Last week start time for the University of Hawaii vs Boise State football game was 4:00pm local time. (Honolulu time) Many “mainlanders” were able to stay up and watch the game.
This week when the Warriors are trying to make it to a bowl game, they start the game at 6:30pm local time. (11:30 EST!) Many BSC voters will be in bed by kick off time. They can pretty much forget about any of the voters actually seeing the end of the game. I know they can record it, but who is going to sit down and watch a game that is already decided?
Why would they do this? Don’t they want everyone to see how good a team they are?
For that very reason I doubt Hawaii decided when they play. Since the Warriors do want BCS voters to see them play, if they had a say in the matter, they’d elect for an earlier kickoff time. That the kickoff time is not at more beneficial hour makes me think that games are scheduled by the NCAA, the WAC, or whoever’s broadcasting the game, and not UH.
I doubt it’s the travel time. I’m under the impression that visiting teams fly in farther in advance than that-- if not a day or two before, at least the night before. I know Hawaii has flown in on Wednesdays for Friday games, and has even stayed a week on the mainland to avoid having to go back and forth between road games.
This week’s opponent is Washington, and that’s only a 6 hour flight.
If the game started earlier, it would be going up against ABC’s primetime game, Missouri vs. Oklahoma. So ESPN (which is really ABC) decided to start the Hawai’i game later so it would have its own slot.
The day is set up for those of us on the West Coast to watch football nonstop from 8 am to nearly midnight.
I’ve got provisions. I’m ready. I’ve got the ingredients to make a pizza for myself around 5 pm to drown my sorrows after my Bruins get hammered by USC.