Rutger game will be 12/3:30/4 (will be announced Sunday)
The TV networks are using a six-day option for Michigan @ Rutger. That means it can’t be a night game, but could be a noon, 3:30, or 4 PM kickoff across an ESPN / FOX / BTN network.
I assume they’re waiting to see if Rutger can win.. hahaha I can’t even finish that sentence.
Big Ten schedule for that week:
- Michigan @ Rutger
- Illinois @ Nebraska
- Maryland @ Indiana
- Northwestern @ Iowa
- Ohio State @ MSU
- Purdue @ Minnesota
- Wisconsin @ Penn State
I can’t find game times for any of Wisconsin @ PSU, OSU @ MSU, or Northwestern @ Iowa, so I assume they’re waiting for the outcome of this week’s games — especially PSU @ Michigan — to see which games to move to the 3:30 / 4 PM time slots.
October 29th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
Really... what are they waiting for? That is the noon-est of all noon games.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
EVERY B1G game is a 6-day-hold. That's total garbage.
I get doing 6-day holds for the biggest of games, but the networks can safely slot something like Michigan @ Rutgers (or Illinois @ Nebraska - who outside of total diehards will be watching that on TV?????) and move on.
Crap like this totally interferes with people who want to attend the game but also need to make plans. No wonder attendance is down.
FWIW: per TV contracts, Michigan does need to have one conference game on BTN. That hasn't happened yet. So this is likely the one.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^
I've been pleasantly surprised that none of Michigan's games have been stuck in BTN yet and didn't know about that contractual obligation. Is there a BTN Ocho they can stick it on?
October 29th, 2018 at 4:00 PM ^
Totally agree. I live in DC and have been holding that weekend, but at this point, I'm just going to say F it. And as has been noted, only the die-hardiest of the die-hard M fans are watching this one. You're not getting any more viewers by placing it strategericly. Stick it at noon and be done with it so people can make plans.
October 29th, 2018 at 4:37 PM ^
I’m figuring BTN is trying to find a way to weasel out of that.
This is screams noon on BTN (or the Ocho)
October 29th, 2018 at 5:02 PM ^
At this point, they should re-brand BTN as RFN (Rutgers Football Network) from 12-3:30 every Saturday.
This Saturday's game against Wisconsin marks the 6th week in 7 where Rutgers will be on BTN at 12 PM ET. The 7th week was when Rutgers had a bye.
No wonder Matt Millen took a leave of absence. :-)
October 29th, 2018 at 2:53 PM ^
I say play at 9am. Get the scrimmage over with early so we can watch the real football games.
October 29th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
Should be a great rep day for our 2s 3s and 4s!
October 29th, 2018 at 4:09 PM ^
I'm going to Tweet Harbaugh and see if he will let me get a few plays out there.
October 29th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
Play that game early so the team can enjoy the rest of the day.
And by enjoy the day I mean take the earliest flight possible back to Ann Arbor.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
Wonder if they ever drained and cleaned that stadium hottub from 2 years ago...doubt it
October 29th, 2018 at 3:25 PM ^
You know you want to spend extra time in beautiful New Jersey! Well I could see you getting into trouble over in AC anyway...
October 29th, 2018 at 5:14 PM ^
Take 'em into the city for awhile.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
They're probably waiting for the Iowa-Purdue game. That game would probably determine who wins the B1G West and should get the late slot, especially if Northwestern springs the upset.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
thats a pretty good B10 line-up of games. NW v. iowa; ohio v. sparty; heck, wiscosin v. PSU could be a good one, too.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:05 PM ^
Put the game at noon.
Maybe the Rutgers band can play 'the Victors' again.
October 29th, 2018 at 5:38 PM ^
When did they play the Victors?
October 29th, 2018 at 7:44 PM ^
They played it for the M fans after the game 2 years ago. Was a real class move, I thought. It's not unusual for the home band to do something like that, but I had expected them to be a little too demoralized for the gesture.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
Do they really have to televise it? I mean, not putting Rutger on TV will save even us from feeling obligated to watch on the Holy Day of Obligation...
Has Comcast picked up BTN again? I might (finally) get around to dropping DirecTV as a means of avoidance!
Ahh, who am I kidding? I'll be there watching the entire game with the rest of you saps...
October 29th, 2018 at 3:45 PM ^
If they don't televise is, then you really gotta wonder why we added Rutger to the B10..?
October 29th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
As if eveyone doesn't do that already?
October 29th, 2018 at 3:24 PM ^
I didn't realize we were having an open fall practice/scrimmage in New Jersey this year. A pity they can't tell us the time in advance to people can actually show up to this scrimmage that ought to have a home field advantage.
I mean unless the double secret scarlet society or whatever those punks were called who defaced a high school campus manage to actually find Rutgers fans to attend the game.
Maybe just pay bums to sit in the stands in Rutgers gear and randomly yell?
October 29th, 2018 at 3:25 PM ^
did u know?
Michigan @ Rutgers 2016 was a night game.
can u believe it!
October 29th, 2018 at 3:42 PM ^
And Rutger had like 200 recruits there to see it.
October 29th, 2018 at 4:30 PM ^
Is it true when you have 200 recruits you really have zero recruits?
October 29th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
I'm shocked they didn't try to make it a night game, since Rutger is a big rival of ours.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:46 PM ^
Has to be a noon game. Hell I would kick off at 10 am and get it over with
October 29th, 2018 at 3:57 PM ^
BTN will probably pick this up as their 7pm night slot
FOX and ESPN will have more interest in OSU/MSU, WIS/PSU and even NW/Iowa for their time slots.
October 29th, 2018 at 4:13 PM ^
BTN will probably pick this up as their 7pm night slot
Not sure if you're being facetious or not but it can't be a night game if put on a six-day hold. It would need to be announced today (12 days in advance). IMO, this is the nooniest noon game that ever nooned and frankly it's pretty silly that it wasn't announced today as such.
October 29th, 2018 at 5:29 PM ^
Came here to basically say exactly this. We already knew it wasn't a night game when the schedule came out. 11/3 is the last weekend the TV networks control the kickoff time. Zero chance UM agrees to a night game at Rutger in mid November. And that's leaving out the 12-day window part for announcing night games.
October 29th, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^
I live just outside Philly (about an hour away from whatever the stadium is named) and have tickets. Very frustrating to not be able to make plans, arrange child care etc.
October 29th, 2018 at 4:08 PM ^
There is almost no way this is anything other than a noon kick, IMHO, but I could always be wrong. I mean, is there a network that would really want to pass up some potentially great, meaningful games for Michigan / Rutgers at 3:30?
October 29th, 2018 at 4:12 PM ^
Thank God it's not a night game.
October 29th, 2018 at 4:16 PM ^
Bo "Toe Meets Leather at Noon" Schembechler would be happy. Rutger has had only one 330 PM game this year (OSU, which the Suckeyes won 52-3). The rest have been noon or 11 AM (Kansas). They play at Wisconsin this week, also an 11 AM game.
October 29th, 2018 at 4:19 PM ^
You realize that's 11 AM Central Time, right?
October 29th, 2018 at 5:19 PM ^
Yes, I meant 11 AM CT & noon ET. Brain cramp!
October 29th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
At least we know it isn't a night game. We're planning on driving out for the game and setting up a tailgate. It would really be nice to know the time of the game to make our specific plans. I agree with the comment that this just discourages attendance to the games. Announce it now and be done with it.
October 29th, 2018 at 5:05 PM ^
We are making the drive from State College, PA and my friend just ordered tickets off some site and he stated it downloaded his ticket showing Noon Kickoff....I dont know if its just a generic time stamp that updates or what since its not been announced yet. I have never been to Rutgers so no clue what to expect but figured after living in PSU backyard basically it cant be any worse fans that than...
October 29th, 2018 at 5:32 PM ^
It's definitely generic or could easily be a counterfeit ticket. I'd talk to the Rutger box office and see if they have any tickets that state a Noon kickoff on them. It would be quite telling if even the box office assumed it was going to be a nooner.
October 29th, 2018 at 5:04 PM ^
ms. lippy’s car... is green.
October 29th, 2018 at 8:24 PM ^
Yeahhh... our game is by far the least interesting if the day.
October 29th, 2018 at 9:39 PM ^
Northwestern Iowa has to be the best game. Who gets first choice?