How long before M vs. Wisc game time has to be announced?

Submitted by James Burrill Angell on October 1st, 2018 at 10:45 AM

Does anyone know if there is a minimum time by which the networks have to announce a game time. We're under two weeks before the game against Wisconsin and still no game time? I thought at some point there was a two week rule but maybe that was the old contract. Anyone know? 

MH20

October 1st, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^

If it's going to be a night game then it has to be announced today. Night games must be announced either before the season or using the 12-day window.

If it isn't announced today then a night game is out and the most likely outcome would be a 3:30 affair.

aMAIZEinBLUEinTX

October 1st, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^

Yep. 12 days advance for night games is the only 'bright line' rule for kickoff time announcements.

 

It will more than likely be released today either way, however.  The night game sked gets firmed up, other teams get slotted, and in general are all announced the Monday before the week of the game  (@ NW kickoff was announced September 17, for example, despite not being a 'true' night game)

ijohnb

October 1st, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^

He is saying we struggle in both night games and road games, so he hopes the Wisconsin game is at noon.  I would hate a noon start time for watching purposes, but I also have to agree that we seem to play our best football in noon starts. 

I doubt very much it will be a noon game though.  A Top 15 BIG matchup with either be a 3:30 game or a night game.

J.

October 1st, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^

The game time will either be announced later today -- generally early afternoon, as I recall -- or the networks will state that they've used a six-day option, in which case it will be announced late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.  (The networks have a limited number of six-day options).

As was noted, if it's a night game, they can't use the six-day option and must announce it today.

M-Dog

October 1st, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^

The number 1 criteria for making this decision is this:  Penn State must absolutely positively be a night game.  Period.

Whatever that means for the Wisconsin games needs to flow from that.

 

UMGoRoss

October 1st, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^

I"m not one to typically complain about Delaney and the B1G, but letting the networks dictate the start time for games, and letting them delay until a week before the game is such a big "F-you" to the fans. People sometimes need to make plans in advance (for us, it's a babysitter) and not being able to plan is pretty infuriating. 

If you're going to give the control of start times to the networks, at least have backbone enough to make them announce all the times in August (or earlier).

Section 1.8

October 1st, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^

Right; and just to beat this drum (or dead horse, depending on your viewpoint) some more, it isn't just babysitters.  It is weekend plans; Saturday and Sunday schedules, travel plans for out of town attendees, airline reservations, hotel bookings, and for some, an actual choice as to whether they will attend or sell their tickets.

It is an ongoing, regular insult to the fans who actually pay to fill the stadium with their tickets prices and their PSD's.

TV is very badly messing up college football and TV isn't even paying as much as the season ticket holders and donors.  Warde Manuel and the other B1G AD's need to step up and recognize that TV decisions will have a cost to them.

I rarely if ever use MGBlog to beat up on OSU, but I know from an OSU faculty member that at a private meeting once, Gene Smith was asked about the number of night games (OSU had I think five of them one year, not all at home of course but I think they have had two in most recent years and sometimes three), and Smith's reply was that for every season ticket holder who didn't want to continue to renew because of night games, they had five applicants waiting to buy season tickets.  I doubt that's actually true, and even if it is true at OSU, I don't think it is at Michigan.

 

Perkis-Size Me

October 1st, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^

The minute you bought your tickets, that was their green light to not care about whether you made the game or not. They already had your money. It's like Nike not having to care about people burning their merchandise. Those people already bought it and gave Nike their money. What happens after is almost inconsequential to Nike. 

I'm not saying I disagree with you. It's a shitty situation, but if people want Delaney and the respective university athletic departments to care about the plight of the average fan, people need to stop buying tickets. Hit them in the only place that will hurt them. Their wallets. Then they'll listen. 

But, of course, you and I both know that won't happen. At least not on a big enough scale. For every fan who refuses to buy tickets because of situations like this, there are 5-10 others who will happily buy them and come to the games even if they're at 2am.