Urban Meyer wants limit on night road games
Urban Meyer is the second prominent head football coach in a week to voice concerns about playing so many night games, especially on the road.
Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes are headed to Lincoln to face Nebraska at night this coming Saturday. That game will mark the third road game the Buckeyes have played at night this season. Meyer isn’t happy about that.
“I understand TV contracts are kind of ruling, but when you start talking about student-athletes, they shouldn’t have to play four night games on the road,” Meyer said Wednesday, via the Blade. “I talked to [director of athletics] Gene Smith about it and I’m going to bring it up to our commissioner, [Jim Delany]. We’ll find out if we really do care about getting home at four o’clock in the morning four times. You don’t do that.”
If Ohio State’s Nov. 4 game at Iowa is played in the evening, that would make it four night road games for the Buckeyes this season. Meyer really wants something to be done about that.
“In my opinion, very strong opinion, when I start thinking about players and what’s expected of them during the week, if you can’t recover, you don’t get those hours back,” Meyer said. “I’m talking about academically, I’m talking about just your body, and the student-athlete welfare. They should not play four night games on the road.”
Players are still expected to practice on Sunday despite arriving home at 4 or 5 a.m. after Saturday night games on the road. That’s tough for anyone to do.
The Buckeyes are a popular team, which is why TV networks want them playing in primetime. However, between his complaints and what Washington’s Chris Petersen said last week, some thought may be given to this matter.
