MSU AD also sick of night games.
'Enough is enough': MSU AD tells Big Ten this recent run of night games is overkill
TONY PAUL The Detroit News
East Lansing ― Playing in prime time is really good exposure for college athletes and their university. It's cool. Then again, so is stuffing your face with Snickers and Skittles every Halloween.
Do that all the time, though, and it gets really old, really fast.
That is the position of Michigan State's athletic department, whose football team will play its fourth consecutive night game Saturday, at Spartan Stadium against Iowa. Then, next week's game at Michigan will be the Spartans' fifth straight night game, and their seventh of the season.
"I mean, I'm a fan of a few prime-time games, but I'll admit, I'm a fan, too," said Alan Haller, Michigan State's athletic director. "There's a lot that goes into, especially home night games. You've got people coming from at least a four-hour radius. That can be very, very long days. It's a challenge.
"It's something that I've had conversations with the (Big Ten) conference office about. One of the things that needs to be clear: People wonder how much input I have. I don't have much, if any."
Under TV terms signed years ago by then-athletic director Mark Hollis, and then re-upped by his successor, Bill Beekman, Michigan State is limited to five night games a season. However, that doesn't include its own scheduling moves ― like Haller moving the season opener against Florida Atlantic to Friday night, Aug. 30, because MSU fans have gotten used to that little Labor Day weekend tradition. Those limits also don't include out-of-conference scheduling, like the game at Boston College on Sept. 21.
So Michigan State was exposed to as many as five night games this season, and the Big Ten ― more accurately, its TV partners ― have given the Spartans the limit. A fifth Big Ten night game is set for Friday, Nov. 22, at home against Purdue. Haller said he has talked to the Big Ten, confirming that's it on the night games.
That means home games against Indiana (Nov. 2) and Rutgers (Nov. 30) and at Illinois (Nov. 16) will be day games, even though the kickoff times for those three games haven't been announced.
"It's not a complaint, because many of these games that are in prime time give student-athletes and our university to be on a national stage," Haller said. "But at some point, there is a desire to have some other opportunities, as well.
"I do want to play our fair share. However, let's make this thing, spread it out a little bit. Move to some other schools."
Michigan, for instance, has played two night games, its season opener against Fresno State and at Washington. The Michigan State game next week will be Michigan's third of the season.
As for it how affects the players directly, that's subjective. Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith said it has more of an impact on the back end; the later the Saturday game ends, the later the team can get going on preparation for the next week's game the following day.
Several Michigan State players smiled this week when asked about all the night games.
"I'm just grateful to have an opportunity, really, to play," redshirt senior receiver Montorie Foster said. "I would love to play a little bit earlier, but, you know, that's the way the cards were dealt. So, we're playing at night."
Said junior defensive back Nikai Martinez: "I like the 3:30 games, because you're not rushed but you don't have to wait all day either. But the night games are always cool ... that's always a good experience to get a night game."
More night games just might be the new reality in college football, particularly in the Big Ten, which last year began its new television deal with Fox, NBC and CBS. That deal is worth $7 billion over the course of the contract, which runs through the 2029-30 season.
That deal, which also includes Big Ten Network (co-owned by Fox Sports) and Peacock (the streaming wing of NBC), could eventually be worth more than $80 million per year to the 16 members of the Big Ten Conference.
Ultimately, the networks are paying out the cash, so they're going to get the final say on who plays when. Haller said he's not about to call up the networks directly to complain, though he's made his feelings clear to the Big Ten.
"Every school has agreed on the deal, but at the end of the day, we asked for our conference to run some interference for us and help us out a little bit," said Haller, who played his college football back in the 1990s, when college football usually meant playing during the day. "At some point, enough is enough.
"I get it. But you gotta remember, I'm a fan, too."
