09-02-2014, 03:20 PM
OK, I'm going to say this because it's SC week, and this has been bothering me since the schedule was released. Stanford and kal are the only teams to have their rivalry game moved. Last year, Stanford played SC on their homecoming weekend with a stadium full of students and alumni. This year, Stanford plays SC in a stadium that may well have more SC fans than Stanford fans, two weeks before the students arrive. In fact, half of the home schedule will be played before students arrive.
ESPN blogger Ted Miller has attributed the weird scheduling to the California schools' insistence on playing one another, and on Stanford's scheduling of Notre Dame, who insists on being the last game of the year. However, if this were the case, wouldn't SC's schedule be similarly affected?
I can't understand this. The only rationale that makes sense to me is that the Pac-12 -- or mroe likely the TV contracts for the Pac-12 -- have put their thumb on the scale, trying to weigh the advantage to the schools that have a bigger fan base.
Does anyone have another explanation? Please provide it.
ESPN blogger Ted Miller has attributed the weird scheduling to the California schools' insistence on playing one another, and on Stanford's scheduling of Notre Dame, who insists on being the last game of the year. However, if this were the case, wouldn't SC's schedule be similarly affected?
I can't understand this. The only rationale that makes sense to me is that the Pac-12 -- or mroe likely the TV contracts for the Pac-12 -- have put their thumb on the scale, trying to weigh the advantage to the schools that have a bigger fan base.
Does anyone have another explanation? Please provide it.