Notre Dame Football: What Moving The Texas Game Means
Notre Dame opens up the season against Texas in Austin, but things have changed.
There are things that happen to Notre Dame that only happen to them because they are Notre Dame. The latest happening is that the season opener against the Texas Longhorns in Austin Texas will no longer be played on Saturday night. September 3 in Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium, rather it will be played on Sunday night September 4.
This is what happens when you command one of the largest followings in all of sports, and it gets magnified when it includes another member of that club.
While some look at this as a good thing, and I suppose in many ways it is, as it highlights just how strong the program is in regards to its national brand, there has to be a large amount of fans that are equally annoyed.
Write in me as one of the annoyed even if I’m not one of the thousands that now have to change travel plans. In fact, I think the move actually makes things easier for me- but that’s not my point.
We have seen it over the past 6-10 years. We have seen the amount of Notre Dame games that are played on the road being turned into ESPN’s night game on whatever channel they put the game on. A few road night games is fun and exciting, but when almost all of them turn into one it wears on you.
This amicable move was made for obvious reasons. Notre Dame and Texas are wanting more eyeballs on their game and the spotlight of opening weekend fixed on them and them alone. But there are other prices to be paid here.
Brian Kelly has expressed his concern to Jack Swarbrick about all of these night games on the road and one of his arguments is that the athletes suffer due to the extreme travel times and lost time in the classroom. So, here’s another night game half a country away, and instead of having a buffer day (Sunday) after the game, the next day is of course a Monday. No, it doesn’t matter that it is Labor Day because Notre Dame has classes on Labor Day.
So, my questions is: When does this stop? I’ll answer that with a: probably never, but then I ask… when does this slow down? With the concerns voiced by Brian Kelly known and yet disregarded in this case, will it ever matter?
Just something to think about.