Illini Football 2026

Status
Not open for further replies.
#26      
Fighter of the Nightman
Kind of hate the UCLA game being on a Friday. While I'm sure Illini transplants in SoCal will make sure there will still be a ton of orange in the Rose Bowl, I am guessing a Friday night game cuts down on at least SOME Illini fans who would have considered traveling to that one.
 
#28      
kmunt09
I wonder if this lessens the possibility of UAB / Duke / So. IL. being flexed to a Friday night, or if there isn’t any correlation at all?
 
#29      
Mistakenj
Northwestern, Washington, and Illinois with 2 Friday night games, but no Ohio State or Michigan. I’m pretty sure Ohio State told them no straight up. I don’t like us playing on Friday night. It makes us feel like a MWC-level team.
 
#33      
OrangeBlue98
illini0440 said:
You can thank Fox.
Click to expand...
Maybe I’m just too naive, but I’d like to think a school could say, “hey, that’s Dad’s Day weekend and we would like to keep a Saturday game.”

But I’m sure the networks don’t care based on the money they are pumping into the conference.
 
#35      
HailtotheChief
I dont mind Friday games in the spring but damn man, its already usually getting pretty cold in November on metal bleachers. Much prefer the extra 10 or 15 degrees the sun would provide that time of year. I mean only thing that couldve made the November snow game vs NW worse was it it were at night!
 
#37      
Da88
Looks like the Champaign hotels got the word of date change.
My Saturday night hotel for Nebby was was 118 bucks, now they want 450 for Friday night. I guess I'll cross that one off the list to go to.
 
#40      
fuddrules
OrangeBlue98 said:
Maybe I’m just too naive, but I’d like to think a school could say, “hey, that’s Dad’s Day weekend and we would like to keep a Saturday game.”

But I’m sure the networks don’t care based on the money they are pumping into the conference.
Click to expand...
Short of homecoming - I don't see any promotion moving the needle. They have something going on every game.

The reality is, it's university athletics that have decided this is he way to go. Dangle some money at them and they snatch it up. At any point they can choose to get off the merry-go-round or cumulatively slow it down.
 
#41      
SCottm
mhuml32 said:
Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961
Click to expand...
I get the legality of it. What I don't understand is, doesn't NCAA realize they are impeding on a quasi-partner? They should be working with high schools to help nuture the so called feeder system, not take the fans out of their stadiums just because they can.
 
#42      
JKR
OrangeBlue98 said:
Maybe I’m just too naive, but I’d like to think a school could say, “hey, that’s Dad’s Day weekend and we would like to keep a Saturday game.”

But I’m sure the networks don’t care based on the money they are pumping into the conference.
Click to expand...
Schools do have (at least they used to) the right to turn down Friday games. Illinois chooses not to.
 
#44      
spotter
SCottm said:
Can someone explain why the NCAA has no problem interfering with standard Friday night high school games but has Saturdays blocked from the NFL impeding their space?
Click to expand...
I referee high school football. I also work all home games for Illini radio. I HATE Friday night games.

At least the Friday home game is in November, when the HS regular season is over and almost all the playoff games are on Saturdays.

I thought for sure the Duke game was going to be Friday night.
 
#45      
ChiefGritty
SCottm said:
I get the legality of it. What I don't understand is, doesn't NCAA realize they are impeding on a quasi-partner? They should be working with high schools to help nuture the so called feeder system, not take the fans out of their stadiums just because they can.
Click to expand...
The idea of foregoing the opportunity for a single red cent on this quarter's balance sheet in recognition of the need to keep the ecosystem which your industry depends upon healthy and thriving and ensuring future prosperity is no longer allowed in the boardroom door, whether that be for-profit, non-profit, public entities, it doesn't matter.

The first world business ethos of burn everything down to squeeze one last penny today has been unquestioned within every major institution for decades now.

Living through the consequences won't be fun. Go Illini.
 
#46      
spotter
JKR said:
Schools do have (at least they used to) the right to turn down Friday games. Illinois chooses not to.
Click to expand...
Michigan always declined Friday night games when Harbaugh was coaching. But that was under an old broadcasting deal.

I would hope that there is some type of cap on the number of Friday night games that schools are forced to play.

In a weird way, should we be sort of proud that TV wants the U of I on island games? If so, is a Friday night game a prestigious time slot like Sunday Night Football is for the NFL?
 
#47      
The Maestro of Mayhem
is it fair to say that with indiana's success last season, i.e winning a national championship in a 2-year period with a new coach, the bar has been raised for all Big 10 coaches?
 
#48      
TheChief4Life
ChiefGritty said:
You are of course 100% right that this is bad for the health of the sport though.
Click to expand...
People have been saying this for a decade plus. Hasn't affected the sport since.

There isn't a kid in America that stopped playing football or decided not to go to their college of choice because they or their family missed their favorite team playing on a Friday night.

Likewise, there aren't these large swaths of Americans that decided to stop watching college football because they had to miss one game to go watch their son play high school football on Friday night.

No one cares. Or rather, not enough people do.
 
#49      
ChiefGritty
TheChief4Life said:
People have been saying this for a decade plus. Hasn't affected the sport since.
Click to expand...
https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf070d85-0310-44ec-a794-0aa2abc60484_2778x2095.png
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back