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many early Thanksgiving weekend games were vs the Hawkeyes!

just because the Big Ten didn't play on Thanksgiving weekend doesn't mean it's not a huge tradition in College Football

the B1G was just stuck in the leather helmet era
I blame Michigan

There's a reasonable reason for it and I don't think it's helmet era. Playing in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio in nearly the first week of December isn't exactly great experience for fans most years based on the average weather. Sometimes it works out, but often it blows. My brother and I for a good span of time were hitting OSU v UM in Ann Arbor every other year. Cant remember the exact years, but maybe '01 & '03 the weather was brutal. One year it snowed and the following it was freezing cold rain. Now granted, bad weather can happen anywhere, but there's a reason SEC and schools down south were far more prone to play Thanksgiving weekend. 

There's a reasonable reason for it and I don't think it's helmet era. Playing in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio in nearly the first week of December isn't exactly great experience for fans most years based on the average weather. Sometimes it works out, but often it blows. My brother and I for a good span of time were hitting OSU v UM in Ann Arbor every other year. Cant remember the exact years, but maybe '01 & '03 the weather was brutal. One year it snowed and the following it was freezing cold rain. Now granted, bad weather can happen anywhere, but there's a reason SEC and schools down south were far more prone to play Thanksgiving weekend.

B1G Boomers: "Man, the kids these days are such pussies! A bunch of coddled snowflakes that can't deal with the slightest bit of adversity!"

Also, B1G Boomers: "Of course we didn't play football after Thanksgiving in the Midwest in my day. It would have been too cold!!!"

perhaps, the older I get the less likely I am to sit outside to watch Huskers/Hawks that weekend.

I'm getting soft

sheesh and ya think ya know somebody

There is a reason all the cold weather NFL teams in the Midwest are building indoor stadiums.  Well  except for Buffalo and Geen Bay

One-third of the regular season now is after Thanksgiving.

It's not the weather it's that the stadiums are to costly to sit there most of the year and not generate any revenue.Cleveland Stadium is only 25 yrs old and they'll be replacing it,outside of some out door hockey games and maybe some High School football it just isn't utilized that much

I think we are kinda saying the same thing.  

It wasn't 01.  I was there in 01 and it was beautiful . . . The Game and the weather. 

99 was rainy and then ‘03 was was the year we decided it was the last one for a while. It was cold and wet snow. The next two in Ann Arbor I watched from balmy Singapore and those weather conditions were much better.