Mark Coyle addresses fan reaction to Indiana game moved to a Friday night

BleedGopher

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per Coyle's blog:

In a similar vein, we have received questions about the recent announcement that our football team hosting Indiana in a Friday night Big Ten game next season (Oct. 26, 2018). This will be the first Friday night football game for the Gophers in nearly 15 years, and the first-ever in TCF Bank Stadium.

The Big Ten began expanding its broadcast schedule to include Friday night games this season, the realization of a plan that was in motion when I became AD. We expressed a preference to either play Friday night games on the road or during MEA weekend, a weekend where high school football does not play on Fridays in Minnesota. That would still be our preference but those decisions are made by the conference. We will honor our responsibility as a member of the Big Ten and play the conference schedule we are assigned by the league.

It's worth noting, the weekend we were assigned to play is traditionally a playoff weekend for Minnesota high school football, meaning that there are limited Friday night games that week.

http://www.gophersports.com/genrel/103117aaa.html

Go Gophers!!
 

That would still be our preference but those decisions are made by the conference. We will honor our responsibility as a member of the Big Ten and play the conference schedule we are assigned by the league.
Go Gophers!!

Typically spineless response from Coyle
 

It is limited, but it's also the night when the largest 32 schools play (6A). These schools are all around the Metro area. Playing on the same night will likely affect attendance b/c I'm betting there are a few Gopher fans in that demographic.

The MEA week would be ideal if it has to be done.
 

Typically spineless response from Coyle

I mean what else is he supposed to say? "We won't stand for this"? "We won't play the game?". Its the reality of the situation, we only can control so much. As much as we want to say "We won't play Friday games" that will just be met with the B1G conference saying "Yes, you will".
 

I mean what else is he supposed to say? "We won't stand for this"? "We won't play the game?". Its the reality of the situation, we only can control so much. As much as we want to say "We won't play Friday games" that will just be met with the B1G conference saying "Yes, you will".

Agreed. As far as Coyle's statements go, this one was pretty good. He expressed his disappointment w/o whining. It is what it is.


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Other schools like Michigan have outright said they won't play them except on the road....

This is dumb, the idea was dumb, even the B1G backpedaled after initially announcing it and now they're just stealth changing schedules.
 

Other schools like Michigan have outright said they won't play them except on the road....

This is dumb, the idea was dumb, even the B1G backpedaled after initially announcing it and now they're just stealth changing schedules.

Except, what will Michigan do if the Big 10 Conference schedules them for a Friday Night game? Will they actually just say no and not play? Or just complain a lot?

I agree the idea is dumb, and shouldn't have happened, but unless there is some combined effort by the AD of multiple schools, I don't see things changing.
 

Except, what will Michigan do if the Big 10 Conference schedules them for a Friday Night game? Will they actually just say no and not play? Or just complain a lot?

I agree the idea is dumb, and shouldn't have happened, but unless there is some combined effort by the AD of multiple schools, I don't see things changing.

Michigan publicly said they wouldn't do it except on the road not long after the Friday thing was announced.... They did it in an announcment to their fans. So they've made their position clear.
 

Except, what will Michigan do if the Big 10 Conference schedules them for a Friday Night game? Will they actually just say no and not play? Or just complain a lot?

I agree the idea is dumb, and shouldn't have happened, but unless there is some combined effort by the AD of multiple schools, I don't see things changing.

It won't happen -- they're Michigan.
 



Michigan publicly said they wouldn't do it except on the road not long after the Friday thing was announced.... They did it in an announcment to their fans. So they've made their position clear.

I'm aware, but the question is would they follow through if the conference went against that? Do schools have the option to just say "Nah"?
 


I'm aware, but the question is would they follow through if the conference went against that? Do schools have the option to just say "Nah"?

I have my doubts that it would ever happen. B1G did publicly back down a bit after the initial announcement and Michigan and other schools said "nope not us".... but apparently they're still rolling it out....
 





It's part of the massive new TV deal. Haven't checked to verify, but it seems as if most, if not all, of the Big Ten Friday night Home teams are ones that don't put a lot of people in their stadiums. Maybe because the less people who actually go to the games, the less screaming about having to go on a Saturday night.

With 22,000 season tickets sold and looking at the actual crowds at TCF, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the Gophers are gonna be the next man up.
 

As if the member schools had no part of the negotiation with broadcast partners. The administrators who sign off on the deals are just as complicit as the media. Coyle did cop out (again) providing cover for the Big 10. IMO their short term money grab is killing long term fans bases. Look at the impact on Gopher hockey attendance. There are more people at Menards on a Saturday night than at the game. No TV deal to bring rivalry games to the Twin Cities further alienates a fan base that is finding other places to spend discretionary income.
 

I mean what else is he supposed to say? "We won't stand for this"? "We won't play the game?". Its the reality of the situation, we only can control so much. As much as we want to say "We won't play Friday games" that will just be met with the B1G conference saying "Yes, you will".

I'm sure Coyle could have been a jerk about it but what does that get you when its going to happen. Kind of like Fleck, whatever they do they can't please some of the posters on this board. Of course you'll never please a troll. Along the same lines I hope they do discuss it for the future though.
 

I agree. This is going to be dictated by the Big10, nothing we can do. Their goal is to make as much broadcast revenue as possible. As a Big10 member school, this is what we want them to do. At the end of the day, Coyle is going to be very happy with the check that the Big10 gives Minnesota for the media rights.

The only way we don't get put into a situation is to be a big game for Fox or ESPN that they want to broadcast on Saturday. Until then, we will get put into these games.
 

Friday night is bad, but not as bad as Thursday night. At least you can make a weekend out of it, if traveling in.
 

I agree. This is going to be dictated by the Big10, nothing we can do. Their goal is to make as much broadcast revenue as possible. As a Big10 member school, this is what we want them to do. At the end of the day, Coyle is going to be very happy with the check that the Big10 gives Minnesota for the media rights.

The only way we don't get put into a situation is to be a big game for Fox or ESPN that they want to broadcast on Saturday. Until then, we will get put into these games.

I disagree, if Coyle/Fleck/Admin really wanted no part of this they could bail. Northwestern was scheduled for Friday games this year and the backlash was so loud they pulled the plug.

My thoughts are the Gophers realize there will be 30k-33k at TCF regardless if they play Friday or Saturday so they are going along with it, figuring the exposure will offset whatever grumbling there is from season ticket holders.
 



Last year vs Northwestern, this year vs Buffalo, Mid Tenn & Maryland.

I was at all of those games. The only one that would even be close was Northwestern, and that was because it was brutally cold. None of them from this season were close to the numbers you mentioned.
 

Last year vs Northwestern, this year vs Buffalo, Mid Tenn & Maryland.

You are only about 10,000 off on all 3 individual games. You would make better points if you were even remotely correct.
 

This impacts 15 to 16 HS games (31 teams in 6A this year). These games are also first round for 6A and include 2v7 and 1v8 seeded games. With potential cold weather, no one goes to these first round games. Average margin of victory in the first round last Friday was over 24 points per game. Yes MEA would be ideal, but playing on Saturday would be up against 96 section semi-final games. Playing on the Thursday of Labor Day is more annoying to me.
 

This is the Gophs vs Indiana. Not going to be a big draw on name alone no matter when it is played. If we have to do this to ensure that we get that $40M+ check from the Big Ten Network then that is fine with me.
 

This is the Gophs vs Indiana. Not going to be a big draw on name alone no matter when it is played. If we have to do this to ensure that we get that $40M+ check from the Big Ten Network then that is fine with me.

Not gonna be a big draw sure.

But making it LESS of a local draw seems kinda dangerous. Sure it may pay out from money from elsewhere.... but it's gonna be less of a local draw too. And the folks who we compete against get that money too so I'm not sure that is a big plus for us....
 

Not gonna be a big draw sure.

But making it LESS of a local draw seems kinda dangerous. Sure it may pay out from money from elsewhere.... but it's gonna be less of a local draw too. And the folks who we compete against get that money too so I'm not sure that is a big plus for us....

As long as one of our games in the couple years after this one also gets moved to Friday night there is no net negative there. If that doesn't happen I might be a little bit upset, but still...it's really not a big deal.
 

You are only about 10,000 off on all 3 individual games. You would make better points if you were even remotely correct.

They announce 43k for each game, but visually looks like far less (35k tops). Every game I am on the visitors side looking at a half full home side. Upper corners look like ghost towns.

Buffalo might have been closer to 40k with all the freebies they have given to students.

Maybe the no shows are due to Husker and Badger fans getting stuck with extra games via pick your pack.

Also face it, next years schedule is a downer easily the worst since I have had my tix (1999) with only 1 marquee game, Iowa. New Mexico St, Fresno St, Purdue and Northwestern are the other games. Coming off a down year they will be hard pressed to be selling 38k-40k for each game which will result in my initial outlook: 30-33k actual fannies in seats for the glorious return of the Indiana Hoosiers to Stadium Village. It does not matter if it's on Friday nite, Sat morning, Sat afternoon or Sat nite.
 

This impacts 15 to 16 HS games (31 teams in 6A this year). These games are also first round for 6A and include 2v7 and 1v8 seeded games. With potential cold weather, no one goes to these first round games. Average margin of victory in the first round last Friday was over 24 points per game. Yes MEA would be ideal, but playing on Saturday would be up against 96 section semi-final games. Playing on the Thursday of Labor Day is more annoying to me.

If it's going to be too cold for many to go to a 1st Round Class 6A HS game, then I suspect they will also avoid Gophers/Hoosiers as the temps will be the same.
 




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