Michigan State Game Will Kick Off At Night Comment Count

Ace



like this, but darker [Bryan Fuller]

Some long-anticipated news is finally official. The athletic department just announced taht Michigan's October 7th game against Michigan State will be the fourth night game in Michigan Stadium history:

Two years ago I would've told you to prepare your doomsday kits, but the Spartan fanbase has been rather beaten down since then. It might be worth preparing one anyway.

Comments

Rabbit21

September 25th, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^

Well, Ann Arbor, you had a good run and it was nice knowing you, too bad some idiots had to invite the drunken jugalos to a night game where they can drink all day and get super riled up.

 

bronxblue

September 25th, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^

If MSU loses to Iowa this weekend, I'm not sure how many MSU fans are going to want to make the trek to a game where Michigan will probably curb-stomp them.  Again, this is a fanbase that struggled to fill their stadium when they were actually winning games.  How many are going to want to drive to a rival school, see their team get plastered, then get ragged on all night while drinking with friends and rivals all night?

SpikeFan2016

September 25th, 2017 at 11:39 AM ^

I imagine very few state fans will be at the game. However, the younger fan demographic (current students and recent alums) will always show up in Ann Arbor in droves to tailgate with the UM friends from high school. 

 

It still won't be a problem though. Most MSU people who come to town do so to meet up with UM friends. 

SpikeFan2016

September 25th, 2017 at 1:03 PM ^

There will always be some for sure, but MSU fans don't travel very well to Ann Arbor relative to their distance.

There were less Spartans in The Big House in 2015 than there were Badgers in 2016, Huskers in 2013, or Buckeyes in any year ever; and that was with a Top Ten MSU who had been dominating Michigan for the better part of a decade. 

 

The instate travel is not reciprocated in terms of stadium attendance. Just like how we don't reciprocate their Crisler travel to the Breslin. 

kehnonymous

September 25th, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^

It is, as they say, what it is.

I *personally* prefer noon games since I can get out of bed and watch in my jammies and have the rest of Saturday to do whatever non-productive thing I was doing.  With night games, I spend the day being antsy prior to the game and the game itself demands my evening time.  But - other people have different schedules and preferences and there's no denying that night games on prime time are a draw for recruits and work great for M fans who have other M fans to watch game with.

At any rate, in my America your personal preference for game start times has never ever been a litmus test for the depth of your fandom.  As long as we break Sparty's backbone like a twig, I don't really care if we do it at 4 pm or 4 am.  (Ironically I'm probably going to have to settle for the latter as I'm going to miss the gam... slaughter as I'm gonna be on an overseas flight.)

WeimyWoodson

September 25th, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^

You can now get all of the things you were going to do out of the way earlier, and have the rest of the night to enjoy the game.  This is like getting all of your weekend homework done on Friday night so you have the rest of the weekend ot party!

SpikeFan2016

September 25th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^

You're assuming that they'll fill more than 3% of The Big House. If State loses to Iowa, I bet a lot of the MSU people who had tickets sell them off. Probably won't decrease the amount who come to Ann Arbor to tailgate by a lot, but the stadium should be pretty minor in terms of the Sparty influence. It'll be absolutely nothing like how we filled their stadium last year/most of the time. 

saveferris

September 25th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^

UTL 1 - Michigan 35, ND 31 - Denard goes ham with a side of "oh wide open!"

UTL 2 - Michigan 41, ND 30 - Devin Gardner becomes a Heisman candidate for one brief, shining moment, despite committing the worst turnover in the history of turnovers.  Special K closes out the night with the Chicken Dance blaring over the PA.

UTL 3 - Michigan 18, PSU 13 - Meh game in Brady Hoke's final hurrah before being shown the door a month later.  Game is probably best remembered for the Dennis Norfleet "Atomic Dog" dance and the latest Adidas Uniformz featuring blue pants.

CRISPed in the DIAG

September 25th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^

Good comments above re nature of MSU fanbase. A resounding Iowa win could get things going, but I think MSU is bad enough to keep that game close.

The juggalo component are front-runners who won't show up to the extent they did over the past few years. Deep down, they're reluctuant to throw themselves into this team. There will be a significant number of MSU fans, but they'll be sponsored by UM students and alums.

Goggles Paisano

September 25th, 2017 at 2:09 PM ^

I've been to at least 6 Mich/Msu games and I have always enjoyed seeing their fans (mostly students) out on the golf course tailigating with everyone.  The rivalry has always added another layer to the tailgate and for the most part, they have always behaved and partied well with the michigan fans.  We have also won every Mich/Msu game I have attended so that helps with my enjoyment factor.   

A State Fan

September 25th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^

I'm gonna burn your city to the ground.

I think it'll be fine. I don't think the MSU fanbase is nearly as bad as you guys seem to think on this board. MSU fans are gonna show up in droves, just because it's close and most of us have friends we can see. I went in 2007 (I think?) and it was a good time. I'll be there for this one too.

MSU might be coming in with back-to-back losses, that could change the tone from "whooo rivalry game!!" to "not in the face". By the end of last year, even going to MSU home games was depressing. 

saveferris

September 25th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^

Why, why, why would we elevate Sparty's profile in the college football sphere by putting them center stage on Saturday night?  Play them at Noon like any other second tier Big 10 competitor.