Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany yesterday said that the conference's new TV deals with ESPN/ABC and Fox Sports will "include a package of six prime-time Friday games" beginning in '17, according to Teddy Greenstein of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The selected games "will be revealed this week." Delany said, "We thought it was worthwhile to dip our toe in the water." Greenstein notes with the exception of Labor Day weekend, the Big Ten has turned down Friday night games, citing a "conflict with high school football and concerns about affecting class time and campus logistics." Delany said that the conference is "reluctant to ask schools with giant seating capacities to host Friday night games, largely because of traffic concerns." He added that there "will be three Friday conference games and three non-conference games in September and October." No team will play on Friday "more than twice in a season" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/3). Big Ten Senior Associate Commissioner/TV Administration Mark Rudner said, "We wanted to be able to create more prime-time exposure in our conference for more programs. We look at the landscape. There's so much exposure, so many games being televised. We wanted to create a new opportunity for significant exposure." Rudner noted that the number of Friday night games are "on the upswing," up from 53 in '14 to 65 this season. The move to Fridays affects about 6% of the "95 football games played in the Big Ten next season." Rudner said that there are "no plans to play even earlier in the week" (Baltimore SUN, 11/3). Rudner: “There are more games being televised nationally each week. If you look at other conferences like the Pac-12 and the ACC and even the Ivy League, they have had a clear presence on Friday night" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/3).
IS THIS NECESSARY? Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel tweeted, "It's so bizarre to see Big Ten people freaking out about Friday night games. Others have been doing it for 15 years. Nothing bad happens." CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd: "Yo, Big Ten. Time to call it Friday Night Lite?" SB Nation's Alex Kirshner: "Lots of teams don’t love this, and they have good reasons." Sporting News' Colleen Thomas: "Sorry, ESPN and Fox, but Big Ten football does not belong on Friday nights."
IN OR OUT: In Pennsylvania, John Petrolias notes Penn State "will not host Friday night games, with its athletic department releasing a statement citing the importance of 'Friday night high school football.'" Ohio State "will only play Friday night games over their fall break, and Michigan will refuse to play Friday home and road games, citing 'consistency of presentation'" (Harrisburg PATRIOT-NEWS, 11/3). Michigan State said that it "would agree to host a Friday night game -- but only on Labor Day weekend." ESPN.com's Brian Bennett noted MSU previously "hosted Friday night games on that holiday weekend," but it "didn't conflict with the high school schedule in Michigan, because most of the state's prep games are played that week on Thursday." Wisconsin also said that it is "open to hosting games at Camp Randall on the Friday night of Labor Day weekend in selected years, but it has not committed to hosting them at any other time" (ESPN.com, 11/2).
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Indiana AD Fred Glass said that his program has "agreed to play one Friday night conference game every three years." In Indianapolis, Baird & Osterman note Glass' "primary concern with the move to Fridays is high school football." Glass said that he "doesn't want IU -- or the Friday move in general -- to disrupt high school football in the state." Glass said that he and Purdue AD Mike Bobinski "spoke with Indiana High School Athletic Association Commissioner Bobby Cox about the decision" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 11/3). Bobinski, who also agreed to participate in the Friday night games, said that "one idea that came from that discussion was high school and college programs working together, such as local high schools moving games to Saturday for cross-promotion" (Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER, 11/3).
