Michigan could have 2 night games in 2017, including MSU
This was a disturbing quote.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverine…
“It’s still a concern,” Manuel said. “The only difference is, the Big Ten and television can assign us to a primetime game and it’s not our option. In November, we have the option if we choose to do so. I don’t anticipate that choice being made.”
“It comes out in terms of we agreed to it several years ago as a part of negotiating the new Big Ten television contract that we would allow up to two games at night,” Manuel said. “Last year for this (2016) football season, we had the option. Next year and moving forward the Big Ten can assign us and television in the Big Ten. In the month of September and October.”
Nice to know millionaire TV execs get to choose our game times now, and not the actual school playing in the game.
Rotten. Absolutely rotten.
Here's the potential night game options if they so choose to give us 2 night games-
- 9/9 vs Cincinnati
- 9/16 vs Air Force
- 10/7 vs MSU
- 10/28 vs Rutgers
Gee, I wonder which one it'll be.
Michigan-msu has never been played at night. And for good reason. Because either city will be a drunken war zone.
Enemy at the Gate.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:12 PM ^
I've talked about this a few times... This is a place the B1G has lost BIG TIME to the SEC.
All the fans seem to want a noon start when a noon start hurts recuriting. There is no question about it and Michigan needs to get with it.
The same logic goes to the Spring Game. It could have been on the B1G conference, the Big Ten Network or Michigan but someone dropped the ball it appears it was Michigan. I say that because Ohio State announced their Spring Game time first.
Michigan should not have and should not have been allowed to play its Spring Game at the same time as another Big Ten team. All 14 teams in the SEC played their game live on the SEC Network.
As for game times, the SEC does not play noon games if they don't have to. They do everything they can to have games start 3:30 or later. It helps their ratings and helps create a better game athompshere for players.
You just have to see the bigger picture here. This is a joke. Ever home game in September and October would be a night game if I could control it.
I am with you 100% on this. The best football games are prime time events under the lights IMO and it's annoying to hear the whining about what it will do to the city. That argument doesn't fly. As is said every time there are game time threads, the SEC has a bunch of drunken idiots and huge rivalry games at night and yet the cities are still around. They haven't been destroyed yet so I'm pretty sure the two Michigan cities can handle it.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:50 PM ^
If Baton Rouge can survive all those night games against their rivals' trailer park SEC fans (and their own), Ann Arbor can hold up just fine.
There is no validity to this argument. Zero.
that Urban has turned around at OSU. They have several nights games a year at the shoe. It was one of the things he wanted to change as soon as he got there. He realizes what a recruiting asset it is. You're on prime time television, fans are more excited, and it allows high school recruits to come and visit easier when they play Friday nights.
People need to get over the whole "night games are bad" and "the world will be destroyed if MSU game is at night". The fact of the matter is that most noon games at Michigan Stadium are lacking energy from the crowd, 3:30 and night games boost the crowds energy.
We'll be ready for that game if that's the scenario.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:14 PM ^
Brandon killing us from the grave and Manuel is going to get blamed for yet something else he had nothing to do with.
Please don't bring guns to night games. Even Arkansas, whose primary export is bad ideas, thought was too much (after careful consideration).
That's such a strawman. People like me like noon games for their own merits. If you think my reaseons are stupid that's fine but they sure as hell don't include Bo's preference.
Just in case anybody cares, noon games just break up my Saturday better than 3:30 or night games, especially in the fall when the sun starts setting earlier. I can get back home at a decent time if I go to a game. If I'm watching the game on TV I still have time afterwards to go out and hunt or do chores or whatever.
...I don't see why we can't do it again if we bring our A game.
Play Cincinnati, Air Force AND Rutgers at night if it means no sparty idiots wandering through our city at night while drunk and listening to ICP.
As long as it's not a rivalry game besides ND whose fans don't act like barnyard animals, I'm fine with one per season.
I SAID that Wisconsin should've been a night game this past year. And PSU.
I expected it.
Give it up. The evidence is not on your side. SEC rivalry games are played at night. There is no legitimate reason to keep up the fear-mongering.
Then why hasn't it happened before if it's such a good idea? MSU has been playing night games at least for 10 years.
Why wouldn't they put the game that their entire existence is based upon at night?
Because people like you have this idea that Bo=Jesus so everything he said must be infallible. You create this boogeyman scenario where somehow the lowest common denominator is what is sure to be the result of a night game. The evidence in the rest of the country does not bear that out. It hasn't happened because ya know tradition, toe meets leather at blah blah blah. It's a TV sport more than ever. That isn't changing anytime soon if ever. Either adapt and prosper or don't.
Bo didn't like the forward pass either, yet his starting QB when he retired was Elvis Grbac, a pocket passer who threw the ball all over the place.
People need to give the man more credit, he adapted more than we think.
He would have adapted to the current environment just fine. Because he was a smart man who knew what it takes to win consistently.
People take a statement he made 40 years ago in a different era . . . toe meets leather at 1:00 and so on . . . and act like that defines him for eternity.
Bo would take one look at how night games take a mediocre program like Penn State and make it a Big Ten champion and say "We need to do some of that."
April 24th, 2017 at 10:11 PM ^
I can't agree with this more! Bo adapted his offense and defense to the players he had, be they Denny Franklin (DRob Light) or Elvis. He even played night games many times. He had lights brought into Michigan Stadium for late starts. He was okay with the whole concept...
April 24th, 2017 at 10:57 PM ^
That's the point. Bo adapted. It's the people who are so entrenched in false tradition that are the problem. Bo adapted fine. Now can we so we can have some damn night games like the rest of the country?
If ABC/ESPN doesn't want us at night, there's nothing we can do. Their noon or 3:30 timeslot is preferred over BTN at 7PM. The only year where our matchup would've been worthy of a night slot was 2015 and that was a home game for us. I have a hunch that if ABC wanted us at night one of those years in EL, Sparty would've pulled the trigger.
"our city"?
Come on, man.
Enough already with the histrionics. It's not your city. It's not life or death. It's a fucking football game. I'm all for tradition but playing MSU at night isn't going to cause Ann Arbor to burn to the ground. There aren't going to be gangs of MSU hoodlums running around Ann Arbor wreaking havoc. Take a deep breath. It's going to be ok.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:52 PM ^
April 25th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
what if I told you that there thousands of MSU fans and alumni who live in Ann Arbor anyway?
Good it's past Devotee's bed time.
the B1G is getting paid to do this - contracts the conference agreed to
what do you think is funding a lot of what we do?
Yeah, what's up with the entitlement mentality?
We want the networks to rain money on us for sparkling facilities and coaches salaries and even to potentially pay the players.
Yet we don't want them to expect anything for all that program-changing cash.
That's not how the world works, whiny children.
They need a return on that hefty investment, or they won't do it.
Much ado about nothing..I Love Night games and wish we played more of them..
And will gladly continue to do so!
GO BLUE!!
Want.
You lost me with the phrase "alternate look," but won me back if an "alternate look" is just the '97 uniforms.