When Life Gets In The Way    With the 2005 college football season just a couple of months away, fans are anxiously awaiting gridiron action not only in Fargo, North Dakota, but across America. I can see it now… the brats cooking on the grill, the fans lining up to enter the Fargodome, our Bison football taking care of business on the field and then the culmination of another long and anxiety filled workweek with a tailgate party to celebrate yet another triumph.     Usually around Monday or Tuesday each week in the fall, football fanatics across the country start planning what type of food, games and entertainment they will have at their tailgating parties. They plan on spending their entire day relaxing by eating and socializing at a tailgate party and then cheering their team on to victory at the football stadium. And for a majority of Americans, Saturday is known as a relaxation day. It is a day when kids are off from school and most offices are closed, making Saturday an ideal time for football games. So can someone tell me why Thursday nights are a good time to play a football game?     The 2005 Bison football schedule opens on a Thursday night, September 1st versus the University of Arkansas-Monticello. Besides playing the Bison on September 1st, the Boll Weevils are scheduled to play Henderson State on Thursday, August 27th. Bison opponents; Northwestern State, Southern Utah and Southern Illinois also are scheduled to play a Thursday night game. Since setting football game times is usually tough and a big hassle, I have no disrespect for Bison athletic director Gene Taylor or head football coach Craig Bohl for scheduling Thursday games. Sometimes they have no choice but to schedule a Thursday night game for the best interest of the football team. But I would argue that ‘the best interest of the football team’ should be the only reason to play on a Thursday night. Fan or student attendance is not a good valid reason. Consider, for instance, the Saturday before Labor Day. If fan and/or student attendance was a major problem, then why are there so many games schedule to be played on Saturday, September 3rd this year? Bison opponents; South Dakota State, Northern Colorado, UC Davis, Cal Poly, Nicholls State, Montana State and Weber State are all scheduled to play the Saturday before Labor Day. Plus, what about us Bison fans that live 200+ miles from Fargo? I’m not too thrilled about having to take a few hours of vacation on a Thursday afternoon to drive to the game. Better yet, arriving home in the a.m. and then getting up for work that same morning. The Student Fan     For college students in particular, there are many reasons why a Thursday, in general, is a bad day for a college football game. First, there are time issues. Since Thursday is usually a school night, most college students have class early Friday mornings. Sometimes these classes require tests or specific assignments due on Friday mornings, which forces students to spend Thursday nights cramming for tests. And trust me, most college instructors or professors do not accept attending a football game as an excuse for failing a test, turning an assignment in late or missing class. This is especially true of some NDSU professors because they like to take attendance every class period.     And what about the victory party after the game? Yes, I know…. college is supposed to be all about academics and preparation for a career (a general disclaimer for the folks who didn’t get the full college “experience”). Put simply, college is more than about reading, writing, and arithmetic. College is typically a place for students to develop social skills and form valuable life-long friendship bonds. Ya know, relax and have a good time. But how can anyone really relax and celebrate at a party after the game when they have to get up at 6 a.m. the next morning for school? Most post-game victory parties do not usually get cranked up until after midnight anyway. Got to be a downer!     Another reason Thursday is a bad night for college football is because most students love to tailgate. After attending many collegiate and professional tailgates in my lifetime, I can tell you there is a big difference from Thursday and Saturday tailgating parties. Instead of just having a one or two-hour tailgate party before and after a Thursday night game, students should be able to spend the entire day indulging in food, drink and football games on Saturday in peace.     The biggest difference between Thursday night and Saturday games is the atmosphere. Most students are tired and drawn out from school on Thursdays. Saturdays are more pumped up because commitments like work and school do not usually interfere with tailgate parties on Saturdays. It’s just too easy to make an excuse not to attend a Thursday game, like having to work that night to getting some sleep after a hectic day at school. The Working Fan     Basically, the Thursday game is a relative pain in the backside for folks two-three hours or more from Fargo. Either you take some vacation from work or just decide to catch the game on the radio. And what about tailgating? It is virtually non-existent; maybe not for the hardcore Bison fan, but definitely for the so-called “fringe” fan. Is this “fringe” fan important? You’re darn right…. The money this “fringe” fan spends for tickets, parking, novelties, etc… increases revenue above and beyond NDSU athletic department expectations. A lot of these “fringe” fans sit on their hands during the game, but are vital to the financial success of the Bison football program or better yet a winning program.     How convenient, generally speaking, is the Thursday night game for Bison fans? A simple question for some, but given the right conditions this question can morph into a multi-headed monster considering today’s fast-paced lifestyle and work schedules. Did I have a good or bad day at work today? Do I have a meeting tonight? Did I sleep good last night? Do I have parental responsibilities tonight? What time will I get home after the game? What time will I have to leave to catch the kick-off? How many hours of vacation do I have to take? Will the boss be upset if I leave early this Thursday? Will the wife be upset if I go to the game on a weeknight? Just a few of many everyday questions whose answers can cause inconvenience. Now you may argue that these are “truly” everyday questions and if you plan ahead all fans should and can have an ample opportunity to attend the game. Sure, but not the “fringe” fans…. these people generally decide just a few hours before kickoff to attend a Bison game or not attend a Bison game. My Synopsis     An argument can be and will be made that student fan support is more important than “fringe” fan support. As for a charged-up atmosphere in the Fargodome…. the student fan support wins hands down. But as for filling the coffers of the Bison athletic department, the “fringe” fan support wins hands down (remember that you as a college student had NO money)…. So pick your poison. I can come up with a virtually unlimited number of lame arguments for or against Thursday college football games, but personally there’s nothing better in the world than making a day out of talking Bison football, eating brats and various other lard products, throwing the pigskin around with the kids, and catching some rays in the west parking lot, knowing I have another full day of life tomorrow before the beginning of another workweek. Thursdays allow too much life to get in the way of what is important in life…. Bison football.