Those dreaded 11 a.m. starting times for Big Ten football games may soon be only memories.
Big Ten schools located in the Central Time Zone, including Minnesota, have started many home games at 11 a.m. for years to accommodate the conference’s TV commitments. The network obligations haven’t been popular with many fans who found 11 a.m. too early in the day for their convenience or comfort.
Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners this week that a change for the coming fall is possible. “With the new negotiations that commissioner Delany has done with ABC, ESPN and the Big Ten Network, it looks very favorable that there may be a possibility that beginning as early as next fall we’ll be able to play at noon,” Maturi said.
If Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany is successful, no future conference games will begin at 11 a.m. Start times here could be noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Maturi said all the athletics directors in the Central Time Zone realize “what a challenge” it is for fans to deal with the 11 a.m. starts. Maturi said a noon kickoff, or later when possible, better accommodates tailgaters, students and particularly fans travelling from outside the metro area.
A major college football start time of 11 a.m. Central is uncommon outside the Big Ten. Locally, the Vikings traditional start times are noon and 3:15 p.m.
Noon kickoffs for Gophers games this fall could help attendance. The Gophers have a chance to sellout all their home games in the 50,000 seat TCF Bank Stadium but that isn’t assured now.
Maturi said the renewal process for season tickets is underway and that will help determine how much ticket inventory is available. The Gophers have an appealing home schedule that includes Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin.
New coach Jerry Kill has a team that was 3-9 last season but Maturi said fans like Kill’s “genuineness.” Maturi hopes Kill’s popularity will continue to increase.
“I think coach Kill has done everything right,” Maturi said. “I think people have really identified with him. I think people like him. People want him to succeed and give him a chance. We’re hopeful, again, with an unbelievably attractive home schedule that people retain their season tickets. …”