RichRod's Right: Rein In Made-for-TV's Night Game Skeds

Last weekend wasn't one that charter flight operators will recall with pride.

The Oklahoma Sooners were stuck for eight hours and went through four planes before they managed to journey from Norman to Manhattan, Kansas.

As well, the Idaho Vandals had issues with their plane that figured prominently in a 14-hour trip to Troy, Alabama. They hit town at 3:30am on game day and, like the Sooners, managed to put aside the hassle and post a victory.

Of course, it could've been worse.

 

Stuff happens, especially for frequent fliers, like most FBS teams.

And it's not just about breakdowns, as Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez can attest:

Dude's got a point.

The Pac-12 obviously wants to put all of its games into TV slots that don't conflict with one another. Because of the desert heat, Arizona and Arizona State often schedule night home games. Maybe that's a reason why it seems the Wildcats, especially, get singled out for the late night kickoffs.

But when they have to travel to Seattle on Sat 31 Oct for an 8:00pm start, fly back to Tucson after the game, and then get set to hit the road for USC the next weekend, that's a bit much.

No wonder Rodriguez's name will be in the mix for the South Carolina job and/or others than may pop up where the travel is more bus-based. Ask TCU about what an advantage that can be; the Horned Frogs won't leave the Lone Star State for the remainder of the regular season.

Right about now, in mid-season with the banged-up rosters endemic to the game, that prospect would sound good to virtually any West Coast coach.