General fan frustration about the large amount of afternoon kickoffs for LSU football this season led the Athletic Department to issue a news release Tuesday saying it has no control over kickoff time.
The LSU faithful have rolled through the turnstiles of Death Valley at 2:30 p.m. on two occasions already this season because of contract obligations with CBS, which holds the television rights to the Southeastern Conference.
The Athletic Department says in the release that CBS makes the final call on kickoff times.
But night games at LSU are a tradition deeply entrenched in the fiber of the area.
The Tigers hosted their first night game in 1931 when they defeated Spring Hill, 35-0.
But this season has been a different animal.
The Tennessee and Alabama games had early kickoffs, and this week it was announced that LSU’s home finale against Ole Miss will also start before the sun goes down.
“People are starting to wonder, ‘Why are all the big games moving?'” said Senior Associate Athletic Director Herb Vincent. “We feel like we have to send that reminder. Most people know what the situation is, but it is good to remind them why we have to move the game to daytime.”
Vincent also said the release is annual and is not a result of an inordinate amount of complaints.
But LSU students aren’t thrilled with the switch to day games.
“As a fan I like the night games a lot more,” said Tucker Golson, mechanical engineering senior. “[At] night games, it seems like the intensity is greater.”
Jordan Douglas, undeclared freshman, feels he got cheated out of some of the aura of Tiger Stadium by having the big games in the afternoon.
“I feel like Death Valley would be much more rowdy at night than it was during the day,” Douglas said. “But then again, we have shown up and played good games for everyone of those day games.”
Despite knowing it is out of LSU’s control, the consensus says there is nothing like a Saturday night in Death Valley.
“I don’t like the day games, but I understand that there’s nothing they can do about it,” Golson said. “But I would like to see more night games in the future.”
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Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]
Football: Athletic Dept. memo addresses day games
November 9, 2010