Brace yourselves: Rivalry Game vs. Rutgers Possibly a Night Game

Submitted by rob f on September 1st, 2019 at 5:56 PM

After last night's game at The Big House I spoke to a friend who also happens to be on the Michigan Stadium staff, he brought up the possibility that the Sept. 28th game vs Rutger might be played under the lights.  He stated that the possibility was addressed with Big House staff at a meeting he attended this past week, that the Big Ten was pushing for it to be a night game.  They were told in the meeting to be prepared for the possibility, that no final decision was likely for at least a couple weeks.

I am putting this out here at confidence level 10 in regards to my source, with the caveat that he emphasized the fact that no decision has been made yet, merely that it is a distinct possibility.

Any MGoInsiders out there with more information, please fill us in!

MGoBoard
Football
night games
rivalry
UTL
The Situation

Wolverine Devotee

September 1st, 2019 at 5:59 PM ^

TV has the final say. I had similar info like this about PSU last year and it was changed to 3:45pm.

Hope to God it's not a night game. 

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

Wolverine Devotee

September 1st, 2019 at 6:11 PM ^

Captain Ben Bredeson from Overtime

“You play at seven, and your whole day is shot,” Bredeson told me. “We don’t like lying around. We want to go hit someone! And we have no meetings on game days. If you don’t know it by then, you’re not going to know it. Coach [Harbaugh] lets us sleep in until noon, so we can ‘cut the day in half.’

“So we love noon games. You’re done by four, the sun is still up, your parents come over to your home and make a big meal for you. And it’s fun. At 4:30, you’ve won your game, you’ve got a plateful of food in front of you, and you’re watching big teams lose. That’s great. “That’s what I live for: those few delicious hours after a nice win,”

I have a short distance to drive compared to a lot of fans who go to every game.

I like night games if the game warrants it. A C-USA team does not. A virtual C-USA teams also does not. Why waste it on them when it could be used to our ADVANTAGE in big games against Notre Dame or Iowa?

Neg away

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

UM Fan from Sydney

September 1st, 2019 at 7:59 PM ^

Unless there is something I don't know, ND can still be a night game. Is there a cap on the amount of night games?

 

I swear...this is the only fanbase that hates night games. This "the opponent has to warrant a night game" is absolutely ridiculous. They don't always have to be these big spectacle events. I know we're still relatively new to home night games, but there is no reason to not have a night game just because a faction of fans think "the opponent is not worthy." Prime time games (especially home games) are good to have.

Joined: 09/17/2015

MGoPoints: 58076

Wolverine Devotee

September 1st, 2019 at 8:35 PM ^

Let me let you in on a little secret: only Michigan fans, MTSU fans and obsessed rival fans were watching Michigan play Middle Tennessee State on TV last night instead of the Top-20 game in Dallas. 

This idea that Michigan playing a bodybag game at night is going to draw so many more eyes than it would have at Noon or 3:30 is nonsense. I don't know about anyone else here but I'm not watching MSU play WMU next weekend when LSU-Texas is gonna be on.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

UM Fan from Sydney

September 1st, 2019 at 8:39 PM ^

I also don’t agree with your bull shit “wasting a night game atmosphere” on a team you deem unworthy (it’s like you think it is a privilege to play UM at home, at night). If you don’t like night games because if logistics, whatever. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. I’ll take a night game as often as we can get.

Joined: 09/17/2015

MGoPoints: 58076

Cope

September 1st, 2019 at 10:04 PM ^

Forget the opponent. I hate night games because I, not the players, have to wait around all day. I can’t do yard work or hang out with the kids. I have to mope around the kitchen looking for snacks to fill my desire for football. At noon, it’s just the right amount of moping to get some coffee going, send an obligatory hello comment to the wife, and get football started. Any other ungodly hour is offensive to the pace of a football Saturday. 

Joined: 10/07/2010

MGoPoints: 2648

SharkyRVA

September 2nd, 2019 at 8:41 AM ^

I live in VA and only make it up to Ann Arbor for one game a year.  I hate night games because they don't open the tailgating up until 8 hours before the game...  around noon.  Not only does it suck because I can't be parked and tailgating around 7-8AM, it also creates a huge wait to get into the lots because everyone gets there at once when they open vs being able to drive right in when we get there at 7-8AM.  

As for the game atmosphere...  it is great.  As for the rest of the day logistics, I would rather a 3:30 start.  Great tailgating time, great game, sit around after the game till traffic clears and then go watch the late games. 

Joined: 10/01/2015

MGoPoints: 1228

Gucci Mane

September 1st, 2019 at 5:59 PM ^

I sure hope it’s a night game. It so wonderful to be able to do stuff on my Saturday and then go to the game. When it’s noon I’m exhausted. I’m fine with no night games in November. That could get cold. 

Joined: 02/10/2014

MGoPoints: -99957423

Wolverine Devotee

September 1st, 2019 at 6:06 PM ^

The only people who love this idea must be within 30 minutes of Ann Arbor.

I'm an hour and change away and didn't get back until 2:30am. 

For Wisconsin? Awesome, amazing atmosphere and time. Didn't matter getting home that late with the high of that win.

Fucking Middle Tennessee State? Rutgers?! 

Maybe I'll change my mind once I move within 30 minutes of Ann Arbor in the winter. 

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

I'mTheStig

September 2nd, 2019 at 11:21 AM ^

As someone who isn't in A2 anymore, I love night games.  It's great for people coming in from out of town for the weekend.

In my case, I can still work a full day on Friday (thus keeping my billable hours up).

With a noon game, I have to move my Friday schedule around to catch a decent flight.

I know I'm not in the majority situation here but just something to consider since the night game conversation has devolved into a pissing contest of whatever WD thinks is right and everyone else is wrong.

Joined: 11/02/2018

MGoPoints: 11373

Hail Harbo

September 1st, 2019 at 7:14 PM ^

The overwhelming majority of people don't see the game in person.  Personally I relish late afternoon and evening games because I'm almost always busy during the day on Saturday.  Late afternoon games mean I can wrap things up and catch the second half, sometimes the entire game.  Noon games, inevitably I'm left to listen to Jim Brandstatter stumble his way through the play by play.

Joined: 06/18/2015

MGoPoints: 13428

rob f

September 1st, 2019 at 7:39 PM ^

You beat me by 25 minutes, WD.  I got home at 2:55 am after a 2 3/4 hour drive that included a stop for gas and 15 minutes of fresh air to revive my concentration.

I fully agree, night games for big games are fun thru October, once a season.  But Rutger or  MTSU???!

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 194738

GOBLUE4EVR

September 1st, 2019 at 7:43 PM ^

I call BS on you getting home that late without hanging out in AA after the game!!! I didn't leave the stadium until around 12:45am and got back to my car at Wolverine tower at 1am... Then made the drive north to White Lake and pulled into my drive way at 2am... 

 

Joined: 01/09/2009

MGoPoints: 4282

Gucci Mane

September 1st, 2019 at 9:17 PM ^

I'm a 25 minute walk to the car, and then a 45 minute drive. Are you really that much travel time further ? It is a saturday night. Can't believe people really still bitch about night games. 

Joined: 02/10/2014

MGoPoints: -99957423

SBayBlue

September 1st, 2019 at 6:00 PM ^

I'd actually like that. The one game I will be at this year. And I am brainwashing my senior year kid to leave California with a game and campus tour that weekend.

Joined: 06/29/2015

MGoPoints: 3586

mjv

September 1st, 2019 at 6:01 PM ^

That would suck.  Basically, anyone who doesn't live in SE Michigan gets to ruin sunday morning for a crap game against Rutger.  And get a hotel room somewhere back along the ride home.

When one of the major opponents (at least Wisconsin or better), it is somewhat justifiable.  Rutger is tough to justify a typical drive in from Chicago for a day game.  The calculus is much worse for a night game.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3656

Paid Like Aubrey

September 1st, 2019 at 6:11 PM ^

I love night games.  Allows me to get a round of golf in and go to the gym before the game starts.

 

But I live 2,000 miles away, so I almost never attend the games in person any more.

 

 

Joined: 01/05/2019

MGoPoints: 446

FB Dive

September 1st, 2019 at 6:11 PM ^

Rutgers and ND are the only possibilities for another night game. All other games have either been already announced or are late enough in the season that Warde can veto it (and he already has said that he will not agree to any night games they aren't obligated to do). The tv contract says that we can only have 3 home night games every two years, which means 2 this year since we only had 1 last year, so Rutgers and ND cannot both be night games.

The decision as to which is won't be "officially" made until roughly two weeks ahead of the game, so Michigan has to make contingency plans for both games. The eventual decision will depend almost entirely on which option will yield higher TV ratings, and Michigan has zero say on which one is chosen. ND is the far more likely option since that game could easily be a top-ten matchup. The TV networks for either game have yet to be announced, but ND will almost certainly be Fox or ESPN while Rutgers could easily be BTN, which is why I suspect the Big Ten is pushing for Rutgers to be the night game.

Now, I'm not familiar enough with the contract to know who gets to choose which game is the night game (is it the conference or the networks, and if it's the networks, which network?), but I'd be very surprised if its Rutgers; ND is the far more attractive option.

Joined: 08/03/2019

MGoPoints: 14486