Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott Says Predominance of Night Games in Pac-12 Play Here to Stay

blungld said:

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Spoken like a real suit: ratings, dollars, competition, eyeballs....isn't this a collegiate sport? Isn't this supposed to be an activity by students for students? The distance we are removed from that sentiment, and the way that such an observation would be scoffed at, mocked, or seen as unrealistic is a sad commentary on the current landscape. I feel bad for current students who don't get to experience the week in week out reliable tradition of the 12:30 or 3:30 kick off, the tailgate before, and the family and alumni streaming in to create a real collegiate experience...now we have bowl committee, TV revenue models, naming rights, sponsorship...and oh yeah, hope some students show up for the broadcast cutaways and B-Roll. It's actually pretty gross.

I went to a Wesleyan University football game this weekend (D3). Reminded me of all I loved about going to a college event. The fact that there's weren't corporate niceties or BCS Championship mattered not one iota. Was just nice to see a bunch of athletes playing a sport in front of family, friends, and fellow students on a beautiful afternoon with sportsmanship and high character on display. What we see now parading as college football is a minor league farm system, ruined by money, and followed by people who must "crown champions" and whose ego is on a vicarious ride--not lovers of a college, tradition, or the actual student-athlete.

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Yeah, we need a west coast Ivy League. No scholarships, no corporate sponsorships, no naming rights, no rankings, no non-stop commercials in the stadium. Just good old college football with students, alums, families, bands, rooting sections, etc.

Golden One said:

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blungld said:

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Spoken like a real suit: ratings, dollars, competition, eyeballs....isn't this a collegiate sport? Isn't this supposed to be an activity by students for students? The distance we are removed from that sentiment, and the way that such an observation would be scoffed at, mocked, or seen as unrealistic is a sad commentary on the current landscape. I feel bad for current students who don't get to experience the week in week out reliable tradition of the 12:30 or 3:30 kick off, the tailgate before, and the family and alumni streaming in to create a real collegiate experience...now we have bowl committee, TV revenue models, naming rights, sponsorship...and oh yeah, hope some students show up for the broadcast cutaways and B-Roll. It's actually pretty gross.

I went to a Wesleyan University football game this weekend (D3). Reminded me of all I loved about going to a college event. The fact that there's weren't corporate niceties or BCS Championship mattered not one iota. Was just nice to see a bunch of athletes playing a sport in front of family, friends, and fellow students on a beautiful afternoon with sportsmanship and high character on display. What we see now parading as college football is a minor league farm system, ruined by money, and followed by people who must "crown champions" and whose ego is on a vicarious ride--not lovers of a college, tradition, or the actual student-athlete.

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Yeah, we need a west coast Ivy League. No scholarships, no corporate sponsorships, no naming rights, no rankings, no non-stop commercials in the stadium. Just good old college football with students, alums, families, bands, rooting sections, etc.

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It sounds laughable and naive--and I'd feel like Cal was missing out when all the Big Boys are competing for glass trophies and ESPN attention...but yeah, I think that a West Coast Ivy League Saturday afternoon would be way more enjoyable, real, collegiate in every sense of that word, and ultimately more fun. Let the rats have the rat race and convince themselves that what they do is so important because there is big money involved.

I doubt it would be "IVY" but you could put together something with a bunch of CSUs and probably Sacto. The intetresting question is how long it would take to build.

BTW - what people miss is that in many ways Cal SUCKS for evening football. And it isn't just being an old fart. With parking far distant a decent climb up the hill most people are probably uninterested in doing that. Growing up we usually walked DOWN the hill and BACK (and we lived essentially at the corner of Marin and Grizzy Peak. Can't imagine for the life of me doing that at night....my dad would have said "screw it".

Golden One said:

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blungld said:

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Spoken like a real suit: ratings, dollars, competition, eyeballs....isn't this a collegiate sport? Isn't this supposed to be an activity by students for students? The distance we are removed from that sentiment, and the way that such an observation would be scoffed at, mocked, or seen as unrealistic is a sad commentary on the current landscape. I feel bad for current students who don't get to experience the week in week out reliable tradition of the 12:30 or 3:30 kick off, the tailgate before, and the family and alumni streaming in to create a real collegiate experience...now we have bowl committee, TV revenue models, naming rights, sponsorship...and oh yeah, hope some students show up for the broadcast cutaways and B-Roll. It's actually pretty gross.

I went to a Wesleyan University football game this weekend (D3). Reminded me of all I loved about going to a college event. The fact that there's weren't corporate niceties or BCS Championship mattered not one iota. Was just nice to see a bunch of athletes playing a sport in front of family, friends, and fellow students on a beautiful afternoon with sportsmanship and high character on display. What we see now parading as college football is a minor league farm system, ruined by money, and followed by people who must "crown champions" and whose ego is on a vicarious ride--not lovers of a college, tradition, or the actual student-athlete.

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Yeah, we need a west coast Ivy League. No scholarships, no corporate sponsorships, no naming rights, no rankings, no non-stop commercials in the stadium. Just good old college football with students, alums, families, bands, rooting sections, etc.

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Kind of a good idea. Who'd be in it?

Cal, Stanford, UC Davis, Cal Poly...

Who else? Some of those schools who dropped football, like St Mary's and UOP?

OK, the Pac-12 made the deal with the ESPN devil, and now we're stuck with the consequences. Only the Presidents/Chancellors can demand changes be made.

What rankles me the most is that ESPN is nothing more that a running infomercial for the SEC, with a nod to the Big10 due to their deals with them.

Ultimately, it will take Pac-12 national championship winners to get more coverage during the season.

Of course the Pac-12 absolutely should have pushed for more parity in scheduling & coverage. What we have now is a travesty, pure & simple.

OdontoBear66 said:

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During the day on Saturday, there were 4 out of 5 night games, admittedly two were at five o'clock. The only day game was U$C v. OSU, and that was a blowout.

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In my opinion, if the predominant evening games were at 5:00 rather than 7:30, I don't think we'd be complaining that much. 5:00 start gets you out at a fairly reasonable time.

Yogi Bear said:

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OdontoBear66 said:

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During the day on Saturday, there were 4 out of 5 night games, admittedly two were at five o'clock. The only day game was U$C v. OSU, and that was a blowout.

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In my opinion, if the predominant evening games were at 5:00 rather than 7:30, I don't think we'd be complaining that much. 5:00 start gets you out at a fairly reasonable time.

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Agreed.

Yogi Bear said:

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OdontoBear66 said:

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During the day on Saturday, there were 4 out of 5 night games, admittedly two were at five o'clock. The only day game was U$C v. OSU, and that was a blowout.

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In my opinion, if the predominant evening games were at 5:00 rather than 7:30, I don't think we'd be complaining that much. 5:00 start gets you out at a fairly reasonable time.

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Agreed as well, but when 80% of the games start at 5 PM (8PM EST) or beyond it is not a good thing for the Pac12 exposure, but more importantly that 1PM game day aura is gone for the most part.