No 2015 home night game

Submitted by justingoblue on

In this press release announcing the Minnesota kickoff time, MGoBlue writes:

With primetime selections through the networks and Big Ten Conference office now complete, Michigan will not host a night game this season at Michigan Stadium. Kickoff times for the remainder of the 2015 season will be announced in coordination with those partners.

mark5750

April 23rd, 2015 at 5:49 PM ^

having lived on the west coast for a total of four football seasons, I can say definitively that I would not make sure I was awake and in front of my television for a noon eastern kickoff unless Michigan was playing. if they were I was pregaming by seven and if not I might catch the second half of a game that looked interesting.

I Like Burgers

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:19 PM ^

Michigan really only had two options for a prime time game -- MSU and OSU.  And from what I remember reading in the past, they just don't want either of those two games to be held at night.  The rest of it is up to the networks, Michigan is likely to be unranked for a while, and the rest of Michigan's home schedule is poop.  Michigan v. BYU doesn't really scream PRIME TIME when there's better options on the table.

Yostbound and Down

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:36 PM ^

September 26 really doesn't have that many marquee games though. UCLA vs Arizona, USC vs Arizona St., Oklahoma St. vs Texas, all fine but maybe scattered off of primetime. Tennessee at Florida seems like the biggest but wouldn't that be on CBS? There are a couple ok other SEC, Big XII or Pac 12 matchups but a lot of teams are still in non conference and I think BYU-Michigan will probably be the highest profile of those matchups.

Schedule link

lilpenny1316

April 23rd, 2015 at 4:27 PM ^

Will probably be primetime on Fox.  And it will be the highest profile of all the games.  BYU and Michigan will probably be unranked while UCLA and Arizona will probably be Top-15 teams.  Michigan has the name and alumni to turn on TV sets, but I don't know if it's worth pissing off the alumni who do not like night games.

I Like Burgers

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:14 PM ^

The options for Michigan hosting a prime time game suitable for a national audience are slim to non-existent.  As good of a draw as Michigan is, its tough to commit to a likely unranked v unranked matchup this far out.  Especially when they already have Michigan v Minnesota on the schedule.

The only real option is vs. MSU, but I'm guessing Michigan/Ann Arbor said no to that one.

I Like Burgers

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:23 PM ^

My guess is that Michigan only wants to do primetime if its going to be a national ABC/ESPN type of game.  BYU v Michigan feels more like a BTN game.  And there are better options for national prime time games that week like UCLA at Arizona, USC at Arizona State, Utah at Oregon, A&M at Arkansas, and Tenn at Florida.

althegreat23

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:37 PM ^

BYU has a strong national following and we all know about the Michigan brand. As for the schedule that week, I'm sure that at least two of UCLA-Arizona, Utah-Oregon and USC-ASU games will be the 10:00 primetime games on ESPN while the other could be on FOX. There's also Mississippi State-Auburn that week, but the A&M-Arkansas and Tennessee-Florida games could be on CBS or SEC Network.

I Like Burgers

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^

The network is partially controlled by the Big Ten, so I don't see why they wouldn't be able to say no to them.

Personally, I'm fine with this.  Night games should be special.  Two unranked teams with no history (and therefore good storylines) playing each other doesn't feel special.  Which is probably why the national networks passed on it.

Wolverine Devotee

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^

I meant watch the game. I skipped the dance to watch the 2013 Michigan-IU shootout on TV and went to the parties after the game ended.

Shit, if I went to the game I would've been there til dark tailgating afterwards since it was a 3:30 game. 

LSAClassOf2000

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:53 PM ^

After 11 years of marriage and numerous run-ins, my wife and her family - most of whom see sports as being on the same level as paint drying for entertainment value - have learned to keep the schedule as light as possible from about mid-August to the end of November if an event is to involve me.

That being said, my wife and I missed a wedding (which was understood because tailgating) and most of a reception because of Braylonfest (which we attended with the idea that we would catch the reception, but the game had other plans). To this day, she  sometimes asks me why I don't feel particularly bad about the decision to stay and all I can say is, "Did you see that though? Wow..."

Achilles

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:36 PM ^

I have one on September 12th, which is the OSUw game. Yeah...I'm not thrilled one fucking bit. I seem to deal with this every fucking year. I'm sorry, but if you have a wedding on a CFB Saturday, then you're a selfish son of a bitch. Do you really want your guests resenting you the entire time when they would rather be at home watching football? And no, scheduling on a bye week is unacceptable, too. There are other games to watch when Michigan is not playing.

Wolverine Devotee

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:23 PM ^

There are probably only a maximum of 2 Noon games on the schedule. 

And I'm not even sure about UNLV since Michigan has played the likes of Miami U and UMass at 3:30 in recent years.

I'd rather have a home night game than a road one. But in a perfect world, all regular season games are at noon and Michigan only plays night games on December 5th, New Year's Eve and January 11th.

Whos Got It Be…

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^

No real loss here whatsoever. BYU would not exactly be a prime time matchup, and I sure don't want those barbaric StAEE motherfuckers tearing up our campus again.



One of these every other year preserves their novelty. Let's not adopt the DB mindset of doing something just because we CAN. Bravo to Hackett for his restraint and discretion here.

EastCoast Esq.

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^

The first Notre Dame night game was the best game I ever attended. I was in the front row and it was four people deep (somehow that's possible). We were literally falling over each other when Roundtree scored.

Very disappointed by this news. Even more disappointed that Notre Dame at night wasn't a possibility.

The Mad Hatter

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^

I agree that BYU might have made a good night game, but I'm not too broken up about not having one.  MSU would have been fun too.  And by fun I mean extra vomit in the streets.

OSU is the only game I never want to see at night.

/my lawn, off of it