Notre Dame COULD Play on Thursdays

[IrishAlum1997]

Opening game against Vandy in 96 was a Thursday nighter, I believe, so not unprecedented.

 

[ulukinatme]

They will sell out every game, even on Thursdays.

I'd be okay with it if its an away game.

Maybe they still sell out, but the stadium would be noticeably empty in some spots I think. Thats 80,000 ticket holders and season ticket holders, minus the students, that would have to make the trip to South Bend during the week, not as easy of a task as a weekend day.

 

[BGIF]

Opening game against Vandy in 96 was a Thursday nighter, I believe, so not unprecedented.

I think you're right. It was a night game and the first game of the season. Holtz was in a neck brace and was up in the box. Davie "managed" the game from the sidelines. The players reacted well to Davie planting the seeds for Holtz's replacement.

I believe there was controversy about a Midweek night game. President Malloy was not thrilled with the team on the road on a school night, actually 2 as Wednesday was a travel day and Friday was lost for school for the players. He was also concerned about the Student Body not studying with a midweek game.

I'm don't recall if classes had started for the semester or if they started the following week. Monday of that week was Labor Day. If classes were held on Tueday the Team would have only gotten in a day of classes.

Arguments were made about basketball games but the concern was 60 players plus student managers, cheerleaders, and the band versus a dozen, and a 3 hour event starting at 8 pm rather than an hour hoops game.

I think Malloy said no to future midweek games. It's Jenkins school now but I think the academic logistics would still take priority of a Thursday night. Friday might be doable.

While it's great for the fans, it's not for the players and coaches. Remember the concern about playing PU after Navy? That was jet lag with a full week to recover. Unless this was a season opener or after a bye, ND would play on a Saturday and then play again 5 days later. That leaves 2 practice days. When do the banged up get to heal and practice as the frequently sit out the contact part of practice to mend?

Nice for the fans at home or local to the game site but not in the best interest of the Team.

 

[BGIF]

They will sell out every game, even on Thursdays.

... .

No, they won't. The last non-sellout was on a Thursday in '73 to accommodate TV. Father Hesburgh said never again.

Unlike OSU, the Student Body at ND is only 10% of capacity. Even if ND sold all the tickets there would be tens of thousands empty seats. ND fans travel from across the country not intra-state. They'll give up a day of work to make the travel arrangements but not three.

That's a lot of lost revenue from concessions, etc plus additional expense for NBC and the local governments for a weeknight game as opposed to a Saturday game. This wouldn't be an ESPN game as NBC has the rights to ND home games. AND NBC has Thursday night programming (even if we don't watch it).

On campus ND looses two academic days. That may rock in Columbus where Gee is still afraid the football coach might fire him but it doesn't fit ND's academic culture.

 

[JadeBrecks]

I don't see any advantages to Thurs night games, does anyone else?

It will probably be on a cable station so fewer people can see it. People have to work early on Friday so fewer people will see it. It will probably start insanely late for California so fewer people will see it. The advantages just keep piling up.....wait

 

[NDinL.A.]

trolling thread name is trolling.

Changed it. OP should know better than that...

 

[ndfi78]

Thursday nights are not for Notre Dame, IMO.

 

[domerfreak]

Im not really a fan of ND in a Thursday night game either, but the problem is alot of ACC teams are already on board. In effort to meet 5 ACC teams a year in our schedule it will not surprise me if or when it happens. Im more concerned about our football independence than what day of the week we play on. Keep in mind teams are adapting new recruiting techniques and Thursday night football appeals to blue chip recruits.

Just my two thoughts on the matter

 

[irishfanjho15]

]No, they won't. The last non-sellout was on a Thursday in '73 to accommodate TV. Father Hesburgh said never again.[/B]

The reason this game didn't sell out is because it was Thanksgiving Day. It was reschedule from earlier in the season and students, obviously, were not on campus. So just because it was a Thursday is not why it didn't sell out. It was Turkey Day Thursday. Big difference.

 

[RallySonsOfND]

The likeliness of Notre Dame playing on Thursdays to me, increases with poor seasons, and decreases with better seasons.

 

[Yes]

No big deal. If it's on the road then I would mind seeing a Thursday night game every now and then. I actually kind of like the idea.

 

[GoldenTerp]

playing a homegame on a thursday is stupid. Playing a road game vs. Duke on Thursday is not. Plus it will probably help with recruiting. If were playing a scrubby team on Thursday we'll be the only game on TV. If you were a recruit considering ND, Bama, USC, and LSU what game would you watch if they were all competeting

ND v. Duke
Bama v. Tennesse
LSU v. Florida
USC v. Stanford

Plus it could get CBK & his coaches out to a recruits game on Friday.

 

[BGIF]

The reason this game didn't sell out is because it was Thanksgiving Day. It was reschedule from earlier in the season and students, obviously, were not on campus. So just because it was a Thursday is not why it didn't sell out. It was Turkey Day Thursday. Big difference.

I know it was Thanksgiving. I watched that game in '73 and there were empty seats throughout the stadium. It wasn't just the student body that was home. The "announced crowd" was about 1800 under under capacity. That was a gross misrepresention. They reported the number of tickets sold as the attendance - not the turnstile count which represents bodies in the stadium. They could have counted both teams, cheerleaders, ushers, refs, TV crew, ambulance staff, and concessionaires and not gotten the reported count. The announcers discussed the rescheduling in a positive note as it was their network behind it. They pointed out how cool it was for ND to be live, in your home, on Thanksgiving Day, and They (ABC I believe) made it happen.

It was a bad move and was widely acknowledged as such. Fr. Hesburgh commented to the media that ND would not do it again from a dispruptive viewpoint. It was a tactful statement as he usually was but nonetheless crystal clear that, that door was closed.

The big difference between then and now was that in '73 it was a holiday, as was the next day. No class time was lost by any of the students to accommodate a TV station. That's why ND acquiesced back then. Unless a future Thursday game is scheduled before Classes start for the semester I don't see it happening. It doesn't matter that the Cowboys do it, BYU and Bama do it, your high school does it, or recruits think it's sick This isn't about any of them. This is Notre Dame. And for those that seem oblivious to ND's culture, Notre Dame stresses student before athlete.