ESPN Plays With Saturday Night Tradition

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http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/cont...080506espn.html

MAC COMMISSIONER COMMENTS MAC likes weeknight play.

Since then, the MAC has been associated prominently with playing on weeknights, and Chryst says it has advanced the conference at warp speed. He mentioned several specific examples of how the MAC has prospered:

• All 69 of the league's home games are televised in some form this season.

• In one 59-year period, MAC teams hosted Big Ten opponents six times. It will happen four times this season.

• The MAC is now affiliated with three bowls, GMAC, Motor City and International.

"Whether it's right or wrong," Chryst said, "TV is probably the main reason for that."

There are sacrifices. In November, for instance, Northern Illinois will play on a Tuesday and two Fridays, but no Saturdays. Toledo will play on three Tuesdays. Of 24 November games, the MAC will play just 10 on Saturdays, and six of those Saturday games are nonconference. Five conference games will be played on Friday, Nov. 24.

Chryst argues it's worth the attention. Last season, the MAC had the fifth-highest viewership of conferences on ESPN2 broadcasts, ahead of the Big Ten, Mountain West and Conference USA.

"We're recruiting a quarterback in Houston, which we never do," said Novak, the NIU coach. "I go into his home, and I ask him why he wants to come to Northern Illinois. He looked at me with a straight face and said, 'Coach, it's the exposure.' If we weren't on TV, that would never happen."

So, the stream of non-Saturday games continues, even when Miami had already planned a series of events around its Oct. 8 Homecoming game against Northern Illinois, including the opening of the new Goggin Ice Arena on Friday night to coincide with the Saturday game.

"But, we had to make a decision," said Miami coach Shane Montgomery, "and this game is on ESPN, not ESPN2 or ESPNU."