well looking at the NFL schedule release, they are going for blood on Thursday nights...

Sept 17 Denver @ Kansas City(Opposite Clemson/Louisville)
Sept 24 Washington @ NY Giants(opposite Cincy/Memphis)
Oct 1 Baltimore @ Pittsburgh(opposite Miami/Cincy)
Oct 8 Indianapolis @ Houston(opposite SMU/Houston, Washington/USC)
Oct 15 Atlanta @ New Orleans(opposite Auburn/Kentucky, UCLA/Stanford)
Oct 22 Seattle @ San Francisco(opposite Cal/UCLA)
Oct 29 Miami @ New England(opposite UNC/Pitt, WVU/TCU)
Nov 5 Cleveland @ Cincy(opposite Miss St/Missouri, Baylor/Kan St)

The 2 weeks where the games are on NFL network opposite college football-
Nov 12 Buffalo @ NY Jets(opposite Va Tech/Ga Tech)
Nov 19 Tennessee @ Jacksonville(opposite ECU/UCF)

really only 1 dog game in there at all, and that has one of the weaker Thursday night college games going up against it.

NFL is also trying to eclipse the two college bowl-game Saturdays this December with games that will draw a lot of eyeballs: Jets-Cowboys on Dec. 19 and Redskins-Eagles on Dec. 26.

And for good measure, they're throwing shade on the Hawaii Bowl, with Chargers-Raiders scheduled in the same east-coast prime-time window on Dec. 24.

(04-22-2015 12:10 AM)stever20 Wrote:  well looking at the NFL schedule release, they are going for blood on Thursday nights...

Sept 17 Denver @ Kansas City(Opposite Clemson/Louisville)
Sept 24 Washington @ NY Giants(opposite Cincy/Memphis)
Oct 1 Baltimore @ Pittsburgh(opposite Miami/Cincy)
Oct 8 Indianapolis @ Houston(opposite SMU/Houston, Washington/USC)
Oct 15 Atlanta @ New Orleans(opposite Auburn/Kentucky, UCLA/Stanford)
Oct 22 Seattle @ San Francisco(opposite Cal/UCLA)
Oct 29 Miami @ New England(opposite UNC/Pitt, WVU/TCU)
Nov 5 Cleveland @ Cincy(opposite Miss St/Missouri, Baylor/Kan St)

The 2 weeks where the games are on NFL network opposite college football-
Nov 12 Buffalo @ NY Jets(opposite Va Tech/Ga Tech)
Nov 19 Tennessee @ Jacksonville(opposite ECU/UCF)

really only 1 dog game in there at all, and that has one of the weaker Thursday night college games going up against it.

Yep, makes me think playing on Tuesday/Wednesday is not so bad. The MWC & AAC share Friday nites competing against HS Football which has to piss off the high schools they try to recruit from. I think NCAA has a shot to win the ratings battle on 10/15. Atlanta is a weak team and New Orleans has pieces to replace vs UCLA/Stanford & Auburn vs KY.

If they were really going for blood, they'd have had a team in one of the markets of the corresponding college game playing each week. I did see they did it to Houston (and couldn't have picked a better week, the presumed return of Andre Johnson to Houston if he's healthy).

Last year they scheduled a Kansas City Chiefs game head to head against a Kansas State game.

(04-22-2015 02:12 AM)Policiious Wrote:  

(04-22-2015 12:10 AM)stever20 Wrote:  well looking at the NFL schedule release, they are going for blood on Thursday nights...

Sept 17 Denver @ Kansas City(Opposite Clemson/Louisville)
Sept 24 Washington @ NY Giants(opposite Cincy/Memphis)
Oct 1 Baltimore @ Pittsburgh(opposite Miami/Cincy)
Oct 8 Indianapolis @ Houston(opposite SMU/Houston, Washington/USC)
Oct 15 Atlanta @ New Orleans(opposite Auburn/Kentucky, UCLA/Stanford)
Oct 22 Seattle @ San Francisco(opposite Cal/UCLA)
Oct 29 Miami @ New England(opposite UNC/Pitt, WVU/TCU)
Nov 5 Cleveland @ Cincy(opposite Miss St/Missouri, Baylor/Kan St)

The 2 weeks where the games are on NFL network opposite college football-
Nov 12 Buffalo @ NY Jets(opposite Va Tech/Ga Tech)
Nov 19 Tennessee @ Jacksonville(opposite ECU/UCF)

really only 1 dog game in there at all, and that has one of the weaker Thursday night college games going up against it.

Yep, makes me think playing on Tuesday/Wednesday is not so bad. The MWC & AAC share Friday nites competing against HS Football which has to piss off the high schools they try to recruit from. I think NCAA has a shot to win the ratings battle on 10/15. Atlanta is a weak team and New Orleans has pieces to replace vs UCLA/Stanford & Auburn vs KY.

ECU vs Temple is also on OCT 22 opposite of Seattle/SF

(04-22-2015 01:21 AM)Wedge Wrote:  NFL is also trying to eclipse the two college bowl-game Saturdays this December with games that will draw a lot of eyeballs: Jets-Cowboys on Dec. 19 and Redskins-Eagles on Dec. 26.

And for good measure, they're throwing shade on the Hawaii Bowl, with Chargers-Raiders scheduled in the same east-coast prime-time window on Dec. 24.

Dec. 19 will hurt the MW bowl games, especially the Las Vegas Bowl which I think will play on that date.

After looking at the schedule, the NFL games on the 12/19 and 12/24 doesn't start till 8:35pm ET. So probably no effect on the bowls games that day.

Good for the NFL. It's a far better product. They need to promote it that way.

(04-22-2015 07:53 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(04-22-2015 01:21 AM)Wedge Wrote:  NFL is also trying to eclipse the two college bowl-game Saturdays this December with games that will draw a lot of eyeballs: Jets-Cowboys on Dec. 19 and Redskins-Eagles on Dec. 26.

And for good measure, they're throwing shade on the Hawaii Bowl, with Chargers-Raiders scheduled in the same east-coast prime-time window on Dec. 24.

Dec. 19 will hurt the MW bowl games, especially the Las Vegas Bowl which I think will play on that date.

After looking at the schedule, the NFL games on the 12/19 and 12/24 doesn't start till 8:35pm ET. So probably no effect on the bowls games that day.

12/24 definitely will- the Hawaii bowl normally kicks off at 8pm.

12/19- it'll impact the 9pm start game that night fully, and even the 5:45 game the 2nd half.

(04-22-2015 02:43 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  If they were really going for blood, they'd have had a team in one of the markets of corresponding college game playing each week. I did see they did it to Houston (and couldn't have picked a better week, the presumed return of Andre Johnson to Houston if he's healthy).

It looks like they are trying to drive college football off the air. Some of these matchups can't be a coincidence.

(04-22-2015 12:10 AM)stever20 Wrote:  well looking at the NFL schedule release, they are going for blood on Thursday nights...

Sept 17 Denver @ Kansas City(Opposite Clemson/Louisville)
The one week they give college a pass
Sept 24 Washington @ NY Giants(opposite Cincy/Memphis)
Weak college matchup
Oct 1 Baltimore @ Pittsburgh(opposite Miami/Cincy)
Division opponents for the Bengals
Oct 8 Indianapolis @ Houston(opposite SMU/Houston, Washington/USC)
Houston vs. Houston
Oct 15 Atlanta @ New Orleans(opposite Auburn/Kentucky, UCLA/Stanford)
SEC NFL teams
Oct 22 Seattle @ San Francisco(opposite Cal/UCLA)
California team
Oct 29 Miami @ New England(opposite UNC/Pitt, WVU/TCU)
Not direct, but New England is a huge draw
Nov 5 Cleveland @ Cincy(opposite Miss St/Missouri, Baylor/Kan St)
Unless highly rated, these are weak ratings college games

The 2 weeks where the games are on NFL network opposite college football-
Nov 12 Buffalo @ NY Jets(opposite Va Tech/Ga Tech)
Nov 19 Tennessee @ Jacksonville(opposite ECU/UCF)

really only 1 dog game in there at all, and that has one of the weaker Thursday night college games going up against it.

Lots of competition in the same region.

even the weeks where they gave college a pass- still really good games for NFL...
Denver/KC should blow out Clemson/Louisville.
Miami/New England- gets to go up against UNC/Pitt, WVU/TCU(I'm guessing that's on FS1)
Cleveland/Cincy- gets to go up against Miss St/Missouri, Baylor/Kansas St(guessing that's on FS1)

there's not one time where you think the college game has a real shot vs the NFL game. I think ESPN has kind of acknowledged that even with the game quality that they have on there now- the college games aren't as good as they used to be.

Hate to tell you this...the NFL could show Jacksonville vs. Tampa and it would still destroy almost any College Football Game..it is what it is...

I agree. However, the NFL isn't content with that- they have upgraded the TNF schedule considerably.

(04-22-2015 02:43 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  If they were really going for blood, they'd have had a team in one of the markets of corresponding college game playing each week. I did see they did it to Houston (and couldn't have picked a better week, the presumed return of Andre Johnson to Houston if he's healthy).

Brutal for the Coogs. SMU might limp in 1-4 or worse. I don't envy you going up against the Texans that night.

(04-22-2015 10:17 AM)stever20 Wrote:  even the weeks where they gave college a pass- still really good games for NFL...
Denver/KC should blow out Clemson/Louisville.
Miami/New England- gets to go up against UNC/Pitt, WVU/TCU(I'm guessing that's on FS1)
Cleveland/Cincy- gets to go up against Miss St/Missouri, Baylor/Kansas St(guessing that's on FS1)

there's not one time where you think the college game has a real shot vs the NFL game. I think ESPN has kind of acknowledged that even with the game quality that they have on there now- the college games aren't as good as they used to be.

Yeah, Denver is still a big TV draw with Peyton Manning.

Note that the NFL has firmly taken over Thanksgiving prime time, too.

To be fair, it makes sense. Heck, the ratings for the NFL Draft were 6.8 last year, which were higher than every non-playoff college football game except for 4 (the SEC Championship Game, ACC Championship Game, Auburn-Alabama, and Notre Dame-FSU), all NBA games except for the NBA Finals, all MLB games except for the World Series, every single college basketball game except for the Elite Eight and Final Four, and every single NHL game. That's the NFL's rating simply for watching people's names being called out, much less actual games. It's astounding how dominant the NFL is in comparison than every single other American sport (and every other entertainment property anywhere, for that matter) right now.

(04-22-2015 12:59 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-22-2015 10:17 AM)stever20 Wrote:  even the weeks where they gave college a pass- still really good games for NFL...
Denver/KC should blow out Clemson/Louisville.
Miami/New England- gets to go up against UNC/Pitt, WVU/TCU(I'm guessing that's on FS1)
Cleveland/Cincy- gets to go up against Miss St/Missouri, Baylor/Kansas St(guessing that's on FS1)

there's not one time where you think the college game has a real shot vs the NFL game. I think ESPN has kind of acknowledged that even with the game quality that they have on there now- the college games aren't as good as they used to be.

Yeah, Denver is still a big TV draw with Peyton Manning.

Note that the NFL has firmly taken over Thanksgiving prime time, too.

To be fair, it makes sense. Heck, the ratings for the NFL Draft were 6.8 last year, which were higher than every non-playoff college football game except for 4 (the SEC Championship Game, ACC Championship Game, Auburn-Alabama, and Notre Dame-FSU), all NBA games except for the NBA Finals, all MLB games except for the World Series, every single college basketball game except for the Elite Eight and Final Four, and every single NHL game. That's the NFL's rating simply for watching people's names being called out, much less actual games. It's astounding how dominant the NFL is in comparison than every single other American sport (and every other entertainment property anywhere, for that matter) right now.

Yeah- Texas Tech/Texas or Chicago/Green Bay..

It'll be interesting to see if college football retreats even more off of Thursday nights. I think it's pretty obvious that TNF isn't going away from the NFL.

(04-22-2015 01:06 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Yeah- Texas Tech/Texas or Chicago/Green Bay..

It'll be interesting to see if college football retreats even more off of Thursday nights. I think it's pretty obvious that TNF isn't going away from the NFL.

I think the big thing is how the power conferences react to Thursday night scheduling in the future. There was about a 5 year period where Thursday night games were considered to be marquee/top tier games that power conferences wanted to participate in, but I think we'll see that receding dramatically. Other conferences that don't have as much scheduling leverage will take what they can get, so college football won't retreat from Thursday night in terms of quantity, but the days where *great* games were on Thursday night are likely coming to an end.

(04-22-2015 01:18 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-22-2015 01:06 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Yeah- Texas Tech/Texas or Chicago/Green Bay..

It'll be interesting to see if college football retreats even more off of Thursday nights. I think it's pretty obvious that TNF isn't going away from the NFL.

I think the big thing is how the power conferences react to Thursday night scheduling in the future. There was about a 5 year period where Thursday night games were considered to be marquee/top tier games that power conferences wanted to participate in, but I think we'll see that receding dramatically. Other conferences that don't have as much scheduling leverage will take what they can get, so college football won't retreat from Thursday night in terms of quantity, but the days where *great* games were on Thursday night are likely coming to an end.

totally agree. You may find the 2 Thursdays there in November(3 I guess in some years)- where the TNF is off of CBS- where may find some real good CFB games.

I think the 2 P5 conferences hurt most by this- Big 12 and ACC. Both I think have Thursday night games written into their contract. Pac 12 may have some as well(though I think they are more flexible Thursday to Friday- and also can start Thursday night games at 10pm et to get a lot out of the NFL's way).

The price of the NFL Sunday Ticket continues to rise while more games are being placed outside of the traditional Sunday afternoon window. How do subscribers justify continually paying more for less? I kicked ESPN GamePlan to the curb years ago for trying that shenanigans.