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USC, Spurrier relish Thursday night lights
ESPN agreement means more exposure nationally for the Gamecocks
Written by SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com
Posted on 08.28.08
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One of the more popular college football Web sites is names “Every Day Should be Saturday.” If the site were localized to South Carolina, they might have to move up a couple of days.
Tonight, the Gamecocks open their season on a Thursday for the third time in Steve Spurrier’s four seasons as coach. It’ll be four out of five after next season’s rematch at N.C. State, tonight’s opponent.
The Gamecocks also play next Thursday night at Vanderbilt.
While a lot of SEC schools resist the Thursday night slot, South Carolina and Spurrier have embraced it. The reasons are both financial and practical.
An SEC bylaw states that any team playing on a “non-traditional playing date” — any day other than Saturday — will receive $200,000, with the home team earning another $100,000.
The national exposure also helps. According to ESPN, last year’s average rating for a Thursday game was 2.5, beating the network’s average (2.1) for all college football games.
“The numbers that we’ve gotten on Thursday night exposures are just fantastic,” USC athletics director Eric Hyman said. “And I think Steve recognizes that and is in concert.”
Hyman would prefer not to play more than one non-Saturday home game a year. It’s important to pick the games strategically, he said.
“You’ll get a lot more exposure playing Vanderbilt on a Thursday than you would on a Saturday,” Hyman said.
ESPN is contracted to do several Thursday games per year with the SEC, which then gauges who is interested. Schools like Tennessee, Florida and Georgia have always passed, in part because they have on-campus stadiums and playing a game on a school and work day causes major headaches.
Since Williams-Brice Stadium is off campus, USC is in better position to host. And ESPN has been eager to showcase Spurrier.
When he was hired four years ago, Spurrier decided his program needed more exposure. So he had a conversation with ESPN executive Dave Brown, who said Thursday nights were a good start. Spurrier agreed.
“I said we’ll do some Thursday night games during the season if you’ll put us on to open college football,” Spurrier said. “It’s just good publicity, hopefully good for recruiting, good for everything. It helps to win those games of course. But we get to show a full house here at Williams-Brice.”
The short week does have its drawbacks, especially with game-planning. That’s why USC has the ideal setup by also playing the next Thursday, so there are no missed practices.
Players on visiting teams also have to miss a day or two of class, though Spurrier said his players haven’t had to miss classes because of home Thursday games.
The USC players say the national attention amps them up.
“I really think it does,” USC linebacker Jasper Brinkley said. “We kick off college football. You want to go out there and put on a good show for everyone in the country.”
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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