I saw online the other day a headline that said the Nebraska athletic director was asking the Big 10 to stop Friday night football games.
Thank you, Troy Dannen.
Ever since the NCAA decided to try to take over every moment of every broadcast day on television, starting with Friday nights, I’ve been annoyed with them. I know, my annoyance carries no weight with them.
But to try to take over the one night of the week that belongs solely to high school athletes is selfish, greedy and mean.
Friday nights in the fall are for high school football. Full stop. (Can I get an amen from the cheerleaders?)
The quote from Dannen’s letter to the Big 10 commissioner cites canceling classes as a primary reason to avoid Friday night contests. Whatever the reason, good.
According to the article on sports.yahoo.com, “Friday night games have been a source of consternation for athletic departments across the Big Ten.”
Michigan, for example, refuses to host Friday night games or even play on Friday nights somewhere else. I can’t believe I’m supporting something from Michigan!
It’s all about the money, in the end. Because Fox didn’t renew WWE Smackdown, it had to fill the programming space with something. Instead of a new iteration of whatever its top reality show is, the network powers that be decided to flex their muscles and muscle in on a small-town tradition. By broadcasting college football on Fridays, they’re hoping to bring more viewers.
Unfortunately, that leaves those of us who like both high school and college sports in a bind. Do we support our college team by watching them on television? Or do we support our high school team, our next door neighbor, the youngster who mows our lawn and shovels our snow, the one who bags our groceries and carries them to the car for us?
I know which direction I vote. I’m going to the high school game. Yes, it’s my job, but I also love high school football. Watching these young men grow and develop over four years, seeing them mature and become the best players they can be – what can be better than that? They’re not spoiled by NIL money yet. They’re still playing football because they love the game.
And there’s something about driving down a highway and seeing, off in the distance, a glow of lights that you know is illuminating 100 yards of green, punctuated by white lines and dotted with players in colorful jerseys. To see the rows of headlights coming from one direction and tail lights from the other.
To know that, for one night, everyone in town can agree on something – go team!
