# Why are NFL games on Sundays (and not Saturdays)? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 3, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256 "2011-01-03T20:29:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/21 "2011-01-03T23:06:04Z")
So I guess some schools were too cheap to pay for lights? If true that is a bit surprising because the NE (not including NH) typically has sky high property tax rates to pay for schools. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/22 "2011-01-03T23:24:17Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > So I guess some schools were too cheap to pay for lights? If true that is a bit surprising because the NE (not including NH) typically has sky high property tax rates to pay for schools. I doubt it. As noted I suspect that _now_ virtually every high school that isn’t teetering on the brink of insolvency has lights for football. When many Dopers were pimpled dweebs in the 70s and 80s that might not have been the case. Remember the Cubs didn’t have lights until 1988. Adoption of stadium lights in high school was certainly slower than in college and professional sports, but over the last 3 decades I suspect there are very few stragglers still left behind. If any school still has football primarily on Saturday it’s most likely due to some locally specific tradition. In the Northeast with the ambivalence to college football and the general lack of college football programs in many of their smaller schools, it’s not a huge surprise. Also there might be a local trend to use the HS stadium for lacrosse, soccer or some other fall sports on Fridays. Being that lacrosse is largely confined to the NE that might be a notable factor in the football on Saturday tradition. I suspect there are other pockets of the country where some attachment to tradition has HS football on Saturday simply for nostalgia. But, by and large Friday Night is Football Night in America. In this day and age I highly doubt there are any practical reasons why games would be played on Saturday, lack of lights, weather and whatever else aren’t issues. Note that Friday is actually more convenient logistically for schools. Games on Saturday mean that administrators, security, janitorial, coaches, bus drivers and all the other staff involved have to work 6 days a week and accrue overtime. On Fridays all those people are already on site and able to prepare for the game as part of their normal Friday work. Students are obviously in school on Friday and simply head to the locker rooms following class. Saturday games would require players and they parents to arrange extra transportation. Away games allow players to simply board the bus after class, buses that are already in the field dropping off students on a normal Friday, as opposed to scheduling a special bus pickup on Saturday morning or forcing parents to car pool the player to road games Saturday morning. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/23 "2011-01-03T23:28:20Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Remember the Cubs didn’t have lights until 1988. Though, that was traditionalist foot-dragging on the part of the Cubs (not to mention considerable resistance by Wrigleyville residents). Pretty much all other MLB and NFL stadiums had lights by the 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/24 "2011-01-03T23:32:06Z")
MLB told the Cubs they would be forced to play postseason home games somewhere else because of the lack of lights. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/25 "2011-01-03T23:45:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Though, that was traditionalist foot-dragging on the part of the Cubs (not to mention considerable resistance by Wrigleyville residents). Pretty much all other MLB and NFL stadiums had lights by the 1960s. Indeed. The point stands though, that lights weren’t as pervasive as recently as 25 years ago as they are now. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > MLB told the Cubs they would be forced to play postseason home games somewhere else because of the lack of lights. Correction, the **were** forced to play home games elsewhere in the playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/26 "2011-01-03T23:50:45Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Also there might be a local trend to use the HS stadium for lacrosse […] on Fridays. Being that lacrosse is largely confined to the NE that might be a notable factor in the football on Saturday tradition. No, lacrosse is in the spring. At my HS the football players all played lacrosse after football; that’s just what you did. I’m sure this is pretty common, at least in the NE. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/27 "2011-01-04T00:37:22Z")
High school football was always on Saturday when I was growing up in the 50s and 60s. No high school had a lighted field; it was considered a waste of money. Saturday games were best for the students, since the students didn’t have to rush out of class (or leave class early) to travel. It was also easier for bus transportation – schools rarely had extra buses sitting around when classes ended; they were all required to take the students home. A Friday game would require the purchase of buses that would be unused most of the school year. But the decision for pro football was made in the 1920s, long before high schools ever played under the lights. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/28 "2011-01-04T00:56:09Z")
Cubs played a playoff game outside Chicago? I don’t recall that. What year? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/29 "2011-01-04T01:22:02Z")
Yeah, that has to be a mistake. The only post-season that the Cubs were in since 1945 until the lights were installed was 1984, and they played their home games in Wrigley Field. Must have just been a threat, not an actual occurrence. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/30 "2011-01-04T01:25:40Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Cubs played a playoff game outside Chicago? I don’t recall that. What year? I don’t think it’s true. 1984 was the first time that the Cubs made the playoffs in the divisional-playoff era. According to Baseball Reference, Games 1 and 2 of the 1984 NLCS were played in the afternoon, at Wrigley: > **[1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 1, San Diego Padres vs...](https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198410020.shtml)** > > Chicago Cubs beat San Diego Padres (13-0). Oct 2, 1984, Attendance: 36282, Time of Game: 2:49. Visit Baseball-Reference.com for the complete box score, play-by-play, and win probability > **[1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 2, San Diego Padres vs...](https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198410030.shtml)** > > Chicago Cubs beat San Diego Padres (4-2). Oct 3, 1984, Attendance: 36282, Time of Game: 2:18. Visit Baseball-Reference.com for the complete box score, play-by-play, and win probability (Games 3-5 were played in Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego; games 3 and 4 were played in the evening, but game 5 was played in the afternoon.) The Cubs didn’t reach the playoffs again until 1989, but, by then, Wrigley had lights. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/31 "2011-01-04T01:59:09Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > No, lacrosse is in the spring. At my HS the football players all played lacrosse after football; that’s just what you did. I’m sure this is pretty common, at least in the NE. I probably should have figured that out knowing about Jim Brown’s success at both. Gracias. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/32 "2011-01-04T02:08:24Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I don’t think it’s true. 1984 was the first time that the Cubs made the playoffs in the divisional-playoff era. According to Baseball Reference, Games 1 and 2 of the 1984 NLCS were played in the afternoon, at Wrigley: > [1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 1, San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs: October 2, 1984 | Baseball-Reference.com](http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198410020.shtml) > [1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 2, San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs: October 3, 1984 | Baseball-Reference.com](http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198410030.shtml) > > (Games 3-5 were played in Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego; games 3 and 4 were played in the evening, but game 5 was played in the afternoon.) > > The Cubs didn’t reach the playoffs again until 1989, but, by then, Wrigley had lights. The Cubs won home field advantage in the 1984 playoffs. The league robbed them of the 5th and decisive game of the series because of the lack of lights. They forced them to play a road game in San Diego. Actually, strike that. Wikipedia has proven me wrong. > [@](#): > > In 1984, the two leagues, American and National, each had two divisions, East and West. The divisional winners met in a best-of-5 series to advance to the World Series, in a “2-3” format, first two games were played at the home of the team who did not have home field advantage. Then the last three games were played at the home of the team, with home field advantage. Thus first two games were played at Wrigley Field and the next three at the home of their opponent, San Diego. A common and unfounded myth is that since Wrigley Field did not have lights at that time the National League decided to give the home field advantage to the winner of the NL West. In fact, home field advantage had rotated between the winners of the East and West since 1969 when the league expanded. In even numbered years, the NL West had home field advantage. In odd numbered years, the NL East had home field advantage. Since the NL East winners had had home field advantage in 1983, the NL West winners were entitled to it. > > The confusion may stem from the fact that Major League Baseball did decide that, should the Cubs make it to the World Series, the American League winner would have home field advantage. At the time home field advantage was rotated between each league. Odd numbered years the AL had home field advantage. Even numbered years the NL had home field advantage. In the 1982 World Series the St. Louis Cardinals of the NL had home field advantage. In the 1983 World Series the Baltimore Orioles of the AL had home field advantage. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256/33 "2011-01-04T02:28:48Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > So I guess some schools were too cheap to pay for lights? If true that is a bit surprising because the NE (not including NH) typically has sky high property tax rates to pay for schools. It’s the exact opposite. Rich people don’t want lights in their neighborhoods. When I was in High School (1979-1983) all of our games were Friday nights, except for the away games at the rich kid schools (Beverly Hills High, Palos Verdes High and Miraleste High on the extremely wealthy Palos Verdes peninsula), which were Friday afternoon games (2:30 pm start time). To this day, Palos Verdes High and Peninsula High don’t have lights, and every time the schools try to get them installed, the neighbors come out in force against them. They don’t want the noise or traffic (or, you know, _those_ people) coming into their neighborhood at night. Which is weird in the case of Peninsula High, which is across the street from a mall which has movie theatres. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-nfl-games-on-sundays-and-not-saturdays/566256.md?page=1)