@Josh Henschke et al., do you play requests? Would it be possible to put in an interview request to the Big Ten offices and get an interview/definitive answer on how night games are determined in the Big Ten? Honestly, there's been years of speculation, but as far as I've seen we've never had the process clearly defined. Every time a night game, night game in November, late season televised game discussion pops up, there's conjecture. There's some loose leaf thoughts and quasi-fact-based hearsay. There should be a definitive answer, no?
The closest thing I've found is this 2019 cleveland.com article. It does an ok job in parts, but leaves other areas wide open.
Point 1 - Each school's Athletic Director determined their school's "tolerance" level for night games.
This is interesting information, and clarifies a bunch. It means that each B1G school determined their cap for how many CONFERENCE night games they wanted to play. It appears that the tolerance level for each school is not open information. As discussed later in Point 4 the "tolerances" only apply to B1G games.
But the article does not detail: if this is a 'hard' rule? If a school has a tolerance of 3, can they choose to go over it if given the option? Can the league force a school over their tolerance level?
Point 2 - Tolerances are in the TV contract.
Point 3 - The "new" TV contract required more night games.
Point 4 - Tolerances only apply to conference games.
Point 5 - The networks get more night games than the B1G Network
Point 6 - At the time of the article Ohio State and Nebraska played the most night games
Point 7 - Talks ambiguously about road night games but stops short of determining the process.
Who determines a night game? One could assume it's the home team, but is it a joint decision? Or is it the conference on some level (see point 11)? Does the road school have "veto" power? Do they only have veto power if their tolerance has been reached?
Additionally, is "Road Games in November" a thing? This article doesn't mention it at all, but we've all heard it discussed for years. Maybe it used to be a 'thing' now it isn't? Maybe it still is? It is speculated that it has to do with climate conditions in wintery months for these bad-weather schools and night travel. But this article doesn't mention it at all. Are there different night game rules for November? Does the road team have veto power? If so is it the AD or the Coach or each school determines it on their own?
Point 8 - 'Lesser' teams benefit from Ohio State. LOL
Point 9 - Ohio State is a benevolent overlord.
Point 10 - Gene Smith would have an issue with four road night games in one season.
Point 11 - "Fairness" somehow factors into the equation.
This is where the water gets a little more muddy. The example that is outlined in the article refers to the idea that OSU AD Gene Smith would have been angry had OSU been asked to play 4 ROAD night games in one season. That said their tolerance level is 5 and 4 ROAD games (and even 5 ROAD games) meets their contractual obligation. But the conference was sensitive to OSU's reluctance and therefore did not press the issue or force them into a game at Iowa at night, in lieu of Minnesota at unranked Michigan primetime on Fox.
What's not mentioned is a reask of my questions up in point 7... who asked for the night game? Was it Fox? Was it Iowa? Was it the Big Ten? Who vetoed it? Ohio State? The Big Ten? It may all be a hypothetical based on how the quotes are. But the Point 7 questions remain... who determines a night game?
Point 12 - The Big Ten plays more primetime games
Point 13 - Crocodile tears
Point 14 - Crocodile tears
In all it's a weird mixture of a medium informative article, and really the only one I can find of it's kind, and a super weird homer Ohio article.
Anywho the point remains, and I'd love for you guys to have the definitive article on what and how these are determined. So that every year when someone says, "Well I thought Penn State couldnt make it a night game because November" we can just link to the article.
The closest thing I've found is this 2019 cleveland.com article. It does an ok job in parts, but leaves other areas wide open.
Point 1 - Each school's Athletic Director determined their school's "tolerance" level for night games.
This is interesting information, and clarifies a bunch. It means that each B1G school determined their cap for how many CONFERENCE night games they wanted to play. It appears that the tolerance level for each school is not open information. As discussed later in Point 4 the "tolerances" only apply to B1G games.
But the article does not detail: if this is a 'hard' rule? If a school has a tolerance of 3, can they choose to go over it if given the option? Can the league force a school over their tolerance level?
Point 2 - Tolerances are in the TV contract.
Point 3 - The "new" TV contract required more night games.
Point 4 - Tolerances only apply to conference games.
Point 5 - The networks get more night games than the B1G Network
Point 6 - At the time of the article Ohio State and Nebraska played the most night games
Point 7 - Talks ambiguously about road night games but stops short of determining the process.
Who determines a night game? One could assume it's the home team, but is it a joint decision? Or is it the conference on some level (see point 11)? Does the road school have "veto" power? Do they only have veto power if their tolerance has been reached?
Additionally, is "Road Games in November" a thing? This article doesn't mention it at all, but we've all heard it discussed for years. Maybe it used to be a 'thing' now it isn't? Maybe it still is? It is speculated that it has to do with climate conditions in wintery months for these bad-weather schools and night travel. But this article doesn't mention it at all. Are there different night game rules for November? Does the road team have veto power? If so is it the AD or the Coach or each school determines it on their own?
Point 8 - 'Lesser' teams benefit from Ohio State. LOL
Point 9 - Ohio State is a benevolent overlord.
Point 10 - Gene Smith would have an issue with four road night games in one season.
Point 11 - "Fairness" somehow factors into the equation.
This is where the water gets a little more muddy. The example that is outlined in the article refers to the idea that OSU AD Gene Smith would have been angry had OSU been asked to play 4 ROAD night games in one season. That said their tolerance level is 5 and 4 ROAD games (and even 5 ROAD games) meets their contractual obligation. But the conference was sensitive to OSU's reluctance and therefore did not press the issue or force them into a game at Iowa at night, in lieu of Minnesota at unranked Michigan primetime on Fox.
What's not mentioned is a reask of my questions up in point 7... who asked for the night game? Was it Fox? Was it Iowa? Was it the Big Ten? Who vetoed it? Ohio State? The Big Ten? It may all be a hypothetical based on how the quotes are. But the Point 7 questions remain... who determines a night game?
Point 12 - The Big Ten plays more primetime games
Point 13 - Crocodile tears
Point 14 - Crocodile tears
In all it's a weird mixture of a medium informative article, and really the only one I can find of it's kind, and a super weird homer Ohio article.
Anywho the point remains, and I'd love for you guys to have the definitive article on what and how these are determined. So that every year when someone says, "Well I thought Penn State couldnt make it a night game because November" we can just link to the article.
