The answer is because the New England Revolution play at home on Saturday night at 7, but more on that later.
Actually, you could live in plain sight and live and breathe sports like I do and still probably have very little idea the game is happening.
But it is, and the noon start time is curious to say the least.
First things first, it's about 90-minute drive from Amherst to Foxboro. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around college kids chomping at the bit to get up around 9-9:30 on a Saturday morning for a drive like that, but that's just (somewhat recent) experience talking. Chestnut Hill is much closer, but it's not like you can step out of your dorm, brace yourself for the sunlight, and walk down to the stadium, either.
The majority of high school games in Massachusetts are played on Friday nights at this point, but there's a sizable portion that remain played on Saturday during the day. You're the only shows in town when it comes to I-A/FBS football in the Bay State; shouldn't you try to make an effort to let as many prospective players attend the game as possible?
UMass isn't one of BC's chief rivals, but aside from Notre Dame, do they even have a secondary rival at this point? The U maybe, because of one play over 30 years ago? And while UConn would be an extremely logical fit as the Minutemen's largest nemesis, it seems as though the administrations of said schools legitimately hate one another. So much for that.
BC-UMass will never in a kajillion-zillion years be anything resembling an Auburn-Alabama type of rivalry, but that doesn't mean a facade can't be put on to have it resemble one. It does have a wikipedia page, after all.
But do you think the Iron Bowl would ever start at noon? I get the Eagles and Minutemen play in different conferences (well, at least BC plays in a conference), but there's plenty of marquee in-state/non-con rivalry games that still find their way onto the schedule every year and don't get relegated to noon start times. Think Florida-Florida State.
In 2014, BC and UMass played at 3 p.m. at Gillette, but in the final week of August before school had started up again. Still not an ideal start time, but better than 12.
But do you think the Iron Bowl would ever start at noon? I get the Eagles and Minutemen play in different conferences (well, at least BC plays in a conference), but there's plenty of marquee in-state/non-con rivalry games that still find their way onto the schedule every year and don't get relegated to noon start times. Think Florida-Florida State.
In 2014, BC and UMass played at 3 p.m. at Gillette, but in the final week of August before school had started up again. Still not an ideal start time, but better than 12.
If you're not trekking over to Patriot Place for this one but planning on watching on TV, the game is on NESN, which is great. NESN or Comcast New England, same difference. Makes perfect sense.
However, it was originally slated for NESN-plus, which isn't so great. Fortunately, the Red Sox find themselves in a pennant race, and their game vs. Toronto -- originally slated for NESN -- got moved to a national broadcast. Crisis averted.
But there's still the fact that the Revs got dibs on the prime time slot over this game. I'm assuming that since they're a Kraft property, they get first choice on time slots in Foxboro after the Patriots. Call me a skeptic but I can't see a college football game down south being moved for a soccer game.
Not to turn this into a football vs. soccer argument, but it's going to be very interesting to see which crowd is larger on Saturday. The primetime slot is more appealing, no doubt, and if it were the football game at 6 or 7 or 8 I don't think I'd even feel the need to bring any of this up.
UMass is currently a football vagabond, and while they played pretty darn well in Florida last week, I don't think that moves the needle much for the sake of interest. Beat BC? While neither Matt Ryan nor Doug Flutie or even Brian St. Pierre (do I hear Quinton Porter or Paul Peterson?) are walking through that door, a win over BC would be monumental for the Minutemen.
Monumental to the point mainstream media may start paying attention to UMass football? Harder to say, because this whole being an Independent thing isn't the best way to cultivate rivalries.
You have to start somewhere though. And it's a shame that noontime on a Saturday, in a stadium an hour and a half from campus, isn't just the best option right now, it's the only option.
Oh and for BC...best not lose this one. If any American sport could stand to learn a thing or two from the Premier League, it's college football. Relegation much?
Monumental to the point mainstream media may start paying attention to UMass football? Harder to say, because this whole being an Independent thing isn't the best way to cultivate rivalries.
You have to start somewhere though. And it's a shame that noontime on a Saturday, in a stadium an hour and a half from campus, isn't just the best option right now, it's the only option.
Oh and for BC...best not lose this one. If any American sport could stand to learn a thing or two from the Premier League, it's college football. Relegation much?
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