Big Ten to be featured on FOX Friday night college football games

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BleedGopher

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Per Andrew:

Big Ten football fans can get ready for more Friday night games.

FOX Sports announced Thursday that starting this fall, a new special package of Friday night college football games will be broadcast on FOX. Big Ten, Big 12 and Mountain West teams will be featured in the Friday night lineup.

“FOX is football, and our new Friday night package will make FOX the leader in America’s game throughout the weekend,” Michael Mulvihill, President, Insight and Analytics, FOX Corporation said in a released statement. “We’ve built our collegiate business by seizing opportunities in previously underutilized timeslots, first with BIG NOON SATURDAY and now on Friday nights. Our goal this fall is to have the No. 1 college football game on both Fridays and Saturdays and the top NFL game on Sundays.”

saturdaytradition.com

Big Ten to be featured on FOX Friday night college football games

Big Ten teams will be featured in FOX's Friday night college football package starting this fall.
saturdaytradition.com saturdaytradition.com

Go Gophers!!
 


Not a fan of colleges intruding on HS football. and it's counter-productive - asking football fans who support their local HS teams to choose between HS football or watching a college game on Friday night. (of course, you could DVR the college game and watch it after the HS game if you choose).

but - burying the lede - will any Gopher games get bumped to Friday? as I recall, some B1G schools in the past have refused to play on Fridays during the season.

when you take the TV money, you hand over some control over your product - which is why you have basketball games tipping off at 5:30 on a Sunday afternoon, etc.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
but - burying the lede - will any Gopher games get bumped to Friday? as I recall, some B1G schools in the past have refused to play on Fridays during the season.
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I would bet that 1 game will be moved to a Friday. Hopefully it would be a road contest.

I don't think any of the games will involve any teams where the visitor has to travel more than 1 time zone, but even those could be in scope.
 

I've said this multiple times... this is a golden opportunity for the U of M. Volunteer right now to host the weekend of MEA. There are zero high school football games on that Friday. MEA is huge on college visits... give kids visiting game tickets. Make it the biggest tailgating game of the year. Announce the Gopher Regular Season All-State team and invite them to the game.

You could take an event (Friday night college football) everyone hates and make it the best game of the year.
 


We will see high school football moving to daytime games. This is just the beginning of college football changes. The B1G/SEC are the tails wagging the dog. Streaming services need and will over pay for sport programming.
 


MNfootballfan said:
I've said this multiple times... this is a golden opportunity for the U of M. Volunteer right now to host the weekend of MEA. There are zero high school football games on that Friday. MEA is huge on college visits... give kids visiting game tickets. Make it the biggest tailgating game of the year. Announce the Gopher Regular Season All-State team and invite them to the game.

You could take an event (Friday night college football) everyone hates and make it the best game of the year.
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The Gophers have a BYE on MEA Weekend 2024, so in the near future it won't be a thing this season.

The next week the Minnesota hosts Maryland. That may be as good as opportunity as any, as the shortened week for the Gophers is mitigated due to the BYE. The Terps host USC the week prior.

Also, the only HS Football games on that Friday are 6A first round. Pretty much the rest of the state plays on Saturday or was already eliminated the previous Tuesday.
 

Ope3 said:
The Gophers have a BYE on MEA Weekend 2024, so in the near future it won't be a thing this season.

The next week the Minnesota hosts Maryland. That may be as good as opportunity as any, as the shortened week for the Gophers is mitigated due to the BYE. The Terps host USC the week prior.

Also, the only HS Football games on that Friday are 6A first round. Pretty much the rest of the state plays on Saturday or was already eliminated the previous Tuesday.
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Assuming you are talking about 6A playing the Friday after MEA when we are supposed to play Maryland?

All MN schools wrap up the regular season the Wednesday of MEA.
 



MNfootballfan said:
Assuming you are talking about 6A playing the Friday after MEA when we are supposed to play Maryland?

All MN schools wrap up the regular season the Wednesday of MEA.
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Correct, the following week the HS Teams without a BYE below Class 6A play on Tuesday and then Semis on Saturday. The 32 6A Teams will be playing that Friday (Oct 25).
 

If they limit this to one game a season per team on Friday then it is not too bad.

Generally, HS football night was a line to not cross. So was NFL post-season games can't be behind a pay wall.

Markets usually work best in the long run to work it out. Without government interference. Market variables adjust, are adjusted, improve.

But sometimes the government or other regulatoey institution needs to act as a referee because it's a mess or unfair without some involvement.

The problem, politicians act to stroke their bases because the only way they lose elections is by losing in the primary. So government has less incentive to do what's right and more to do what gets reelected. Sometimes that is the right thing. Sometimes that is ladeling out goodies, all sides.
 

SHGopher said:
If they limit this to one game a season per team on Friday then it is not too bad.

Generally, HS football night was a line to not cross. So was NFL post-season games can't be behind a pay wall.

Markets usually work best in the long run to work it out. Without government interference. Market variables adjust, are adjusted, improve.

But sometimes the government or other regulatoey institution needs to act as a referee because it's a mess or unfair without some involvement.

The problem, politicians act to stroke their bases because the only way they lose elections is by losing in the primary. So government has less incentive to do what's right and more to do what gets reelected. Sometimes that is the right thing. Sometimes that is ladeling out goodies, all sides.
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I get the angst with moving to Friday and conflicting with HS football, but personally the team I follow played just as many games on non-Fridays (5 each). So tough to get worked up about it.

They had 1 Thursday game and 3 Saturday games, all of which I had to skip due to conflicts with Gopher football.
 

MNfootballfan said:
I've said this multiple times... this is a golden opportunity for the U of M. Volunteer right now to host the weekend of MEA. There are zero high school football games on that Friday. MEA is huge on college visits... give kids visiting game tickets. Make it the biggest tailgating game of the year. Announce the Gopher Regular Season All-State team and invite them to the game.

You could take an event (Friday night college football) everyone hates and make it the best game of the year.
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This
 



Won’t make much difference in Gopher attendance regardless when they play.
 

When I think of the Gophers playing on Friday night, I shudder. Brings up memories of a certain game in 2003….
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Not a fan of colleges intruding on HS football. and it's counter-productive - asking football fans who support their local HS teams to choose between HS football or watching a college game on Friday night.
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As much as I agree with you in spirit and that the traditional hallowed ground of Friday Night Lights for HS should be respected .... there really aren't that many people going to high school football games in the grand scheme of things. At least in MN. (Other states that may hold less true.)

It's mostly parents/family of players and coaches, and kids in the schools.
 


Ope3 said:
The Gophers have a BYE on MEA Weekend 2024, so in the near future it won't be a thing this season.

The next week the Minnesota hosts Maryland. That may be as good as opportunity as any, as the shortened week for the Gophers is mitigated due to the BYE. The Terps host USC the week prior.

Also, the only HS Football games on that Friday are 6A first round. Pretty much the rest of the state plays on Saturday or was already eliminated the previous Tuesday.
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Sadly I don't think the Big Ten or our TV partners will give a rip about what would work well for us, no matter how much sense it makes.

They'll schedule us on the Friday that makes the least sense for us, because it makes the most cents for the TV schedule.
 

If you want the media's money you need to do as they tell you. Fans will adapt. It is getting closer to having Pro or College football seven days a week. The Beetles were mistaken. The Chicago Cubs has lights & plays night games because of television money. Fans adapted the sun still rises they still sellout.
 


Out State Gopher said:
If you want the media's money you need to do as they tell you. Fans will adapt. It is getting closer to having Pro or College football seven days a week. The Beetles were mistaken. The Chicago Cubs has lights & plays night games because of television money. Fans adapted the sun still rises they still sellout.
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Not sure who The Beetles are.😉

Cubs fans that work 9-5/M-F certainly appreciate Wrigley getting lights. Point being, can't satisfy everyone. Please, Please Me.
 

If it holds like last time, the big schools got to say no to hosting or even being on a Friday, leaving it to the lower half of the B1G in attendance, including us.
 

Right now only the 2024 schedule is out for the Big Ten. The Gophers should have a permanent request to be home MEA weekend and further request to be the Friday night game that week.

As was stated, there are high school games that Friday and it is a big visiting weekend. It makes sense that a new Friday tradition would take hold at the U.
 

Ski U Mah Gopher said:
Right now only the 2024 schedule is out for the Big Ten. The Gophers should have a permanent request to be home MEA weekend and further request to be the Friday night game that week.

As was stated, there are high school games that Friday and it is a big visiting weekend. It makes sense that a new Friday tradition would take hold at the U.
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I'm not sure it would be a great family tradition. Tons of families go on out of state vacations or close up cabins that weekend.

Personally I wouldn't look forward to it, especially the Thursday night Home Opener remains. One non-Saturday is enough.

I would put up with a 2nd every few years, but that's about it. Mid-October is as good as it gets to enjoy a game in the afternoon sunshine to tailgate and for the game itself.
 

Ope3 said:
I'm not sure it would be a great family tradition. Tons of families go on out of state vacations or close up cabins that weekend.

Personally I wouldn't look forward to it, especially the Thursday night Home Opener remains. One non-Saturday is enough.

I would put up with a 2nd every few years, but that's about it. Mid-October is as good as it gets to enjoy a game in the afternoon sunshine to tailgate and for the game itself.
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If you’re out of town Friday night vs Saturday morning probably doesn’t make a huge differenxe

I agree. I would prefer zero games except for Saturdays

But if they gotta play one, MEA is best IMO
 

Some guy said:
If you’re out of town Friday night vs Saturday morning probably doesn’t make a huge differenxe

I agree. I would prefer zero games except for Saturdays

But if they gotta play one, MEA is best IMO
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Right, which is why I am saying don't make it an annual thing. I think any game attendance will suffer on MEA Weekend, whether it's on Friday or Saturday.

I don't want to volunteer for it every year, but if it has to happen once every 3 years or so at Home, then fine do it that weekend.

Already have an early season game (Opener) on Thursday and November risk of cold/ice etc.
 

Ope3 said:
Right, which is why I am saying don't make it an annual thing. I think any game attendance will suffer on MEA Weekend, whether it's on Friday or Saturday.

I don't want to volunteer for it every year, but if it has to happen once every 3 years or so at Home, then fine do it that weekend.

Already have an early season game (Opener) on Thursday and November risk of cold/ice etc.
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I agree. But every time the conference asks to play Friday we should say, we will host on MeA Friday and that’s it. Maybe once every 3 years or something.
 

Out State Gopher said:
We will see high school football moving to daytime games. This is just the beginning of college football changes. The B1G/SEC are the tails wagging the dog. Streaming services need and will over pay for sport programming.
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Highschool football could care less. they will not play daytime games.
 

Some guy said:
I agree. But every time the conference asks to play Friday we should say, we will host on MeA Friday and that’s it. Maybe once every 3 years or something.
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I don't object to the sentiment, but the idea of Minnesota trying to make any scheduling demands to the conference made me laugh. At this point, I am afraid that our position in the conference is to keep our heads down and try to survive in the Big Ten until the new order is established and hope that our large market keeps us viable.
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
I don't object to the sentiment, but the idea of Minnesota trying to make any scheduling demands to the conference made me laugh. At this point, I am afraid that our position in the conference is to keep our heads down and try to survive in the Big Ten until the new order is established and hope that our large market keeps us viable.
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There is a difference between a demand and a request.

Saying that this week in October, where there are no Friday HS games, is a week that we can be the Friday game is good for both the U and the Big Ten.
 

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