May 13, 200818 yr ESPN listed their television schedule for the upcoming CFB season and I thought it was interesting to see UL's number of games on ESPN and the days they are being played: 1X Sunday (vs. UK) 1X Wednesday (vs. Kansas State) 1X Thursday (@ Rutgers) 3X Friday (vs. UCONN, vs. UC, @ Memphis) 6 games on days aside from Saturday! Is this overkill to get national attention? Does this hurt recruiting with three of your home games during the week and another on a Sunday?Or is the UL Athletic Department geniuses for earning national audiences for half of their regular season games?
May 13, 200818 yr I know it's going to seem that I'm just blasting UofL (I don't mind doing that) but truthfully playing that many non-Saturday games lessens my perception of them. I tend to think of OVC or MAC schools playing on non-traditional days and times, not BCS schools. An occasional Sunday or weekday game to be different and have fun with is one thing, but to play 1/2 your games in this slot really looks like begging for attention.
May 13, 200818 yr I can understand wanting to be the only game on TV during primetime as opposed to being in a mix with higher profile games on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoy the Thursday night games, but Friday night games are bad IMO since I would prefer being at a high school game instead....
May 13, 200818 yr I know it's going to seem that I'm just blasting UofL (I don't mind doing that) but truthfully playing that many non-Saturday games lessens my perception of them. I tend to think of OVC or MAC schools playing on non-traditional days and times, not BCS schools. An occasional Sunday or weekday game to be different and have fun with is one thing, but to play 1/2 your games in this slot really looks like begging for attention. I would almost agree with you, except they are playing UK from the Mighty SEC Kanas State - froma BCS conference and a team that is on the rise. Rutgers- over the past 2 years has become a success story UCONN - who has built a quality program and a upcoming force. UC is UL's rival and this is a big game for the conference. This helps them becuase the don't have to compete with national TV with the Bigger BCS conferences.
May 13, 200818 yr I would almost agree with you, except they are playing UK from the Mighty SEC Kanas State - froma BCS conference and a team that is on the rise. Rutgers- over the past 2 years has become a success story UCONN - who has built a quality program and a upcoming force. UC is UL's rival and this is a big game for the conference. This helps them becuase the don't have to compete with national TV with the Bigger BCS conferences. Dispite their conferences and recent success, UK and KSU are not quite legendary football schools. In addition, UK was dragged kicking and screaming into this time slot as a compromise for an even more non conventional one. The other schools are from the same struggling-for-recognition conference as UofL. Also, your statement about not competing for national tv backs up my opinion.
May 13, 200818 yr Dispite their conferences and recent success, UK and KSU are not quite legendary football schools. In addition, UK was dragged kicking and screaming into this time slot as a compromise for an even more non conventional one. The other schools are from the same struggling-for-recognition conference as UofL. Also, your statement about not competing for national tv backs up my opinion. OMG Monday night football now equals non conventional football night.
May 13, 200818 yr The Sunday night on Labor Day weekend and Thursday night games are non issues. When you play 3 games on Friday night though, that is not a good sign. The Wednesday night game is pretty bad as well. UL better be happy that they are still getting these games, because if USF, Rutgers and UC pass UL has the second best team in the Big East, they won't be on tv nearly as often. This is a key year for the furture of UL's football program.
May 13, 200818 yr Author I would almost agree with you, except they are playing UK from the Mighty SEC Kanas State - froma BCS conference and a team that is on the rise. Rutgers- over the past 2 years has become a success story UCONN - who has built a quality program and a upcoming force. UC is UL's rival and this is a big game for the conference. This helps them becuase the don't have to compete with national TV with the Bigger BCS conferences. The problem I have is that you can make the arguement for so many other teams playing games/teams equal in stature who have chose NOT to play at the unconventional timeslot. It is definately a risky move. Programs would die to have 6 primetime national television audiences. If UL as a successful season it will ultimately give them much better name recognition and potentially give them the exposure needed to climb high in the BCS standings. The negatives could be harsh as well though. For one, now you have the potential to lose 6 games in front of a national audience. Secondly, as I eluded in the initial post. The 4 games on non-traditional days ultimately hurts your national recruiting as it prevents the inability to bring high school players on campus who have lengthy travel times. During UL's rocky season last year attendance was pathetic,,, if that continues it could only reflect poorly on the UL program for someone to tune in on a Friday night and see a 1/4 full stadium in basically a meaningless game. Conversely, sellout games like UL has had in the past vs. WVU and Rutgers have been able to captivate the media attention and reflect positively on UL. Risky move all the way around.
May 13, 200818 yr OMG Monday night football now equals non conventional football night. That's right. Fridays are for high school, Saturdays for college, Sundays are NFL. Monday night has become a special NFL night, but not what pro football is identified with and certainly not college. I think our high school JV team plays on Monday, or maybe it's Tuesday with the Frosh playing on Monday.
May 13, 200818 yr Dispite their conferences and recent success, UK and KSU are not quite legendary football schools. In addition, UK was dragged kicking and screaming into this time slot as a compromise for an even more non conventional one. The other schools are from the same struggling-for-recognition conference as UofL. Also, your statement about not competing for national tv backs up my opinion. What exactly is your point? Should schools NOT try to get more attention on the national level?
May 13, 200818 yr Author OMG Monday night football now equals non conventional football night. Monday Night NFL= Conventional Monday night College = Non-Conventional NFL players don't have to go to class the next day.
May 13, 200818 yr Monday Night NFL= Conventional Monday night College = Non-Conventional NFL players don't have to go to class the next day. :laugh:College athletes going to class... epic.
May 13, 200818 yr What exactly is your point? Should schools NOT try to get more attention on the national level? There's not really a point, just a response to EKUalum's original statement. My opinion is that playing that many weekday games fortifies the perception of a team that has not yet arrived on the national scene and is forced to bow down to whims of ESPN to get a slice of the exposure that a USC, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama or any number of the "big boys" get playing on Saturday. Not saying it's a bad strategy or that it won't serve as a stepping stone, just that it feeds the OVC or MAC perception.
May 13, 200818 yr Author :laugh:College athletes going to class... epic. Touche' haha... especially with UL's track record recently
May 13, 200818 yr It's not the team. The ESPN contract is with the Big East as a whole, and it was signed when things were looking very lean for the conference; it gives the four-letter network a lot of say in the nights played. Louisville gets hit worst of any team in the conference because they're the biggest TV draw in the Big East... so in that sense it should increase your perception of the program.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.