Ad Disclosure
Pat Fitzgerald isn’t pleased with Northwestern’s Friday night game vs. Ohio State
Published:
Pat Fitzgerald isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He’s one of the few coaches that gives some pretty honest responses and feedback on a week-to-week basis.
So it’s not too surprising, then, when the Northwestern head coach was asked about his team’s Friday night matchup with Ohio State in 2019 that he responded with a very real answer. He isn’t too thrilled about it.
“This one was out of our control,” Fitzgerald told the Chicago Tribune. “Didn’t get a vote on this. I understand why we’re doing this, but it does not make me happy. I still fundamentally believe that Fridays are for high school football.”
An announcement that Ohio State and Northwestern would clash on Friday, Oct. 18 came Tuesday morning. Though it’s a rematch of the 2018 B1G Championship Game, it’ll be the first time the two programs have played in the regular season since 2016, and the first meeting in Evanston since 2013.
High school football wasn’t the only factor contributing to Fitzgerald’s frustration. He also acknowledged that Northwestern is in Chicago, a big-time city, making it tougher to get to Ryan Field after a work day.
“Unlike some of our B1G brothers, we’re in a big-time city,” Fitzgerald said. “I know our administration will work hand in hand with the city so we can make it as amicable to our neighbors as we can.”
Fitzgerald is one of a handful of B1G coaches who dislike the conference’s commitment to Friday night games. But it’s pretty clear that scheduling concept isn’t going away anytime soon.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB