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gophmeister

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Do we know yet whether or not there will be any night games at TCF next fall? I was just fondly reminiscing about the MSU game.

Also, can we get the countdown clock for next season up and running. ;)
 

I remember a lot of threads during, and right after the regular season talking about this same topic. Those discussions were primarily from two angles... more night games please and no more 11:00 AM starts please.

I remember being in Columbus for the Ohio State game and all the locals were complaining about the noon starts. I wondered what they'd do if they were in the central time zone and had to put up with 11:00 AM starts. There definitely is a lot less energy all around for those early games. The one big exception to that this year was the Cal game, which was awesome.

I too would love to see more night games and fewer 11 am games. But, unfortuntely this is now governed by whatever the TV people dictate. It is more important to be on TV than cater to the fans at the games.

Well, I guess LSU bucks the trend but for most everyone else (certainly in the Big 10), TV calls the shots.
 

We do have to bend around TV. I think that 1PM is an ideal start time, but those days are done. The BTN hasn't run a lot of 2:30 games, apparently, they've decided to outsource them to ESPN. But then why not sell the airtime for the 2:30 game that the BTN isn't using?
 

I'm amazed by how many of our games were on national tv this year. I'm willing to suffer through any time that gives us more exposure.
 

the USC will be a night game for sure. there no way in hell that ABC/ESPN let this one slip through to the Big Ten Network.
 


gophersfan said:
the USC will be a night game for sure. there no way in hell that ABC/ESPN let this one slip through to the Big Ten Network.
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That one would be near the top of my list along with Northwestern, Ohio St or Penn St, The Iowa game would seem to me to be too late in the season for a night game.
 

gophersfan said:
the USC will be a night game for sure. there no way in hell that ABC/ESPN let this one slip through to the Big Ten Network.
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ESPN can take that game at any time they want w/out it falling to the BTN. Minnesota doesn't have primetime appeal to warrant a night game so it will likely be at 11:00 am or 2:30. As you may recall Cal was an 11:00 am game this year and that would be my guess for this game too.
 

gophmeister said:
That one would be near the top of my list along with Northwestern, Ohio St or Penn St, The Iowa game would seem to me to be too late in the season for a night game.
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Correct. The Big Ten does not allow night games in November unless it is at an indoor venue. With no domes in the conference that rule can now be interpreted as no November night games.
 

gophersfan said:
the USC will be a night game for sure. there no way in hell that ABC/ESPN let this one slip through to the Big Ten Network.
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A 7:00 game would be great. I would only miss the 1st half.

It is Yom Kippur, and I will be praying until 7:30. I know I will be needing it already.:p
 



RodentRampage said:
We do have to bend around TV. I think that 1PM is an ideal start time, but those days are done. The BTN hasn't run a lot of 2:30 games, apparently, they've decided to outsource them to ESPN. But then why not sell the airtime for the 2:30 game that the BTN isn't using?
Click to expand...

The "outsourcing" is part of their contract with ABC/ESPN. No BTN games can go head to head with ABC's 2:30 game.
 

I had heard that once the current TV deal is up the B10 is looking into having two start times, 12 and 7. No more 11:00 and no more 2:30. This might have been just a rumor but I swear it came from a reputable source many months back, bottom line is nobody really likes the 11am games when there are alternatives.
 

A Minnesota/USC matchup is not necessarily a primetime game.
 

Ski U Master said:
I had heard that once the current TV deal is up the B10 is looking into having two start times, 12 and 7. No more 11:00 and no more 2:30. This might have been just a rumor but I swear it came from a reputable source many months back, bottom line is nobody really likes the 11am games when there are alternatives.
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Please make it so-please make it so-please make it so!
 



grunkiejr said:
ESPN can take that game at any time they want w/out it falling to the BTN. Minnesota doesn't have primetime appeal to warrant a night game so it will likely be at 11:00 am or 2:30. As you may recall Cal was an 11:00 am game this year and that would be my guess for this game too.
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that game won't be at 11 am. the USC game will be either 6:45 PM on ESPN or 7 pm on ABC. no way does it get put on at 11 am or 2:30. it will be a night game. book it.
 

Ski U Master said:
I had heard that once the current TV deal is up the B10 is looking into having two start times, 12 and 7. No more 11:00 and no more 2:30. This might have been just a rumor but I swear it came from a reputable source many months back, bottom line is nobody really likes the 11am games when there are alternatives.
Click to expand...

12 and 7 eastern or central?
 

gophersfan said:
that game won't be at 11 am. the USC game will be either 6:45 PM on ESPN or 7 pm on ABC. no way does it get put on at 11 am or 2:30. it will be a night game. book it.
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What makes you so sure of this?
 

Gopherholefan said:
What makes you so sure of this?
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go back in history. When was the last time USC play a noon eastern game, when was the last time. it was a long time ago.

there no way, ESPN put that game at 11 am. it just too big for a noon eastern time. it will get on in primetime.
 



gophersfan said:
that game won't be at 11 am. the USC game will be either 6:45 PM on ESPN or 7 pm on ABC. no way does it get put on at 11 am or 2:30. it will be a night game. book it.
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Maybe, maybe not.

To get the prime time spot on ABC/ESPN/BTN, the USC-MN game would have to jump these games:

Florida at Tennessee (likely CBS game)
Notre Dame at Michigan State (ABC/ESPN/BTN all will want this one)
UCLA at Texas (a clear ABC prime time candidate)
Clemson at Auburn (a clear ESPN prime time candidate)
Arkansas at Georgia (a clear ESPN prime time candidate)
Nebraska at Washington (ABC prime time candidate)
Iowa at Arizona (ABC prime time candidate)
Arizona State at Wisconsin (BTN prime time candidate)
Mississippi State at LSU (ESPN possibility)
BYU at Florida State
Alabama at Duke

That's a fairly impressive list of games. I'd say the TV execs probably rate the USC-MN game as a middle of the pack option out of that bunch. If I had to guess, I'd say the USC-MN game will be at 2:30pm. And, for the record, USC played in the 2:30pm time slot five times last year and five times the year before.
 

I am firmly in favor of more Halloween weekend night games at the New Brickhouse. The atmosphere around campus that day was awesome.

Make here a far more desirable place to go for Halloween than Madison.
 

tjgopher said:
Maybe, maybe not.

To get the prime time spot on ABC/ESPN/BTN, the USC-MN game would have to jump these games:

Florida at Tennessee (likely CBS game)
Notre Dame at Michigan State (ABC/ESPN/BTN all will want this one)
UCLA at Texas (a clear ABC prime time candidate)
Clemson at Auburn (a clear ESPN prime time candidate)
Arkansas at Georgia (a clear ESPN prime time candidate)
Nebraska at Washington (ABC prime time candidate)
Iowa at Arizona (ABC prime time candidate)
Arizona State at Wisconsin (BTN prime time candidate)
Mississippi State at LSU (ESPN possibility)
BYU at Florida State
Alabama at Duke

That's a fairly impressive list of games. I'd say the TV execs probably rate the USC-MN game as a middle of the pack option out of that bunch. If I had to guess, I'd say the USC-MN game will be at 2:30pm. And, for the record, USC played in the 2:30pm time slot five times last year and five times the year before.
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I'd be willing to be this is the correct answer as well. That has all the markings of a 2:30 ABC regional game.
 

tjgopher said:
Maybe, maybe not.

To get the prime time spot on ABC/ESPN/BTN, the USC-MN game would have to jump these games:

Florida at Tennessee (likely CBS game)
Notre Dame at Michigan State (ABC/ESPN/BTN all will want this one)
UCLA at Texas (a clear ABC prime time candidate)
Clemson at Auburn (a clear ESPN prime time candidate)
Arkansas at Georgia (a clear ESPN prime time candidate)
Nebraska at Washington (ABC prime time candidate)
Iowa at Arizona (ABC prime time candidate)
Arizona State at Wisconsin (BTN prime time candidate)
Mississippi State at LSU (ESPN possibility)
BYU at Florida State
Alabama at Duke

That's a fairly impressive list of games. I'd say the TV execs probably rate the USC-MN game as a middle of the pack option out of that bunch. If I had to guess, I'd say the USC-MN game will be at 2:30pm. And, for the record, USC played in the 2:30pm time slot five times last year and five times the year before.
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Some of those games will be on the SEC Network, which is ESPN regional. also you have ESPNU that does a SEC game of the week during Saturday Night.

Florida Tennessee will be CBS at 2:30pm.
 

gophersfan said:
Some of those games will be on the SEC Network, which is ESPN regional. also you have ESPNU that does a SEC game of the week during Saturday Night.

Florida Tennessee will be CBS at 2:30pm.
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Florida-TN could also potentially be prime time on CBS. They've done a handful of prime time games, too.

SEC Network/ESPN Regional will get the leftover games. They will get the Vandy-Ole Miss and Kentucky-Western Kentucky and South Carolina-Furman matchups. ESPN Regional will likely not get the more premiere matchups. ESPN and ESPN2 will be very attracted to some of those other SEC games for prime time before USC-MN. ABC will likely be interested in Big 12/Pac 10 and may be the other Big 10/Pac 10 matchups prior to USC-MN, too. There will also be ACC conference games that night (scheduled not released yet) and if there's a combo of GA Tech/Mia/FSU/UNC, then that is likely destined for ABC prime time before us, too.

I think the main hope of prime time for MN-USC would come from BTN, although if Notre Dame-MSU is still there, then the BTN will almost certainly make that prime time if they have a prime time slot available.
 

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