our perspective was, 'We're America's team.' So we want to be on national television as much as possible.

 

"We've also worked closely with our high school association to figure out that balance if we were to play a Friday night game at home, and making sure that we're not jumping in their space too much."

 

In Michigan's case, the Wolverines' brass has said it supports the Big Ten's scheduling plans but felt the distance of travel for large parts of their fan base made hosting a Friday night game a difficult task.

 

According to figures the Michigan athletic department produced to MLive.com, 83 percent of its season-ticket holders live outside of Ann Arbor's Washtenaw County. That accounts for about 60,000 people traveling to each Michigan game.

 

Penn State, meanwhile, agreed to play in one Friday night road game a year but balked at the idea of hosting such games in Beaver Stadium.

 

LJS

[knapplc]

 

"We've also worked closely with our high school association to figure out that balance if we were to play a Friday night game at home, and making sure that we're not jumping in their space too much."

LJS

 

I would very much like to know about that dialog. If the local High School coaches are OK with this, then I'm OK. But if Eichorst is glossing over their concerns, or he's only heard from officials in the NSAA, then this statement isn't worth the ones and zeros it took to put it on my screen.

[Red Five]

I would assume that Lincoln businesses would be pissed about a Friday home game as well.

[Guy Chamberlin]

The profession of football needs to be doing everything in its power to promote high school football.

 

If a proliferation of televised Friday night games competes with high school football attendance and participation, it's not even a good financial decision.

[broganreynik]

Yeah, it's not just Nebraska high schools. By any measure, playing on Friday nights seems counterintuitive. Are we willing to give up a huge recruiting tool and possibly risk the sellout streak, just to get Joe Six-pack some time with Dear Old Nebraska U?

 

I would think the people we want watching the most will be occupied.