(08-30-2021 08:19 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(08-30-2021 04:39 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(08-30-2021 10:43 AM)Statefan Wrote:  Dawg, it's crazy that UNC and State play the last week in November as an interdivision game. It's rare that both schools are up at the same time so what you end up with are games that can produce an upset or saves or costs a coach his job.

In the last 70 years we have only finished within 2 games of each other in the win column 19 times. We have been ranked together in the top 25 at the end of the regular season just four times. It just doesn't make for a good year end game. Part of it is to boost attendance when the students are home for thanksgiving and basketball season has already started.

Welcome to southern football, Statefan!! It's been like this at the University of Georgia (a coach can get fired for losing too many times to Florida or Tech), Auburn University, University of Tennessee, University of Florida, etc. If you don't like your coach's career depending on the outcome of particular game, follow B1G football, PAC 12 football, or FCS football!!!
What I was talking about though was moving up the UNC-NC State clash up one week for two reasons:

1:). More students will be able to attend the game. Unless your team is almost like a pro sports team in your area (see Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, etc.), most students and fans aren't going to make the trek to your stadium or your opponents stadium to watch the game.
If you had tickets for both a Carolina Panthers game and an a Thanksgiving game at NC State, which ticket will you use???

2). I tend to believe that a lot of rivalry games tend to get lost in the shuffle by being played on Thanksgiving weekend. Especially with the SEC moving exclusively to E$PN, I believe that this will happen even more.

E$PN: Want to see Virginia-Virginia Tech? Sorry, that game doesn't garner enough eyeballs. How about Florida vs. Florida State instead??

I'm sure you're correct - regional ACC rivalries will never do better than ACCN, and ESPN would probably love to more some of them to ESPN+

Best long-term strategy is to fill under-served markets - namely, the week BEFORE Rivalry Week.

No college football fan is going to watch VT and UVa unless they are a VT fan. We already know the outcome