After getting a bye week to rest and prepare for their next game, Minnesota is set to host Penn State in a somewhat surprising battle of unbeaten teams. But with the calendar flipping to November and night games generally frowned upon around the Big Ten this time of the year due to the weather conditions, Minnesota’s historic clash with the Nittany Lions will be slotted at noon eastern on Nov. 9. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said in an interview with Pat McAfeee that the Gophers did not turn down a night game, as had previously been reported.
“No, we did not avoid that game,” Fleck said when asked about Minnesota turning down a night game opportunity. “That’s completely a hundred percent inaccurate. The way the Big Ten works is both teams have to be able to agree on night games and you have to be able to match it up with television, but that is a hundred percent inaccurate. The Minnesota Golden Gophers did not turn down a night game.”
Clearing up a rumor with @Coach_Fleck.. @GopherFootball did not turn down a night game against #PSU #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE on @DAZN_USA pic.twitter.com/dK02V5WuVT
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 30, 2019
Fleck’s statement contradicts previous reports citing Minnesota Deputy Athletics Director John Cunningham of saying Minnesota did indeed decline a night game option for the game against Penn State.
To expand on this further, #Gophers Deputy AD John Cunningham said at the halftime of the Rutgers game (October 19th) that Minnesota had declined the night game options for November.
— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) October 28, 2019
It's not what I'd have done, but.
Link to @andygreder's article -- https://t.co/sMq3EEsHJK
So, who do you believe in this scenario? The head coach certainly has a grasp for what’s going on with his program, but kickoff times tend to be decisions out of the coach’s hands, even when they are Nick Saban or Dabo Swinney. Maybe Minnesota declined the option before it was presented in its final form. Maybe Minnesota was just planning ahead for the safety and comfort of their fans, saving them from potential night game chills.
The bottom line is it doesn’t really matter what time the game is played, because the stakes for Minnesota and Penn State will remain the same regardless of what time the game kicks off. Besides, Big Ten November afternoons are pretty darn good.