TheCatsDomain.Com Message Boards: UK cool with Thursday night game

This is topic UK cool with Thursday night game in forum UK / NCAA Football at TheCatsDomain.Com Message Boards.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://www.thecatsdomain.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=010435

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 10-08-2015, 10:12 AM:

When the Southeastern Conference contacted Kentucky a few years ago about hosting a Thursday night football game — something UK has never done at Commonwealth Stadium — athletics director Mitch Barnhart said he knew it was something that likely needed to be done.

Not only is UK obligated to do so with the new TV contract, but other schools have gone Thursday games and showcased their program and university.

"You want to participate, help the conference when you can. The conference came to us a couple years back and said, as you’re mapping out your schedule – and we map our schedules several years in advance – we had gotten to a spot where we needed to have a Thursday night game for the conference," Barnhart said. "Commissioner Slive at the time came and asked me if we would be willing to take it on and look at it.

"I went to Dr. Capilouto and I asked his permission to have a conversation about it. He had seen it first-hand on several occasions living in Alabama for all those years and seen how effective it could be in showcasing your university. I was appreciative of him saying, ‘Yeah, let’s give it a go.’ Then it fit our schedule, so we were able to strategically put in our schedule, find the bye week."

Link