One of the more humorous yet eye roll worthy phenomena in college football these days is when college football ADs and coaches who are all too happy to cash TV checks complain about when TV asks them to play.
The latest installment is Northwestern, who is not happy that the Big Ten pushed its home game with Ohio State from Saturday, Oct. 19 to Friday, Oct. 18.
The rematch of this season’s Big Ten Championship, it’s obviously Northwestern’s biggest home game of the year. The Buckeyes last came to Ryan Field in 2013 and the last time they’ll be back until 2022. So, it’s easy to see why the Wildcats are upset -- and upset they are.
“This one was out of our control,” Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald told the Chicago Tribune. “Didn’t get a vote on this. I understand why we’re doing this, but it does not make me happy. I still fundamentally believe that Fridays are for high school football.”
Northwestern previously held a successful stomp-and-scream campaign to get out of two Friday night games in 2017 -- at Maryland, home against Michigan State -- but had no such luck for 2019.
“Unlike some of our Big Ten brothers, we’re in a big-time city,” Fitzgerald said. “I know our administration will work hand in hand with the city so we can make it as amicable to our neighbors as we can.”
Like the rest of its Big Ten brothers, Northwestern took in $52 million in Fiscal Year 2018 and will likely rake in more in 2019.
All those millions -- 52 of them, to be exact -- come with a price. And that price for Northwestern is one Friday night home game.