# Big Ten Network scheduling question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-network-scheduling-question/603467>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [November 19, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-network-scheduling-question/603467 "2011-11-19T17:44:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-network-scheduling-question/603467/1 "2011-11-19T17:44:26Z")

</div>

Right now, there are **five** Big Ten games I can watch:  
Neb - UM on ESPN  
Wisc - ILL on ESPN2  
Ind - MSU on Big Ten Network  
Iowa - Purdue on Big Ten Network overflow 1  
Minn - NW on Big Ten Network overflow 2

The sixth game is PSU-OSU at 3:30 (The I-never-thought-I’d-be-coaching-this-game Bowl).

My question is why doesn’t the Big Ten schedule a couple of those early games later, to have a 3:30 and an 8:00 game on BTN? As it is, they blow their load all at once, and spend the rest of the day yakking.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-network-scheduling-question/603467/2 "2011-11-19T18:39:47Z")

</div>

Speculation (because I have no idea)

Because no one wants to schedule a night game in mid to late November at a Big 10 school unless it is on National Television.

Could be cold in November, and even colder at night in the Midwest.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-network-scheduling-question/603467/3 "2011-11-19T18:43:17Z")

</div>

Big Ten has either a conference rule or a television contract that says no night games in November. Presumably because of the cold weather.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-network-scheduling-question/603467/4 "2011-11-19T18:53:37Z")

</div>

OK, no night games in November. But they could still have a 3:30 game. Also, I don’t think they had many night games (two maybe?) in October or September.

It seems that they spread their games out more, rather than using the overflow channels as much.