2017 Night Games

Breakin' The Plane

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We're right around the time where ESPN and the BIG start announcing night games for the 2017 season (came out on May 9th last year), so I assume we'll hear about this any day now. I'd guess the most likely candidates for home night games would be Nebraska or MSU, road possibilities for Michigan and/or Iowa. Of course Buffalo is guaranteed to be a night game, but beyond that, I'm not real hopeful.
 

Yea, it's gotta be any day now right? I think the league usually announced the night slate in late April/early May...
 

Be nice if we played Becky at night, but that won't happen in late November. Nothing funnier than cock to the gills Skunk fans trying to navigate at night.
 

I hope we play at Iowa at night, am planning on attending that game.

I also hope we get 2-3 night games at home.
 

I hope we play at Iowa at night, am planning on attending that game.

I also hope we get 2-3 night games at home.

Iowa game is Oct. 28th. Unfortunately, PSU and OSU play each other on that date. Little chance that one isn't the night game.
 


Ones that look possible, outside the Buffalo opener:

-Michigan State: Ohio State is at Nebraska that week, which is clearly a more desirable game. But you can't put OSU at night every week.
-Nebraska: Michigan State @ Ohio State and Iowa @ Wisconsin would be the two other possibilities.

Agree that MSU & Nebraska look like the only real possibilities.
 

FWIW, looks like times for the rest of the first three weeks, Thursday and Friday night games throughout the season, and all conference homecoming games will be coming tomorrow. But, according to this article, Big Ten prime time games are not all being announced before the season, as had been done in the past.

Games will be available to be selected as prime time games on a 12-day notice during the season.

http://ohiostate.247sports.com/Cont...keyes-football-season-starting-times-52940209
 

FWIW, looks like times for the rest of the first three weeks, Thursday and Friday night games throughout the season, and all conference homecoming games will be coming tomorrow. But, according to this article, Big Ten prime time games are not all being announced before the season, as had been done in the past.

Games will be available to be selected as prime time games on a 12-day notice during the season.

http://ohiostate.247sports.com/Cont...keyes-football-season-starting-times-52940209
That probably makes sense for the networks, but I think fans like to know ahead of time, especially if planning a road trip.
 

That probably makes sense for the networks, but I think fans like to know ahead of time, especially if planning a road trip.

Agreed. Not just for road trips to away games (for hotel or flight planning) but fans who make the trip to TCF from more than a couple hours away on the regular, as well as folks who might need to line up babysitters for night games that they wouldn't normally need to for an 11am or afternoon game. It makes sense for the TV networks to get the best possible matchups in the best possible time slots, but for fans it sucks.
 



That probably makes sense for the networks, but I think fans like to know ahead of time, especially if planning a road trip.

Amen.

I've got kids who aren't gonna survive aren't likely to survive whole night game... I'd like to be able to figure out who is going when a bit earlier.

Daddy can I go next weekend?

I duno ESPN THE OCHO might want that game...
 

FWIW, looks like times for the rest of the first three weeks, Thursday and Friday night games throughout the season, and all conference homecoming games will be coming tomorrow. But, according to this article, Big Ten prime time games are not all being announced before the season, as had been done in the past.

Games will be available to be selected as prime time games on a 12-day notice during the season.

http://ohiostate.247sports.com/Cont...keyes-football-season-starting-times-52940209

Ugh. I get why the TV stations are doing this, but this really puts a strain on ticket holders who need to plan in advance for any number of reasons.
 

The part I don't get is if they're sticking to their "no night games in November" rule then what does it matter for the network? I mean, the reason to not schedule them now is in case a typically top tier team stumbles (MSU last year) or a lower tier team is having a surprising year (Iowa a couple years ago), then you can move them out of or into prime time. But if it's only through October and you have to announce 11 days in advance, they'd have played at most 3 conference games. Not like you can usually really make that call at that time. If they were going to have night games the last couple weeks then it's a different story.

It doesn't make much difference to me, personally, but I get it affects others. Hopefully they narrow it down as it gets closer (for example, announce the 11:00 AM games then the remainder would be 2:30 or 7:00).

Honestly though, outside of the opening Thursday and possibly the Oregon State game I doubt Gopher fans will have much to worry about...
 

The part I don't get is if they're sticking to their "no night games in November" rule then what does it matter for the network? I mean, the reason to not schedule them now is in case a typically top tier team stumbles (MSU last year) or a lower tier team is having a surprising year (Iowa a couple years ago), then you can move them out of or into prime time. But if it's only through October and you have to announce 11 days in advance, they'd have played at most 3 conference games. Not like you can usually really make that call at that time. If they were going to have night games the last couple weeks then it's a different story.

I don't think that rule is still a thing, at least, as hard and fast as it might've been. Last year, Ohio State played a night game on 11/5 against Nebraska, Michigan played a night game on 11/12 against Iowa, Minnesota played a night game at Nebraska on 11/12, and Penn State had a night game against Rutgers on 11/19. The year before, the Gophers had two night games in November.
 



I don't think that rule is still a thing, at least, as hard and fast as it might've been. Last year, Ohio State played a night game on 11/5 against Nebraska, Michigan played a night game on 11/12 against Iowa, Minnesota played a night game at Nebraska on 11/12, and Penn State had a night game against Rutgers on 11/19. The year before, the Gophers had two night games in November.

I was trying to find if they list what weeks will have them and I couldn't find that info. I see they had Friday night games scheduled through the end of October before they canceled two of them. If they extend a couple weeks into November it certainly would make more sense, but it still seems like the first few weeks of B1G could be determined up front, just like how the NFL only flexes the last few weeks of the season.
 





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