Big Ten to include Friday night games, beginning in 2017
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ten-include-friday-night-games-beginning-2017
Big Ten football is coming to Friday nights in 2017 and beyond.
The league's new TV contract, which begins next season, will include a package of six Friday night games. The news was first reportedby the Chicago Tribune.
The Friday night games will be limited to September and October and won't include every team. Schools with huge stadiums, such asPenn StateandOhio State, won't be asked to host them. AndMichiganhas declined to participate in Friday night games at home or on the road, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told the Tribune.
Several assistant coaches in the Big Ten told ESPN that they thought Friday night games would negatively affect recruiting. Friday nights are high school football nights.
"Friday night games would put the Big Ten in a recruiting disadvantage," said one Big Ten assistant coach. "No other conference has the game day atmospheres of this league. Combined with two teams, or whoever is playing, would not have the opportunity of going to recruit on Friday nights as well to watch prospects play.
"It kills us with recruiting," another assistant said. "One of the best things about our place is the game day environment. Those kids won't be able to experience that because they will all have their games."
"There is [no advantage]," said another assistant. "Most, if not all, high school kids play on Friday nights, which means you would lose one game for recruiting."
Penn State released a statement Wednesday making it clear that, if Delany changes his mind about asking the school to host a Friday night game, it would decline the request.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told ESPN that the school would be able to host a Friday night game only during its autumn break, which typically occurs the second week of October.
"We don't have classes on campus that Thursday or Friday, so operationally, it works because we're not dealing with parking issues or classes or any of those conflicts that a game would get in the way of."
Ohio State would be open to playing Friday night road games in September.
Michigan State said Wednesday it would agree to host a Friday night game -- but only on Labor Day weekend, as it has done in the past.
The Friday night slate will include three nonconference and three conference contests. Until now, the league has resisted playing on weeknights except for the opening week of the season. The Big Ten has no current plans to play on Thursday nights, senior associate commissioner Mark Rudner told the Big Ten Network.
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ten-include-friday-night-games-beginning-2017
Big Ten football is coming to Friday nights in 2017 and beyond.
The league's new TV contract, which begins next season, will include a package of six Friday night games. The news was first reportedby the Chicago Tribune.
The Friday night games will be limited to September and October and won't include every team. Schools with huge stadiums, such asPenn StateandOhio State, won't be asked to host them. AndMichiganhas declined to participate in Friday night games at home or on the road, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told the Tribune.
Several assistant coaches in the Big Ten told ESPN that they thought Friday night games would negatively affect recruiting. Friday nights are high school football nights.
"Friday night games would put the Big Ten in a recruiting disadvantage," said one Big Ten assistant coach. "No other conference has the game day atmospheres of this league. Combined with two teams, or whoever is playing, would not have the opportunity of going to recruit on Friday nights as well to watch prospects play.
"It kills us with recruiting," another assistant said. "One of the best things about our place is the game day environment. Those kids won't be able to experience that because they will all have their games."
"There is [no advantage]," said another assistant. "Most, if not all, high school kids play on Friday nights, which means you would lose one game for recruiting."
Penn State released a statement Wednesday making it clear that, if Delany changes his mind about asking the school to host a Friday night game, it would decline the request.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told ESPN that the school would be able to host a Friday night game only during its autumn break, which typically occurs the second week of October.
"We don't have classes on campus that Thursday or Friday, so operationally, it works because we're not dealing with parking issues or classes or any of those conflicts that a game would get in the way of."
Ohio State would be open to playing Friday night road games in September.
Michigan State said Wednesday it would agree to host a Friday night game -- but only on Labor Day weekend, as it has done in the past.
The Friday night slate will include three nonconference and three conference contests. Until now, the league has resisted playing on weeknights except for the opening week of the season. The Big Ten has no current plans to play on Thursday nights, senior associate commissioner Mark Rudner told the Big Ten Network.
