Paul Bunyan Axe to be played on Black Friday.



How do we feel about this?

If we have to play on non Saturdays I prefer thanksgiving and MEA weekend I suppose.
 






11am on a Friday. the Badger fans will have to start drinking very early to reach their normal BAC level by kickoff.

more seriously - the MN State High School League typically plays the Prep Bowl HS football championship games on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. So the Gopher game could be on at the same time as the first HS game of the day, which would really suck for fans like me that normally watch all of the HS games. (update - as of now, the MSHSL calendar shows dates for Prep Bowl as "To be determined")
 

11am on a Friday. the Badger fans will have to start drinking very early to reach their normal BAC level by kickoff.

more seriously - the MN State High School League typically plays the Prep Bowl HS football championship games on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. So the Gopher game could be on at the same time as the first HS game of the day, which would really suck for fans like me that normally watch all of the HS games. (update - as of now, the MSHSL calendar shows dates for Prep Bowl as "To be determined")

When the Gophers play on the Saturdays after Thanksgiving there is also generally a conflict with the Class 5A and/or 3A Games, so it's just shifting the impact.
 











I typically like to work on Black Friday and bank PTO since no one else in my company tends to work… and this game always gets decent attention on Saturdays. Now college schedulers now trying to dictate how I use my precious off time. This honestly is appealing to no one, at best people must be ambivalent.
 

If I got my wish they could contract a class and go back to one day
Since the Gopher fan I care most about is me, and the HS team I care most about is 5A, the Black Friday Axe Game could be a benefit.

Wishful thinking for the most part though, my HS has not been to the Prep Bowl since 2008 (when there was 1 less Class so they were 4A). I don't think there was a potential for a Gopher conflict back then as the Big 10 was choosing to wrap up before Turkey Day. Money talked them into expanding (in more ways than 1).
 



This will limit the number of Gopher fans going to the game.

This blows all the way around. The only saving grace is that it’s an away game. I sure as hell hope this doesn’t turn into a regular thing like NE/IA.
 

Nothing new there- almost all of the recent CFB changes are bad for the actual game going fans.

They're gonna kill the golden goose- it's only a matter of time.
The goal is to have the fans watch at home and reduce attendance.
 

This will limit the number of Gopher fans going to the game.

This blows all the way around. The only saving grace is that it’s an away game. I sure as hell hope this doesn’t turn into a regular thing like NE/IA.
The saving grace is they get a buttload of cash from CBS (as well as NBC & Fox).

I expect it to be a once every 4-6 year occurrence for Minnesota, just based on number of TV windows available and the game inventory for an 18 team Big 10 conference (some teams like USC host ND every other year so that's also a factor).
 

I like it because that Saturday is typically packed with great games, and this will allow me to watch both the Gophers and all those Saturday games, but yeah if I was planning on attending I would likely feel much differently.
 

Meh.
We never missed the Axe game whether in TC or Madtown. Then they added one week to the season and that ended that. At least I get to watch the game with kids and Gkids which is a plus.
 

This blows all the way around. The only saving grace is that it’s an away game. I sure as hell hope this doesn’t turn into a regular thing like NE/IA.
I feel the opposite- wouldn't have an issue if it was a Black Friday home game. Having a Black Friday game in Madison, at 11 AM, will make it extremely tough for most Gopher fans attend.

But yea- hopefully this is a one time, or rare thing. No thanks to moving it to Black Friday every year.
 


The Gopher Athletic Dept does love those checks that come in from CBS-NBC-FOX though.
They'd get the same check if it was two other Big Ten teams playing though I believe since the Big Ten shares the TV income.
 

They'd get the same check if it was two other Big Ten teams playing though I believe since the Big Ten shares the TV income.
If every team refused, I am guessing there would be some sort of haircut though on the deal. Once the arrangement was signed, it had to be assumed their number would get called to play on Black Friday.

I'm embracing it. It will give the Gophers an extra day for rest and preparation time to get ready for the Big 10 Championship Game.
 


It’s pretty clear “they” are actively looking to find the point where fans take their money and give up on the game. It’s not like any one change is the reason. This alone isn’t that big of a deal. But collectively they appear to be looking for the point where interest in the college game declines. When it is found, I assume they will finally walk some of these changes back.
 





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