Beaver Stadium most likely will not go prime time in 2011.
The Big Ten on Thursday announced its limited slate of conference games to be shown at night on the Big Ten Network (BTN) in 2011, and Beaver Stadium did not make it the list.
Let’s be clear: Penn State made BTN’s nighttime schedule of games. Just not in Beaver Stadium.
The Big Ten did announce that the Nittany Lions will be playing in a prime-time contest at Northwestern on Oct. 22 in Evanston on its network.
And that should be it for the Nittany Lions, barring some rare and unforeseen circumstances.
The Big Ten should get 15 yards for piling on.
DISNEY’S MICKEY MOUSE MOVE
Last week, the conference announced its list of games to be shown in prime time on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 this fall, and Penn State did not make that list. Home or away.
I guess that’s what happens when you’re 7-6 and lost three of your last four games last season.
Still, there’s no draw like Joe Paterno. And Beaver Stadium has been widely praised by everyone from Kirk Herbstreit to Sports Illustrated for its nighttime football excitement. And Penn State, for decades, has been one of college football’s top rating draws.
Just not in 2011, it seems.
Paterno, with 401 career victories, is just seven wins from the late Eddie Robinson of Grambling’s 408 wins, second on college football’s all-time list. Northwestern is the eighth game on Penn State’s 2011 schedule.
Maybe not so ironically, Penn State’s opponent for its 7 p.m. BTN game will be Northwestern. Amazingly, the Wildcats will be playing at night on TV for three straight weeks, twice at home.
No, really. I’m not kidding.
WILD ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Hey, I’m sure the fact that the 47,130-seat Ryan Field is 13.92 miles from the Big Ten Conference office in Chicago had nothing to do with it. (And let’s not even talk about the Cavs getting two of the first four lottery picks.)
(That 7-6 record in 2010 theory? Forget about it. Northwestern was also 7-6 last year, losing six of its last eight games. Pat Fitzgerald’s a nice guy, but more of a draw than JoePa? Ever hear of PatFit?)
In addition to Penn State, the (Big Ten Is Really) Wild (About The) Cats will host Michigan on the BTN on Oct. 8, and also play at Iowa on the BTN Oct. 15.
In all, the tally for appearing in night games on a national and/or Big Ten network in 2011 is: Wisconsin 4, Northwestern 3, Michigan 2, Nebraska 2, Ohio State 2, Michigan State 2, Illinois 1, Indiana 1, Iowa 1, Minnesota 1, Penn State 1 and Purdue 1.
It’s come to this: Penn State doesn’t even make the top half when the Big Ten hits the playground to pick teams.
Every Big Ten team must make at least one national prime-time appearance in 2011. Big Ten Conference bylaws dictate that its members will not play night football games in November.
Other Penn State games may appear on television in 2011, be it on the Big Ten or other networks, but those dates have not yet been announced. And those games will not be at night in Beaver Stadium.
A SOBER DECISION
And here’s an idea that makes sense:
Penn State top administrators, like university President Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley, probably won’t be losing any sleep about losing a night game – or two – in Beaver Stadium in 2011.
Late starts mean more drinking, more rowdiness, more post-game traffic problems, more drinking, more trips to the E.R. and – oh, did I mention? – more drunken behavior.
Many of the downtown State College businesses prefer an earlier start. With a mid- or late-afternoon kick, Penn State fans often will return to downtown for a late meal and/or some more laid-back celebrating.
And you can imagine how Tom King feels about this news. Who’s he?
The State College chief of police.
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