Dave Brandon Comments at B1GADGolf Event

Submitted by MGoShoe on

According to Angelique Chengelis (DetNews article and Twitter feed):

We know that UTL is a test. If the event doesn't turn into a combo pre-game bacchanalia/post-game couch burning fest, there may be more of them (up to one per year, per recent Dave Brandon comments).

So, Dave Brandon, what do you think about hosting MSU for a night game? (H/T Angelique Chengelis)

"I don't even know if I want to do that at home. I think the passion and the excitement of the crowd, to energize that with a night game, may be more than either one of us can handle. I think we'd have to be very careful about that. But we'll see. You never know what the future holds."

Translation: those assholes tore up Ann Arbor last season and damned if I'm going to stake my job security on the behavior of a bunch of Spartan yahoos.

Mark Hollis, on the other hand is open to the idea (providing).

"If we're at home, yes."


Dave Brandon says that the Michigan contract with UConn is still on for the 2013 game at UConn. Says UM will not schedule non-conference foottball games at small stadiums like that again. 
 
chengelis @DaveBrandonAD on @DesmondHoward recently saying he thinks it's time Michigan retires more numbers: "Good for Desmond" #B1GADGOLF

Purkinje

July 25th, 2011 at 2:38 PM ^

I'm all for a Sibling Night Game at the Big House. Just make sure enough police are out to arrest all the brahs out to destroy things other people own the night before and after. Those asshats are asshats.

Mr Mackey

July 25th, 2011 at 2:47 PM ^

More talk of retiring Desmond's number.. I thought it was pretty much verified that they're not retiring it when "honoring" him at the ND game?

Bando Calrissian

July 25th, 2011 at 2:52 PM ^

One would think Dave Brandon would be ecstatic about "opening potential revenue streams" with merchandise and other promotions related to retiring Desmond's number...  

Raoul

July 25th, 2011 at 2:53 PM ^

Free Press article on the same meeting with reporters has Brandon saying he's unlikely to agree to another home-and-home deal like the one with UConn. Also:

He said he's pushing to move the Connecticut game to another venue on the East Coast for a bigger gate, but UConn is resisting.

Sounds like Notre Dame will be the only nonconference road game in the future, with the exception of "unique opportunities" such as the game against Alabama at Cowboys Stadium. Also on Notre Dame:

Brandon also added that U-M's contract with Notre Dame is now a rolling four-year deal that lets either side give four years' notice to back out and schedule another team in that September slot.

Michael

July 25th, 2011 at 10:43 PM ^

FWIW, Brandon said at the DC alumni event that there is usually about a 50/50 split on whether to keep the ND series running. When he asked for a show of hands, the DC crowd was about 75% for keeping the series, which he indicatedt was more than than the usual ~50% he sees at other stops around the country.

jmblue

July 25th, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^

Mother Nature can play all she wants during the daytime, when her sun is out.

Seriously, given the cost of tickets these days, the comfort of fans has to be taken into account.  Scheduling a mid- or late-season game at night increases the possibility of unpleasant temperatures.  (OTOH, a night game in September might relieve fans of the oppressive heat that time of year.)

Bando Calrissian

July 25th, 2011 at 6:14 PM ^

While Adam Rittenberg recently debunked the rumor of the Big 10 having an official policy against night games in November, the conference hasn't had one since 2008.  And the television policies as it is make it very difficult to bring about as it is.  I think it's pretty safe to say you're not going to be seeing anything at night post-late October.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/12592/november-night-games-not…

Wolvie3758

July 25th, 2011 at 5:51 PM ^

Its time to take a break every 4 years...take 2 off home and home wth a Diff Big Time school then back to the series...Id just like a change of pace big game every now and then..someone we dont see often...Oklahoma...Texas, USC, Florida, Tennessee  etc

mgolf4

July 25th, 2011 at 7:10 PM ^

They are in a playoff after MSU birdied 18 to tie.
<br>
<br>Jay had to delay a tee shot at one point because he was on a conference call with Goodell voting on the new CBA.

Yostal

July 25th, 2011 at 10:31 PM ^

Quick clarification.

Mark Snyder seems to believe that Brandon said that Notre Dame would be the only non-conference road opponent.  Angelique Chengelis, in her tweeting of the remarks, clarified that Mr. Brandon said that he was referring to "small venue' road games (basically, no more Connecticuts at 40K stadiums.)  He was still open to "unique opportunities" (which I read as neutral site games) and "larger venues" (which I presumed meant any stadium over 90K (Georgia, Tennessee, etc.)  At least, I hope.

Raoul

July 26th, 2011 at 12:00 AM ^

But if you look at the full quote that Chengelis included in her article on this, Brandon seems to be saying pretty clearly that Notre Dame would be the only nonconference road game—look at the last sentence:

"I don't believe we can or should go on the road for nonconference games when we can put 113,000 people in our stadium," Brandon said. "It's financially the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do for our fans, in terms of their ticket packages. And we're going to alternate with Notre Dame, so we're going to have one game on the road every other year."

MGoShoe

July 26th, 2011 at 8:41 AM ^

...moot point very soon.

With Big Ten Conference staging its annual kickoff luncheon and media days later this week in Chicago, playing nine conference games is sure to be a topic of discussion. It’s always been a matter of when, not if the conference would add one more league game to the schedule.

We were told to clear the calendar from 2017 and we’ve done that,” Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke said Monday morning.

The only exception is the school’s annual series against Notre Dame, which is scheduled through 2021. Burke said the Boilermakers’ 2017 road game at Marshall has been moved up. Next season, Purdue hosts Marshall on Sept. 29.