The Big Ten will take a plunge, playing six games on Friday nights starting next season.
Commissioner Jim Delany watched MSU defeat Nebraska at the Big Ten baseball tournament Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska. Delany raved about the health and success of the league’s baseball programs.
That’s when its new television contract with ABC/ESPN and Fox begins.
But not all Big Ten schools will participate, apparently.
“Michigan is flat-out saying no to Friday night games, both home and road,” the Chicago Tribune reports. “(Big Ten commissioner Jim) Delany said he believes the school simply prefers Saturday games for ‘consistency of presentation.'”
U-M always has held sway over some television decisions — often informally — such as resisting home night games for years.
“Michigan is not scheduled to appear in Friday night football games,” U-M athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement tonight. “We fully support the Big Ten’s scheduling decisions as well as conference peers who are able to play on Friday nights. With our large fan base, Michigan fans and alumni travel significant distances to attend games, making Saturdays our preferred day for all football games.”
Ohio State and Penn State also are unlikely options for Friday games, the report said.
Michigan hardly has played on a Friday in modern history. It did happen in 2003 at Minnesota, due to a building conflict.
The six Friday games for next season are expected to be announced this week. They will be played in September and October and split between three nonconference games and three conference games. Michigan State has opened its season on a Friday for six straight years, including this season, against Furman. A tweet on MSU’s official Twitter page tonight said Michigan State would host one Friday night game per year provided it was Labor Day weekend.
The Big Ten has resisted Friday night football for years because of the conflict with high school football games.
Jack Roberts, executive director of the Michigan High Schools Athletic Association, said today in a news release that he is “disappointed and disheartened” by the Big Ten’s decision to play on Friday nights.
“We are saddened by this decision. We had hoped that the Big Ten Conference would stay above this. We think this cheapens the Big Ten brand,” Roberts said. “Fans won’t like this. Recruits won’t like this. And high school football coaches won’t like this.
“We are grateful that Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are trying to minimize the effects of this decision by the Big Ten. But overall, this is just the latest step by major college athletics in the pursuit of cash that is just crushing high school sports.”
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