Tradition’s just another word in today’s ACC:
… Counting last week’s decision to move the Wake Forest at Baylor game from Saturday, Aug. 30, to Aug. 28, four ACC teams will open the 2008 season on Thursday.
That’s one-fourth of the league’s season-opening schedule. Florida State isn’t scheduled to play its first game — against Western Carolina — until Sept. 6, meaning only seven ACC teams will play on the first Saturday of the season.
The growing abandonment of Saturday, especially for season-opening games, can’t be smart for college teams.
The Saturday game is more than a hallmark of college football. It’s a institutional birthright that the powerful NFL generally has honored over the years, just as college teams basically have left Friday to the high schools. Game days are a delicate equation across the football spectrum, and though it’s unlikely that the NFL would attempt a widespread infringement on early-season Saturday games, college leaders need to be careful about willingly surrendering their turf.
It’s all about the fans, of course – the ones that show up and the ones with the remote controls.
“Saturday games should always be the preferred option for colleges, but there are television contracts that have to be fulfilled, too,” N.C. State athletic director Lee Fowler said. “We’re fortunate in that our fans are very loyal and have responded favorably to the Thursday games we have played.”
Get The Picture 
I think you have to consider a few things with this issue. On any given weekend you have 15 or so NFL games, 40+ NCAA games (not including lower divisions), and a myriad of high school games (very few of which are on TV). The NCAA is in the predicament that they have more games than the NFL, so they have more to put on TV. So I can understanding trying to increase viewing opportunities.
However, I agree with what was written above about that natural progression that has long been the standard- Friday = High School, Saturday = College, Sunday = NFL. I think what the viewers want is not more games, but better quality of games with better broadcasting. We don’t need to see Michigan State vs. Akron at noon on Saturday with 3 clowns that stumble through broadcast. Nor do we need to watch NCSt or Pitt play La Tech on Thursday night. Give us good games, with good crews and if you want to do 1 solid game on Thursday as a primer that is fine.
Of course, this argument falls on deaf ears, because the NCAA and ESPN can’t hear us because of all the money stuffed in their ears. And that is what it is all about, making money.
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The ACC continues to decline. Eventually they will be fighting the WAC for respect.
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