Ducks get BIG TV contract

[jhopduck]

Good job getting some prime time games including the CW game. This will really help with recruiting IMO.

http://oregon.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=901250

[chapelhillduck]

as long as there is no Comcast blackout rules!

[stewbertwilloughby]

Wow! That is fantastic! It almost sounds too good to be true.

[dthomas=ddixon]

I don't know how I feel about a Thursday night game Autzen until I actually experience it but other than that it sounds great.

The whole nation gets to watch us lay ANOTHER beat down on the beevs. I love it.

[alabamaduck]

Thank god, I might actually get to see most of our games this year

[VinnyKnuckles]

Moving the Civil War is a great move by Pat Kilkenny.

1. The Ducks winning is the #1 priority and there is no question that this move improves those odds. Had this change to the schedule not been made, the Ducks would have been playing 6 weeks in a row without a break against Pac-10 competition. The grind of that schedule would have been very evident by the time the Civil War rolled around, particularly when facing an opponent coming off a bye week. This tweak to the schedule isn't quite as good as a full bye week, but it is close and those extra days of recovery time will be much welcomed.

2. The national exposure will be great even if the Ducks are having a rather average season. If the Ducks happen to be in contention for a BCS game when the Civil War rolls around, the interest in the game from a national perspective will be tremendous.

3. $$$$$. I have seen some people express the sentiment that Oregon doesn't need any more money. I don't know what dream world these people are living in, but yes Oregon does. Even with the generosity of Phil Knight and other donors, the tremendous amount of money Oregon has spent recently on facility upgrades could potentially put them in a very precarious financial situation if ticket sales at the new basketball arena are lackluster. Maximizing revenue streams from all angles is a necessity.

There are obviously a few downsides to the move in terms of inconveniencing people, but it doesn't come close to overriding the benefits. It isn't as if every home game is being moved to Thursday night, like some hysterical people on talk radio were claiming a few days ago. I don't have a problem with us fans being inconvenienced one time this year for the betterment of the program.

[Mops]

I think I might be using my media pass to get on the field for a view of Erin Andrews...

[UofDuck]

Weekday games are certainly a pain for us who have season tickets and live out of state, but the school's needs are more important than one guy living in Boise. Besides, the world will be watching and that is the key.

[ducksrock]

Its a "Night Game" on a Thursday night...The "whole world" wont be watching. The whole world, other than West Coast people will be headed to bed, in preparation to go to work the next day. I doubt many East Coasters are gonna stay up until midnight or later, to watch the CW....

[Mops]

Its a "Night Game" on a Thursday night...The "whole world" wont be watching. The whole world, other than West Coast people will be headed to bed, in preparation to go to work the next day. I doubt many East Coasters are gonna stay up until midnight or later, to watch the CW....

Thursday night games usually start at 4:30, so I doubt IMO that the Civil war will stick to a 6 pm kick off. I wont be shocked to see it moved up to 5 or so.

[stewbertwilloughby]

Hopefully I can use my birthday to get Dec. 3rd off work.

[ducksrock]

Well Mops, it shows it at 6:00....So, I am not so sure that the 4:30 scenario is in the cards......but, I spose time will tell

[Duckxing]

Its a "Night Game" on a Thursday night...The "whole world" wont be watching. The whole world, other than West Coast people will be headed to bed, in preparation to go to work the next day. I doubt many East Coasters are gonna stay up until midnight or later, to watch the CW....

+1,000

[UOducksTK1]

Finally some good ole TV exposure.

[VinnyKnuckles]

Its a "Night Game" on a Thursday night...The "whole world" wont be watching. The whole world, other than West Coast people will be headed to bed, in preparation to go to work the next day. I doubt many East Coasters are gonna stay up until midnight or later, to watch the CW....

Check the ratings for the Oregon State vs. USC game played on Thursday night on ESPN last year. That game was viewed by more households nationwide than the 4 games ABC televised the following Saturday combined. Heck, that game alone made Jizz Rodgers a cult hero. Regardless of the hour, being the only college game televised nationally on a particular night gives you a lot of exposure. From the spots ESPN will run during the week to promote the broadcast to the analysts discussing a game they normally wouldn't be to the highlights they will be showing of the game on SportsCenter, it all equates to a lot more exposure than the Ducks would have gotten had the game remained just one of countless other big games on Saturday. Like I said before though, the exposure angle is just a secondary benefit in my mind. Improving the odds of the Ducks actually winning the game is reason enough by itself to welcome the schedule change, in my opinion.