(03-06-2020 08:58 AM)Gamecock Wrote: The whole 9 am kickoffs idea was absurd.
Is the goal better attendance in stadiums or better TV audience? 7:30pm/8pm PT kickoffs would be better for fans in California, Oregon, Washington, etc. but mean that most fans in the East won't watch. The Pac-12 should have a primary focus to cater to its fans in its target markets first which is of course the West Coast but if it wants to grow nationally it should also cater to them as well and air games earlier in the day so Eastern and Central Time Zone fans can watch them. If the SEC counted only on fans in Alabama and Louisiana, it wouldn't be where it is today.
The premise behind a 9am PT kickoff is to accommodate the FOX "Big Noon" strategy of them placing their biggest games at noon ET. They wanted to win the time slot since most weeks CBS dominates at 3:30pm ET with the SEC and ABC usually wins in prime time. Most of FOX's biggest 2019 games aired at noon including Ohio State at Michigan, Penn State at Ohio State, Wisconsin at Ohio State, Michigan at Wisconsin, and the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.
FOX is apparently doubling down on the "Big Noon" strategy. At the MWC press conference, they have an interest in airing Florida State-Boise State at noon ET, which would be 10am in Boise.
https://themw.com/documents/2020/1/9//MW...script.pdf
"Q. Mark, this might be a local question, but with the
Big Noon Saturday games, a lot of times it was kind
of a lead-in for your noon eastern game. If you did
the Boise State-Florida State, would you guys be
looking at a 10:00 a.m. mountain time start or
would you try to push that back later?
MARK SILVERMAN: No, we would be looking at a very
special, unique time that would be sort of a special
event, 10:00 a.m. local start kick time. Yes, we would.
And the way we look at it, for a little explanation, as we
look at creating special events in the sports world,
whether it's an outdoor hockey game, whether it's
Midnight Madness, sometimes special time frames
make the game more unique. No one has talked about
doing anything on a regular basis, but we believe, and
I've had conversations with the Pac-12 about even an
earlier game kick start. On occasion it could create a
heck of a lot of interest, and we actually believe if we
are able to kick that game at 10:00 and it would be
airing on the FOX broadcast network, it'll most likely be
the highest-rated Boise State football game in at least
five to seven years. We think there's an incredible
audience there. We've seen it from our first year doing
it on air. We do it as a special occasion, and again, I
think it could be something everyone could rally around
and make it a fun one-time event."
You better believe FOX will ask Pac-12 schools for 9am PT kickoffs in 2020, especially if they get their hands on Michigan at Washington and/or Ohio State at Oregon. Of course the Pac-12 schools can say no. But from a national TV audience perspective the late night games (or just too many of them) hurt the Pac-12 more than a few 9am PT kickoffs will.