B1G Friday Night Lights

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MaxyJR1

MaxyJR1

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Big Ten going Friday night to start the season with these announced games so far.

Central Mich at Michigan State 9/1
Indiana State at Indiana 9/8
Virginia at Maryland 9/15
Wisconsin at Purdue 9/22
Nebraska at Illinois 10/6
 


MaxyJR1 said:
Big Ten going Friday night to start the season with these announced games so far.

Central Mich at Michigan State 9/1
Indiana State at Indiana 9/8
Virginia at Maryland 9/15
Wisconsin at Purdue 9/22
Nebraska at Illinois 10/6
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Michigan St seems to embrace the Friday night Opener as much as Minnesota does on Thursdays.

Since Bielema arrived in Champaign, Illinois appears to be good with a Friday nighter as well.
 


Here is my yearly rant... I think the U should do anything/everything possible to host a Friday night game during the MEA weekend.

I think the U could really embrace the opportunity - you literally have no competition. There are no other college games, no high school games, national television audience. I think with some creative marketing you could market it as Minnesota HS Football Night and have some ways to spotlight players.

Would also be an opportunity to host all Minnesota High School football recruits under the lights.
 


MNfootballfan said:
Here is my yearly rant... I think the U should do anything/everything possible to host a Friday night game during the MEA weekend.

I think the U could really embrace the opportunity - you literally have no competition. There are no other college games, no high school games, national television audience. I think with some creative marketing you could market it as Minnesota HS Football Night and have some ways to spotlight players.

Would also be an opportunity to host all Minnesota High School football recruits under the lights.
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Seems too simple so it won't be done. Probably can't spotlight players as it would be a violation of some sort, but it could be a potential sell out every 1 or 2 years. I recall 2018 when we played Indiana on Friday October 26th, a week after MEA and H2H with 6A High School Playoffs. I was like why wasn't this scheduled last week.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Glad we didn't get any, yet.

I get the "it's good for exposure" type arguments but I like Saturdays better ...
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For sure.

I do think Minnesota has a unique thing with the MEA weekend.
Most of high school football plays Wednesday that week.
Other part of it plays Saturday.

If I was the gophers and I had to play a Friday home game, I’d tell the big ten MEA Friday or not at all
 

MNfootballfan said:
Here is my yearly rant... I think the U should do anything/everything possible to host a Friday night game during the MEA weekend.

I think the U could really embrace the opportunity - you literally have no competition. There are no other college games, no high school games, national television audience. I think with some creative marketing you could market it as Minnesota HS Football Night and have some ways to spotlight players.

Would also be an opportunity to host all Minnesota High School football recruits under the lights.
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You beat me to this post
 

UVA-Maryland should be good. They were each other's #1 rivals before VT came to the ACC.
 




MNfootballfan said:
Here is my yearly rant... I think the U should do anything/everything possible to host a Friday night game during the MEA weekend.

I think the U could really embrace the opportunity - you literally have no competition. There are no other college games, no high school games, national television audience. I think with some creative marketing you could market it as Minnesota HS Football Night and have some ways to spotlight players.

Would also be an opportunity to host all Minnesota High School football recruits under the lights.
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I'm not in favor of this.

Thursday Opener is fine, but that should be it for non-Saturdays.

Also on the horizon with the new TV deal, the Big 10 will have another Friday After Thanksgiving game.
 

Ope3 said:
I'm not in favor of this.

Thursday Opener is fine, but that should be it for non-Saturdays.

Also on the horizon with the new TV deal, the Big 10 will have another Friday After Thanksgiving game.
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I agree with this BUT
if we have to be playing a Friday game because we negoatiated it because of the media deal.


It should be MEA

I don’t even like Thursday opener.
 

Ope3 said:
I'm not in favor of this.

Thursday Opener is fine, but that should be it for non-Saturdays.

Also on the horizon with the new TV deal, the Big 10 will have another Friday After Thanksgiving game.
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Nebraska should get the Thanksgiving Friday games… if they’re at home.

It’s their tradition IIRC.


However I’d they are away the other team should not have to do it.
 



Some guy said:
I agree with this BUT
if we have to be playing a Friday game because we negoatiated it because of the media deal.


It should be MEA

I don’t even like Thursday opener.
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I'm not sure MEA weekend is ideal either. Feels like more than half the population goes out of state that weekend.
 


I think the scheduling of what teams you play, where you play, and when is decided by a computer with input from the people who pay the bills.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Nebraska should get the Thanksgiving Friday games… if they’re at home.

It’s their tradition IIRC.


However I’d they are away the other team should not have to do it.
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Regardless, there will be at least 2 Big 10 games that day, whether or not Nebraska is hosting or a visitor.
 

MNfootballfan said:
Here is my yearly rant... I think the U should do anything/everything possible to host a Friday night game during the MEA weekend.

I think the U could really embrace the opportunity - you literally have no competition. There are no other college games, no high school games, national television audience. I think with some creative marketing you could market it as Minnesota HS Football Night and have some ways to spotlight players.

Would also be an opportunity to host all Minnesota High School football recruits under the lights.
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Some very good ideas there.
 

Some guy said:
For sure.

I do think Minnesota has a unique thing with the MEA weekend.
Most of high school football plays Wednesday that week.
Other part of it plays Saturday.

If I was the gophers and I had to play a Friday home game, I’d tell the big ten MEA Friday or not at all
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How many seats would it take to offer every HS varsity senior a free ticket and call it Minnesota High School Football Night in their honor?
 


Dakota2 said:
How many seats would it take to offer every HS varsity senior a free ticket and call it Minnesota High School Football Night in their honor?
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I am 100% estimating but should give a ball park figure.

Based off of the 2017-2018 HS boys participation report - it says football has 25,031 participants. I am assuming that this is in grades 9-12 and I am going to assume that 25% of the players are seniors that is roughly 6,300. I would also assume that there are more freshman that play vs. seniors, etc.
 

Ope3 said:
I'm not in favor of this.

Thursday Opener is fine, but that should be it for non-Saturdays.

Also on the horizon with the new TV deal, the Big 10 will have another Friday After Thanksgiving game.
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To each their own... I would take a 7:00 Friday Night Game on MEA Weekend over any 11:00 Saturday game.

I don't want any families to get in the situation of choosing between watching a local high school team and the Gophers, although we already have that with second round of 9-man through 5A second round playoffs.
 

howeda7 said:
UVA-Maryland should be good. They were each other's #1 rivals before VT came to the ACC.
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Aside: UVA will have an interesting decision about if they go to the Big Ten, SEC, or what, in the coming years. Would think they'd want to stay with UNC, more than anything.
 

Ope3 said:
I'm not sure MEA weekend is ideal either. Feels like more than half the population goes out of state that weekend.
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The special thing of it would be having a home game on that weekend, and I suspect none of the Big Ten or its TV partners is going to want to build in a special, locked-in date for Minnesota.

But maybe could happen every other year?
 
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Some guy said:
I agree with this BUT
if we have to be playing a Friday game because we negoatiated it because of the media deal.


It should be MEA

I don’t even like Thursday opener.
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Love the Thursday opener. Love it. Take Friday off for a great long weekend.
 

Ope3 said:
I'm not sure MEA weekend is ideal either. Feels like more than half the population goes out of state that weekend.
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Maybe we could a neutral site game at the Wisconsin Dells to draw the out of towners.
 

Holy Man said:
Maybe we could a neutral site game at the Wisconsin Dells to draw the out of towners.
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I was thinking MEA weekend would be the ideal time for Minnesota to play at either UCLA or USC so Gopher fans can join the rest of the masses and get out of town for a nice long weekend.

Not kidding.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Seems too simple so it won't be done. Probably can't spotlight players as it would be a violation of some sort, but it could be a potential sell out every 1 or 2 years. I recall 2018 when we played Indiana on Friday October 26th, a week after MEA and H2H with 6A High School Playoffs. I was like why wasn't this scheduled last week.
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The week after MEA isn't terrible, not perfect, but not terrible. Every high school outside of 6A plays their playoff games on Tuesday and Saturday the week after MEA. Class 6A plays on Friday.

Unfortunately, majority of the players that we want to take in the atmosphere are 6A players...

Only thing I remember from the Indiana game was the rain and Bateman's touchdown.
 

MNfootballfan said:
The week after MEA isn't terrible, not perfect, but not terrible. Every high school outside of 6A plays their playoff games on Tuesday and Saturday the week after MEA. Class 6A plays on Friday.

Unfortunately, majority of the players that we want to take in the atmosphere are 6A players...

Only thing I remember from the Indiana game was the rain and Bateman's touchdown.
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It was Morgan's first start and the rest is now history.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Love the Thursday opener. Love it. Take Friday off for a great long weekend.
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If you’re involved in high school football >60% chance you’re playing that night

Which is the only reason why I hate it
 

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