FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS IN VIRGINIA
AFCA recommendations put aside for Cavs, Hokies frequently next season
Just days after the American Football Coaches Association advocated eliminating Friday night games from the schedule, the ACC released its 2019 slate, which includes a combined five Friday night games for Virginia and Virginia Tech.
In addition to the Friday night-heavy schedules, both U.Va. and Tech will open the season with Saturday, Aug. 31, road games against ACC foes — U.Va. at Pittsburgh and Tech at Boston College. U.Va.’s schedule features Friday night meetings Sept. 6 against William and Mary, Oct. 11 at Miami and Nov. 29 against Tech, while the Hokies also have a Friday night game Sept. 27 against Duke as part of a slate of seven contests in Lane Stadium.
“We are excited to once again have seven home games at Lane Stadium in 2019,” Tech coach Justin Fuente said in a statement released by the school’s athletic department. “Opening the season on the road at Boston College will be a challenge, but I know our squad will embrace the opportunity.”
U.Va. will be the first ACC team to play three Friday night games in a single season. U.Va. and Tech meeting on Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — has become a frequent occurrence, as the rivals will play on Black Friday next season for the fourth time in six seasons.
Last season, U.Va. played both Tech and
Pitt on Friday night, losing at Tech and Nov. 2 at home against Pitt. U.Va. also played two Friday night games in 2017 — winning at Boise State in September and losing at home in November to Tech.
In addition to the ACC road opener and the Friday night games, U.Va. plays Sept. 21 against Old Dominion, Sept. 28 at Notre Dame, Oct. 19 against Duke, Oct. 26 at Louisville, Nov. 2 at North Carolina, Nov. 9 against Georgia Tech and Nov. 23 against Liberty.
Virginia Tech also has games scheduled Sept. 7 against ODU, Sept. 14 against Furman, Oct. 5 at Miami, Oct. 12 against Rhode Island, Oct. 19 against UNC, Nov. 2 at Notre Dame, Nov. 9 against Wake Forest, Nov. 16 at Georgia Tech and Nov. 23 against Pitt.
In December, Virginia Tech canceled games at East Carolina scheduled for next season and the 2023 and ’25 seasons. With very little time to find a replacement on next season’s schedule for ECU, and no Football Bowl Subdivision programs available, Virginia Tech scheduled Rhode Island, a Football Championship Subdivision team.
It’ll be the first time since 1986 the Hokies will play two FCS programs in a single season.
AFCA executive director Todd Berry said Jan. 9 his organization would like to see Friday night games eliminated from future schedules in order to “protect (the college) scholastic model” and “find ways to empower our high school coaches in the recruiting process.” U.Va.’s Bronco Mendenhall and ODU’s Bobby Wilder were two of the 44 FBS coaches in attendance at the AFCA meeting in San Antonio where Friday night games were discussed.
“Our college coaches would like to avoid playing college football games on Friday night,” Berry said in a statement released by the AFCA. “Friday nights should be a sanctuary for our high school football programs and they should be free of college distractions . ... We continually ask others who are scheduling these college football games on Friday night to be concerned about it.
“It’s not just high school football that is hurt, but it’s the band, the concessions and everyone associated with that high school program who benefits from the finances of those high school games. It seems very strange to invade the territory of the hand that is feeding college football, because that is where college programs get their student-athletes from.”