Earlier this year the it was announced that the Western Michigan University vs. Central Michigan University game would be aired on ESPN2, but the catch was that the game was moved to Tuesday, November 7, 2007 instead of the normal friday/saturday weekend. Most of the time students are excited to hear that their school will air on national television, but for the past several months there has been constant backlash against the date change, and I expect it to heat up with the fall semester arriving soon. I find the argument flawed in many ways:

Tradition

The Tradition of Western versus Central is not in the timing of the game, but in the match itself. The day of the week bears no significance, especially when in 2006 it was held on a Friday; while in 2005 it was held on a Saturday. It’s also hard to talk about the tradition being a weekend when the contest is only in football at the time, and only occurs on one day. Drinking yourself stupid for 48 consecutive hours is not a tradition that either school endorses.

Alumni

While I agree that it will be difficult to impossible for some alumni to attend the weekday game, they will have the benefit to watch the rivalry over Television. While it is not the same, alumni from colleges across the country are accustomed to watching their school on ESPN. This isnt comcast local we’re talking about, this will be available nationally to anyone who recieves ESPN2.

ESPN2 not available on Campus

The deal with ESPN2 is not to allow students to sit on their ass in their dorm room to watch the game. It is an opportunity for those others across the country to watch a deep-rooted rivalry between two power teams out of the Mid American Conference. Infact, all WMU students get into athletic events for free with their student ID card, therefore there is no reason for you to complain that you cannot watch ESPN2.

Weekday Schedules

While we all have class, work, and other activities that occupy our time, it’s not impossible to arrange it so you can go to the game. While I have not heard anything official, it is hard for me to believe that the University would operate simultaneous to the Central-Western game. The flood of visiting students combined with other spectators will overwhelm the campus, and in my opinion will disrupt normal operations anyways. No student organization will hold their meeting at the same time as this game. If you have to work during the game, then that sucks. But hey, you picked the job, and the world doesn’t schedule itself around you.

Community

While I can agree that the Kalamazoo community may loose out on potential revenue by the move, there is potential for greater gaines in the future if more attention is brought on WMU. Bill Cubit has done an excellent job turning the program around and it is becoming hard to ignore a team who can go toe to toe with the more known schools. With our increased presence, larger schools may be more inclined to play WMU in Kalamazoo, much like the agreement between WMU and Big 10 Indiana for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Revenue

While decisions are made like with some emphasis on money, most individuals do not possess an understanding of the fiscal amount that can be generated from an agreement like this. While I am in no position to go into specifics, I guarentee that the money earned from a venture with ESPN2 is worth it to Western. Be mindful that Western Michigan University has had financial problems for the past few years because of declining enrollment and cuts by the State of Michigan. This game serves as a method to smooth out operating budgets as well as promote a Division 1 university with potential for the right students.

Reality

The reality of the situation is that the game is the largest gathering of college students in Kalamazoo every two years, and alcohol flies off the shelf. It’s an excuse to drink for two days straight, and allows for you to go anywhere to find a party with little or no work involved. While partying is one of the unwritten highlights of this student community, the university is still name Western, not Wastern. They do not schedule events around your social life.

In closing, your desire for a party does not control the scheduling of football events. Also, please stop spamming my email server with your complaints over the game date.