The 2015 Virginia Tech football schedule was released this morning, and for the second time in three years the Hokies won't host a Thursday night game.
Virginia Tech athletics director Whit Babcock offered a succinct explanation as to why.
"The ACC and ESPN are aware of our desire to continue to play a Thursday night game in Lane Stadium annually, if possible," Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said in a statement today. "The Thursday night options available to the ACC, in reality, were only weeks 5, 8, and 12, but with our slate of opponents for those weeks (Pitt, Duke, and North Carolina, respectively), at least one of the teams in each game would have had extra rest, which is not allowed by ACC scheduling parameters. We want to have the best opportunity to win and, in the case of week 5, it was important to us that we host a Saturday game on full rest following two consecutive road non-conference games. I am hopeful, though, that we will return to the Thursday night game rotation in 2016."
Again this season Virginia Tech will play a game under the Friday night lights typically reserved for high school showdowns. Babcock explained the ACC's obligation to ESPN to play Friday night football games.
"The ACC television contract with ESPN calls forfive Friday night games per season," Babcock said in a release. "Typically, if we are assigned by the ACC and ESPN to take a Friday night home game, we would prefer to play that on a holiday weekend, such as Thanksgiving, like we did last year against UVa, so as to not conflict with high school football and to make it a bit easier on our fans travel-wise. This year, however, both Virginia Tech and UVa received regular-season, non-holiday Friday night home games as part of the rotation.
"I'm confident, but not certain, we will rotate out of that cycle next year, perhaps for the next two. We will enjoy the night game opportunity this year versus NC State and the national broadcast spotlight for the Hokies on Oct. 9 and hopefully our fans can now plan well ahead to be there. Our desire ideally is to play our home games on Saturdays and a Thursday night, if possible, moving forward. We also value greatly our partnership with ESPN and the tremendous exposure they provide.We understand the complexities of scheduling. In general, I am pleased with our conference schedule in 2015."
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