Round 1 Game Times

[Lehigh Football Nation]

For the second straight year, ESPN has announced a broadcast schedule for the first round that makes it wicked hard to follow nationally.

FCS Playoffs: First Round



Date
Time
Game
Network (Talent)


Sat., Nov. 30
12 p.m.
Lafayette
at (15) New Hampshire
ESPN3
(Wayne Randazzo, John Gregory, Cat Whitehill)


Sat., Nov. 30
1 p.m.
Furman
at (25) South Carolina State
ESPN3
(Roy Philpott, Stan Lewter, Jeff Taylor)


Sat., Nov. 30
1 p.m.
(12) Bethune-Cookman
at (11)Coastal Carolina
ESPN3
(Drew Fellios, Chris Doering, Angela Mallen)


Sat., Nov. 30
1 p.m.
Sacred Heart
at (9) Fordham
ESPN3
(Shawn Kenney, KC Keeler)


Sat., Nov. 30
1 p.m.
(19) Tennessee State
at Butler
ESPN3
(Jim Barbar, Cory Chavous)


Sat., Nov. 30
3 p.m.
(22) Southern Utah
at (14) Sam Houston State
ESPN3
(Trey Bender, Jay Taylor, Brooke Williamson)


Sat., Nov. 30
8 p.m.
(13) South Dakota State
at (8) Northern Arizona
ESPN3
(Peter Young, Kevin O'Connell)


Sat., Nov. 30
8 p.m.
(18) Samford
at (20) Jacksonville State
ESPN3
(Dave Weakley, Brian Kinchen, Steffi Sorensen)



This means that there will be six games going on at the same time at 3PM EST, four (or potentially five) games ending in the 4-5PM range, a potential two hour delay, and then the final two games kicking off at the same time.

1) It can't possibly be that hard to stagger the eight games so that there is wall-to-wall football from 12PM EST to midnight EST?

2) Why couldn't it be like this:

12:00PM: Lafayette @ UNH
1:30PM: Furman @ ScSt
3:00PM: B-CU@CCU
4:30PM: SHU@Fordham
6:00PM: TSU@Butler
8:30PM: Samford@Jax St.
10:00PM: SUU@SHSU (9:00PM CST)
11:30PM: SDST@NAU (8:30PM PST)

This way every game finishes at a different time, you get wall-to-wall playoffs all day and night, and a much reduced chance of competing Alcoa Fantastic Finishes. The last two games start sort of late is the only bugaboo, but they are west of the Mississippi and IMO don't have terrible kickoff times.

Also, every team would have their moment in the sun with the FCS spotlight shining on them. Like the way it's done for the NCAA tournament. Really, it's not this hard.

[Twentysix]

I asked my girlfriend this earlier today.

[bluehenbillk]

It gets cold at night? xnodx

[hebmskebm]

JSU/Samford would have probably been an early start as well if it weren't for that other game going on in the State of Alabama at that time... :D

[Mattymc727]

Oh good! we get Cat Whitehill on the network coverage for the game! Nothing says FCS football knowledge like a former professional womens soccer player!

[ace93]

2) Why couldn't it be like this:
12:00PM: Lafayette @ UNH
1:30PM: Furman @ ScSt
3:00PM: B-CU@CCU
4:30PM: SHU@Fordham
6:00PM: TSU@Butler
8:30PM: Samford@Jax St.
10:00PM: SUU@SHSU (9:00PM CST)
11:30PM: SDST@NAU (8:30PM PST)


I should direct you to a thread we had on fordhamfans.com (when we were still in the running for a bye) about what time we should try to have our game on 12/7 b/c our hoops team is playing St. John's at MSG that day at 1:30 PM. There were several suggestions to have it later in the day (4:30 PM up to 7 PM were suggested) and it was met with very strong opposition by some. It is unfortunate we did not get a bye, for the obvious reason, but also b/c we never got to find out how this would have been handled.

You'd certainly think that Furman at SC State could be later as it is would be a little bit warmer than further north. Same might go for Coastal Carolina. No surprise that the warmer locations are getting the late games. Or perhaps that is just a coincidence.

[Sandlapper Spike]

I should direct you to a thread we had on fordhamfans.com (when we were still in the running for a bye) about what time we should try to have our game on 12/7 b/c our hoops team is playing St. John's at MSG that day at 1:30 PM. There were several suggestions to have it later in the day (4:30 PM up to 7 PM were suggested) and it was met with very strong opposition by some. It is unfortunate we did not get a bye, for the obvious reason, but also b/c we never got to find out how this would have been handled.

You'd certainly think that Furman at SC State could be later as it is would be a little bit warmer than further north. Same might go for Coastal Carolina. No surprise that the warmer locations are getting the late games. Or perhaps that is just a coincidence.

They didn't want to be playing at the same time as the Clemson-South Carolina game.

[dbackjon]

For the second straight year, ESPN has announced a broadcast schedule for the first round that makes it wicked hard to follow nationally.

FCS Playoffs: First Round



Date

Time

Game

Network (Talent)



Sat., Nov. 30

12 p.m.

Lafayette
at (15) New Hampshire

ESPN3
(Wayne Randazzo, John Gregory, Cat Whitehill)



Sat., Nov. 30

1 p.m.

Furman
at (25) South Carolina State

ESPN3
(Roy Philpott, Stan Lewter, Jeff Taylor)



Sat., Nov. 30

1 p.m.

(12) Bethune-Cookman
at (11)Coastal Carolina

ESPN3
(Drew Fellios, Chris Doering, Angela Mallen)



Sat., Nov. 30

1 p.m.

Sacred Heart
at (9) Fordham

ESPN3
(Shawn Kenney, KC Keeler)



Sat., Nov. 30

1 p.m.

(19) Tennessee State
at Butler

ESPN3
(Jim Barbar, Cory Chavous)



Sat., Nov. 30

3 p.m.

(22) Southern Utah
at (14) Sam Houston State

ESPN3
(Trey Bender, Jay Taylor, Brooke Williamson)



Sat., Nov. 30

8 p.m.

(13) South Dakota State
at (8) Northern Arizona

ESPN3
(Peter Young, Kevin O'Connell)



Sat., Nov. 30

8 p.m.

(18) Samford
at (20) Jacksonville State

ESPN3
(Dave Weakley, Brian Kinchen, Steffi Sorensen)




This means that there will be six games going on at the same time at 3PM EST, four (or potentially five) games ending in the 4-5PM range, a potential two hour delay, and then the final two games kicking off at the same time.

1) It can't possibly be that hard to stagger the eight games so that there is wall-to-wall football from 12PM EST to midnight EST?

2) Why couldn't it be like this:

12:00PM: Lafayette @ UNH
1:30PM: Furman @ ScSt
3:00PM: B-CU@CCU
4:30PM: SHU@Fordham
6:00PM: TSU@Butler
8:30PM: Samford@Jax St.
10:00PM: SUU@SHSU (9:00PM CST)
11:30PM: SDST@NAU (8:30PM PST)

This way every game finishes at a different time, you get wall-to-wall playoffs all day and night, and a much reduced chance of competing Alcoa Fantastic Finishes. The last two games start sort of late is the only bugaboo, but they are west of the Mississippi and IMO don't have terrible kickoff times.

Also, every team would have their moment in the sun with the FCS spotlight shining on them. Like the way it's done for the NCAA tournament. Really, it's not this hard.


you want to start the SDSU/NAU game at 9:30 Local time?

[Professor Chaos]

For the second straight year, ESPN has announced a broadcast schedule for the first round that makes it wicked hard to follow nationally.

This means that there will be six games going on at the same time at 3PM EST, four (or potentially five) games ending in the 4-5PM range, a potential two hour delay, and then the final two games kicking off at the same time.

1) It can't possibly be that hard to stagger the eight games so that there is wall-to-wall football from 12PM EST to midnight EST?

2) Why couldn't it be like this:

12:00PM: Lafayette @ UNH
1:30PM: Furman @ ScSt
3:00PM: B-CU@CCU
4:30PM: SHU@Fordham
6:00PM: TSU@Butler
8:30PM: Samford@Jax St.
10:00PM: SUU@SHSU (9:00PM CST)
11:30PM: SDST@NAU (8:30PM PST)

This way every game finishes at a different time, you get wall-to-wall playoffs all day and night, and a much reduced chance of competing Alcoa Fantastic Finishes. The last two games start sort of late is the only bugaboo, but they are west of the Mississippi and IMO don't have terrible kickoff times.

Also, every team would have their moment in the sun with the FCS spotlight shining on them. Like the way it's done for the NCAA tournament. Really, it's not this hard.
Pretty sure if ESPN doesn't televise it on their family of networks they don't care when the kickoff times are so they let the host schools choose. A lot of schools have a preference, for instance NDSU has done 2:30PM CT start time for most home games this year and that's the plan for the 12/7 game as well.

[Bisonator]

Why can't ESPN put at least 1-2 games on one of their channels? I mean come on is it so much to ask that the FCS playoffs get a couple frickin games rather then some stupid BB game or heaven forbid a replay of a poker game! xpissedx

[Bisonoline]

ESPN want to get it over and done with. There interest in these games is made obvious by the fact that they have them on ESPN3. I think they had to broadcast them or they could lose their rights to them. They would much rather sell the rights for these games but nobody is going to pay to watch a bunch of tomato cans.

[Drblankstare]

Network "talent"

[Darlinikki150]

Does cable one have ESPN3? For the love of god I can't find it on my guide....

I wanna DVR the SDSU game

[SUPharmacist]

ESPN3 is streamed online

[dgtw]

JSU/Samford would have probably been an early start as well if it weren't for that other game going on in the State of Alabama at that time... :D

Exactly. I'm hoping Pat Sullivan and his alma mater get pounded Saturday.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

you want to start the SDSU/NAU game at 9:30 Local time?

I hear ya, it's a very late kickoff. Maybe it could be staggered like this:

12:00PM: Lafayette @ UNH
1:00PM: Furman @ ScSt
2:00PM: B-CU@CCU
3:30PM: SHU@Fordham
5:00PM: TSU@Butler
6:00PM: SDST@NAU (4:00PM MST)
7:30PM: Samford@Jax St.
9:00PM: SUU@SHSU (8:00PM CST)

And - hey - in about five minutes of thought I not only managed to stagger the playoff games in such a way to highlight every school and not have any games end at the same time, I also staggered the games so they don't interfere with Clemson/SC, the Iron Bowl, and (you're welcome) Arizona/Arizona State.

[Darlinikki150]

I hate ESPN. Or I'm a spoiled Bison fan and never have an issue watching our games. Lame

[Wallace]

I think the times that games are played do not matter on ESPN3, watch them at your convenience. It is rather easy to follow multiple games on your computer or your smartfone.

[Tealblood]

We actually will have people leave our game and drive to Columbia in time for that game

from CCU to Williams Brice is about 2 hrs. 15 minutes

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I think the times that games are played do not matter on ESPN3, watch them at your convenience. It is rather easy to follow multiple games on your computer or your smartfone.

For the tech savvy, yes. Not for everyone.

You're also artfully saying that ESPN doesn't give a **** when the games are on, which is true. I just think that if ESPN doesn't give a ****, it would be in the FCS football group's best interest to take some sort of control, stagger the games and make them available to (at least) away affiliates for broadcast.

The stupid thing is that everybody would win in the scenario. While the amount of extra money ESPN would make is small (they wouldn't lose money, I believe), it would be no sweat to move a handful of game times. Leasing out the feed doesn't involve a lot of logistics. Playoff games would find more eyeballs. More teams would be in the spotlight, which would be a tiny bit bigger.

[Tealblood]

I think the point some of us are making and it is the "luxury" some of you in markets without major college football teams is even with a time difference our attendance is going to suffer because a bunch of our "fans" have other games to go to

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I think the point some of us are making and it is the "luxury" some of you in markets without major college football teams is even with a time difference our attendance is going to suffer because a bunch of our "fans" have other games to go to

Very fair point. So then, why not go for broke on making it TV-friendly?

[Gordon Shumway]

I hear ya, it's a very late kickoff. Maybe it could be staggered like this:

12:00PM: Lafayette @ UNH
1:00PM: Furman @ ScSt
2:00PM: B-CU@CCU
3:30PM: SHU@Fordham
5:00PM: TSU@Butler
6:00PM: SDST@NAU (4:00PM MST)
7:30PM: Samford@Jax St.
9:00PM: SUU@SHSU (8:00PM CST)

And - hey - in about five minutes of thought I not only managed to stagger the playoff games in such a way to highlight every school and not have any games end at the same time, I also staggered the games so they don't interfere with Clemson/SC, the Iron Bowl, and (you're welcome) Arizona/Arizona State.

What does staggering the games as proposed gain you over watching each game whenever you want to watch it? I realize ESPN3 is less than ideal for most people (well, probably everyone), but once ESPN3 has all the games, what difference does it make when they start? Score updates from other games aren't that hard to ignore, if that is perceived as a problem.

[TigerFen]

I hate the 1 PM kickoff for Towson on December 7th. I have Family Christmas and all I will be able to do is make sure mom gets there on time. Then, I will have to miss Family Christmas here for the Towson game. I wish ESPN or Towson chose a 3 or 3:30 PM game that day. It would mean more students would attend due to how they don't show up for 12 Noon games now. .