HBCU Sports
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • VIDEOS
  • AWARDS
    • Support the HBCU Sports Awards
    • Donor Wall
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
  • SHOP
No Result
View All Result
HBCU Sports
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • VIDEOS
  • AWARDS
    • Support the HBCU Sports Awards
    • Donor Wall
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
  • SHOP
No Result
View All Result
HBCU Sports
No Result
View All Result
Home Football

‘I don’t like Thursdays’: Deion Sanders is not a fan of HBCU Thursday night football games

Kendrick Marshall by Kendrick Marshall
October 4, 2021
0
Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders

Photo: Deion Sanders/Twitter

825
VIEWS

Playing football games outside of the Saturday spectrum has long been an attractive proposition for schools that historically are not afforded the opportunity to have national television audiences to themselves.

For years, non-Power 5 schools, including HBCUs, have been a fixture on Tuesday, Thursday, and even Friday nights.

But Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders does not believe Thursday games work in the best interest of schools and leagues which they represent.

“I don’t like Thursdays, man. I don’t like Thursdays,” Sanders said during the SWAC coaches media availability. You know why I don’t like Thursdays? I don’t like Thursdays for the fans.

“Who’s coming? I don’t like to see empty stadiums. That’s not putting our best foot forward. I know we want to be on television and I know we want (that) look, putting our best foot forward?”

Also read: SWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland puts ‘full-court press’ on ESPN to showcase more league games

The second-year head coach bristled that the game-day experience — tailgating and the communal aspect that makes the sport unique — is compromised during weekday time commitments.

“We like to tailgate. We like to get out there. We like to see the bands,” said Sanders. “We like to see the pageantry … we like to see all of that.

“That’s not going to happen on Thursday night. You know why? because our people have to work on Thursday and then they got to work on Friday. I don’t like Thursday night games for our people.”

The SWAC completed its three scheduled Thursday night games of the season, with last Thursday’s Arkansas-Pine Bluff-Prairie View game on ESPNU.

Jackson State is not scheduled to play a Thursday night game this season.

SWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland previously indicated that Thursday games “don’t work” for the league in conversations with ESPN regarding the possibility that some games could be televised elsewhere.

“The Thursday night games don’t really work for Southwestern Athletic Conference member institutions,” McClelland said. “We want to put our best games on television and, quite frankly, those best games are on Saturdays. Nobody’s gonna move one of their 40, 50, or 60 (thousand) attended games on a Thursday night.”

So what about Friday nights where fans might be more willing to attend without the constraints of work hanging over their heads?

“Friday night might be more conductive, but then you step in on the high schools,” said Sanders. “I mean, everybody got kids. Everybody got their babies they want to see. They want to see their kids and you’re trying to take from different markets.

“I like Saturdays, not Saturday nights. I like Saturdays, that’s what I like. I know we’re competing against other networks and other schools, but that’s why we need our own network for our people.”

Tags: Jackson State
Kendrick Marshall

Kendrick Marshall

Kendrick Marshall is an award-winning journalist and a graduate of Jackson State University.

Related Posts

Norfolk State’s new baseball coach has MLB experience, HBCU legacy on his side

by Chris Stevens
July 7, 2025
0
ML Morgan HBCU

M.L. Morgan won't have to look far for advice in his first official head baseball coach job. He can receive counsel from his father down the road at...

Read moreDetails

Mo Williams to be honored with Hall of Fame nod

by Chris Stevens
July 6, 2025
0
SWAC Tournament: What Mo Williams said about controversial basket interference call

Mo Williams is in the process of making his mark as an HBCU men's basketball coach, and now the Jackson native can add hall of famer to his...

Read moreDetails

FAMU lands 3-star FBS tight end from transfer portal ahead of fall camp

by HBCU Sports
July 5, 2025
0
FAMU lands 3-star FBS tight end from transfer portal ahead of fall camp

Florida A&M has landed a significant addition to its football program with the commitment of former Tulane tight end Guiseann Mirtil. The Winter Haven, Florida native announced his...

Read moreDetails

You can own a DeSean Jackson HBCU football jersey. Here’s how much it costs

by HBCU Sports
July 5, 2025
1
You can own a DeSean Jackson HBCU football jersey. Here’s how much it costs

With the much-anticipated "HBCU Battle of the Legends" gridiron game between Delaware State and Norfolk State, Hornets fans can wear jerseys that bear the number of the school's...

Read moreDetails

High-scoring HBCU basketball player transfers to fourth school

by Jarrett Hoffman
July 4, 2025
0
High-scoring HBCU basketball player transfers to fourth school

The Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) men's basketball team's offseason continues with another substantial addition from the HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC). Dillard guard Bentravin Phillips is heading to...

Read moreDetails
Next Post
Noah Bodden, Grambling

SWAC announces Week 5 football Players of the Week honors

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

RSS HBCU Sports Forums

  • Lighten the Mood XIV
  • The 23rd Thread about *rump
  • Conference realignment isn't over - PAC12 coming back
  • Tremaine Jackson wants Prairie View to not just be ‘elite SWAC school’
  • The Pickup on Amazon Prime
  • Wimbledon 2025
  • The Chi on Showtime (Thread 3)
  • Inside Nike's big bet on Michael Jordan 40 years ago
  • Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee V!!!! 😂
  • The Original Song and The Remake/Sample II

  • TERMS & CONDITIONS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COMMENT POLICY
  • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
 CONTACT US

© 2025 RASHAD MEDIA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PARTNER OF IONE DIGITAL / CASSIUS NETWORK

No Result
View All Result
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • VIDEOS
  • AWARDS
    • Support the HBCU Sports Awards
    • Donor Wall
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
  • SHOP

© 2025 RASHAD MEDIA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PARTNER OF IONE DIGITAL / CASSIUS NETWORK

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • VIDEOS
  • AWARDS
    • Support the HBCU Sports Awards
    • Donor Wall
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
  • SHOP

© 2025 RASHAD MEDIA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PARTNER OF IONE DIGITAL / CASSIUS NETWORK

X