With the 2003 college football season in full swing, excitement for gridiron action is high not only in Thibodaux, but across football universities in America.
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 either eating at a tailgate party or cheering their team on to victory at football stadiums.
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 is a good time to play a football game? Since the last time I saw the 2003 Colonels football schedule, two out of five home games were scheduled for Thursdays. Besides the Bethel College game, the Colonels are scheduled to play Texas State in Guidry Stadium in the other Thursday night game this season.
Since setting football game times is usually tough and a big hassle, I have no disrespect for Nicholls athletic director Rob Bernardi or head football coach Daryl Daye for scheduling Thursday games. They do a great job scheduling football games, and sometimes they have no choice but to schedule Thursday night games for the best interest of the football team.
But for college students in particular, there are many reasons why Thursday 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 a class. This is especially true for Nicholls professors because they like to take attendance every class period.
The biggest reason in particular for college students is the parties after the game. When the Colonels blew away Bethel 70-0 last Thursday, many students and football players wanted to celebrate the victory by hanging out with their friends at Thibodaux clubs like The Last Call or The Library.
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 start until after midnight anyway. Talk about 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.
The biggest difference 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.
Last Thursday during Welcome Back Day, I talked to many students who could not attend the football game due to other commitments. I heard many excuses ranging from having to work that night to getting some sleep after a hectic day at school.
Instead of just having a two or three-hour tailgate party like most Nicholls students did last Thursday, they should be able to spend the entire day indulging in food, drink and football games on Saturdays in peace. Isn’t that what the college football atmosphere is meant for in the first place?