Is this PSU's first regular season Friday night game?

[BUCKSCOUNTYLION]

I know bowl games have landed on a Friday night before but not sure about regular season games.

 

[Madsol]

I know bowl games have landed on a Friday night before but not sure about regular season games.

I know there were Pitt games played on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

 

[interrobang]

I count 26 non bowl games played on Friday

gamedate opponent
1890-10-10 Penn
1891-10-02 Lafayette
1892-11-25 Dickinson
1894-11-23 Washington & Jefferson
1899-10-13 Washington & Jefferson
1899-11-17 Penn
1915-11-05 Lehigh
1916-11-17 Lafayette
1922-11-03 Navy
1928-10-12 Bucknell
1928-10-19 Penn
1928-10-26 Syracuse
1928-11-02 Notre Dame
1928-11-09 George Washington
1928-11-16 Lafayette
1941-10-31 New York U.
1948-10-08 Syracuse
1961-09-29 Miami FL
1961-10-06 Boston U.
1967-09-29 Miami FL
1976-11-26 Pittsburgh
1977-09-02 Rutgers
1978-09-01 Temple
1978-11-24 Pittsburgh
1980-11-28 Pittsburgh
1982-11-26 Pittsburgh

 

[RT87]

Don’t know about the others but I believe the Temple game in 78 was a night game.

 

[Option Bob]

1967-09-29 Miami FL -- 2nd game of season, 6 days after Navy
1976-11-26 Pittsburgh -- last game of season, 13 days after Miami
1977-09-02 Rutgers -- season opener
1978-09-01 Temple -- season opener
1978-11-24 Pittsburgh -- last game of season, 13 days after NC State
1980-11-28 Pittsburgh -- last game of season, 13 days after Temple
1982-11-26 Pittsburgh -- last game of season, 13 days after Notre Dame

As you can see, once Joe became HC, he put a stop to playing games 6 days after a previous game. The 1967 schedule was already set when he took over in 1966.

Playing the season opener on a Friday is really not a disadvantage since the team has all camp to prepare. But there is a distinct disadvantage to playing a Friday game within the season schedule (neither the opener nor the last game with an off week prior to it).

I will reserve further judgment of the Big Ten scheduler until I see when OSU and Michigan play a Friday game during a season following a prior Saturday game. My initial opinion is ... when pigs fly.

 

[anon_is9z1n0h3zblb]

Michigan has said they will not do any Friday games, even away games. OSU, like is, has said only away games. OSU played a Thursday game, at Indiana, to open the season.

 

[Woodpecker]

But there is a distinct disadvantage to playing a Friday game within the season schedule (neither the opener nor the last game with an off week prior to it).

I'm not following. Don't BOTH teams have the same issue? Why would there be more of a disadvantage for one of them?

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

It depends on what's scheduled the week before and week after. I'd say that this year, with Kent State before and Ohio State after, and the opponent being Illinois, it might be an advantage.

On the other hand, the fact that the team will travel right after the game might be disruptive enough to sleep cycles to make it a disadvantage for the OSU game. Though there is plenty of time for recovery, it's still a disruption that adds a tax for that week.

I think Joe didn't like Friday games because it impacted classes more. So that's a tick on the disadvantage side of the balance if the team is traveling.

 

[83wuzme]

Don’t know about the others but I believe the Temple game in 78 was a night game.

I know it was. I was in marching band at a game and bandmates brought radios.
That was what people used in the ggolden times to obtain up to the minute sports information.

 

[BobPSU92]

I know there were Pitt games played on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Great. You just had to make it a pitt thread. For constantly claiming pitt isn't our rival, you sure are obsessed with them.

 

[rohrmd9]

Yea as others noted we’ve played Pitt on some Friday nights after Thanksgiving.

 

[CDLionFL]

It depends on what's scheduled the week before and week after. I'd say that this year, with Kent State before and Ohio State after, and the opponent being Illinois, it might be an advantage.

On the other hand, the fact that the team will travel right after the game might be disruptive enough to sleep cycles to make it a disadvantage for the OSU game. Though there is plenty of time for recovery, it's still a disruption that adds a tax for that week.

I think Joe didn't like Friday games because it impacted classes more. So that's a tick on the disadvantage side of the balance if the team is traveling.

Gauging sleep cycles to determine advantage/disadvantage in the next game? Wow, some on this board will stoop as low as possible to support a Chicken Little theory.