"Don't Make Any Other Plans Saturday"

[Moontan]

The Wall Street Journal has an article with this title on page D6 of its September 15 edition.

The article discusses the growing duration of college football games. So far this year, college games average 3:26, 20 minutes longer than in 2006. Meanwhile, NFL games have stuck around 3:08.

Some points of interest:

1. faster offenses lead to longer games (first down stops the clock, TDs lead to commercials). "the more exciting a team is, the more excruciating its games are"
2. Last season, Bowling Green's non-overtime games were the longest, at 3:34
3. Mentions Babers and that Syracuse would make this year's list of longest average game times. "His very first Atlantic Coast Conference game last week took 3:55 - longer than any Syracuse game in the previous three seasons."

Point three is interesting, as it wasn't SU's successful offense that led to the long game time. Blame 'ville for that... both for scoring and for "cramping".

 

[Cusefan95]

The game length is an issue that the NCAA needs to be working on. games should roughly 3 hours, not 4.

 

[two3zone]

To be honest, as long as the game was against Louisville I still watched until the clock hit 00:00. Can't say I've said the same even with the shorter games we played when we were playing HARDNOSED! football.

 

[TheCusian]

More football!

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Stop stopping the clock.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

If there is action, why would game length be an issue? I never understood that. It seems silly for people to wait all week to see their team play (with only 6-7 home games an entire year) and then complain that the game lasts too long. If you like football then you should want it to never end.

 

[cpatrocks]

It's longer because of all the Fake Injuries.

 

[GoCuse14]

Time to squeeze one more beer in before the half. Or two...depends on how you gets down.

 

[Cusefan95]

If there is action, why would game length be an issue? I never understood that. It seems silly for people to wait all week to see their team play (with only 6-7 home games an entire year) and then complain that the game lasts too long. If you like football then you should want it to never end.

I'm going to guess you've never taken kids to a game (or you've drugged them with strong sedatives beforehand). Game length is going to keep some families away; rather than fighting for the last hour with kids that are passed their limit, people will either watch on TV or check out highlights.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

The biggest problem is TV. The commercial breaks are longer than they used to be. When games are on ESPN3 they go faster because of shorter TV breaks. Make change of possession be be 1:30 mins standard. The TV can squeeze in a commercial or two. If the rest of the world can figure out how to make money for soccer matches and zero TV breaks, surely they can figure out how to make money with 1:30 breaks. Oh and then we never have to see the hated TV official in red holding things up ever again.

 

[Bayside44]

I remember that lousy RU game under Marrone when the swoon started in 2011...it was after 4:30 when all was said and done.

The pace of play in the Giants-Pokes game was so much better than the SU one. After 3 hours gets miserable for anything, and esp if you're at a game with kids, family, etc.

 

[sufandu]

I saw somebody suggest during the game that a player that leaves the game should have to sit out the remainder of the series. That makes sense to me. It'll reduce fake injuries and, if a guy really is injured, it's in his best interest.

 

[Chip]

I think first down clock stoppages should just be in the last 4 minutes or so of each half.

Big problem on Friday in addition to the very serious cramping issue that only one team on one side of the ball faced, was incomplete passes. There were 45 of them on Friday. Auto clock stoppers.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I'm going to guess you've never taken kids to a game (or you've drugged them with strong sedatives beforehand). Game length is going to keep some families away; rather than fighting for the last hour with kids that are passed their limit, people will either watch on TV or check out highlights.

What % of the crowd has kid sunder 13? Less than 10%? So the other 90% should cater to the 10%? Teenage kids should be able to make it 4 hours, especially if they have their phone. If they cannot then you have bigger problems than a 4 hour game.

 

[Bayside44]

What % of the crowd has kid sunder 13? Less than 10%? So the other 90% should cater to the 10%? Teenage kids should be able to make it 4 hours, especially if they have their phone. If they cannot then you have bigger problems than a 4 hour game.

Forget teenage kids, adults at 4 hours on an iron bench, or for that matter a nice couch. Some point it all gets to be too long.

 

[upperdeck]

if the pass was causing us to win 60-52 i dont think time will matter.. 3 and outs drag no matter how fast or slow they happen.. 3 plays and a score takes the same amount of time but you feel so much better.

 

[upperdeck]

my kid thinks su should have a section that is all recliners and every season ticket holder gets to use it one game a year..

 

[texascpa]

too many reviews.

 

[Briancuse]

The game length is an issue that the NCAA needs to be working on. games should roughly 3 hours, not 4.

Some of these games go on forever, I love football more than anyone, but sometimes by Adhd kicks in, 4:30 for a game is just too much.

 

[Cheriehoop]

What % of the crowd has kid sunder 13? Less than 10%? So the other 90% should cater to the 10%? Teenage kids should be able to make it 4 hours, especially if they have their phone. If they cannot then you have bigger problems than a 4 hour game.

No one minds watching football but the actual football action is only 60 minutes that is taking 3.5 to 4 hours to play. Except for half-time, it is wasted time unless one enjoys sitting on their duff bored waiting for the football game you came to watch.

 

[OrangeDW]

I remember that lousy RU game under Marrone when the swoon started in 2011...it was after 4:30 when all was said and done.

The pace of play in the Giants-Pokes game was so much better than the SU one. After 3 hours gets miserable for anything, and esp if you're at a game with kids, family, etc.

Yeah, that Giants game was moving, especially early on. Dallas was dinking and dunking their way down the field...completing most of their passes and having marathon possessions. Halftime came quickly. Not many possession changes so less chances to go to commercials, and not many incompletions to stop the clock.

 

[Briancuse]

Yeah, that Giants game was moving, especially early on. Dallas was dinking and dunking their way down the field...completing most of their passes and having marathon possessions. Halftime came quickly. Not many possession changes so less chances to go to commercials, and not many incompletions to stop the clock.

Dak was very conservative on Sunday, usually going to his checkdown more often than not. I would have liked to see him throw it down the field a lot more.

 

[Sudano]

No one minds watching football but the actual football action is only 60 minutes that is taking 3.5 to 4 hours to play. Except for half-time, it is wasted time unless one enjoys sitting on their duff bored waiting for the football game you came to watch.

The actual action is much less than 60 minutes. A lot of that is walking back to the huddle, waiting for play calls, setting up the next play. Coaches have a play only video and it can be watched in about 30-45 minutes.

 

[longtimefan]

The actual action is much less than 60 minutes. A lot of that is walking back to the huddle, waiting for play calls, setting up the next play. Coaches have a play only video and it can be watched in about 30-45 minutes.

Or even less.

 

[longtimefan]

The biggest problem is TV. The commercial breaks are longer than they used to be. When games are on ESPN3 they go faster because of shorter TV breaks. Make change of possession be be 1:30 mins standard. The TV can squeeze in a commercial or two. If the rest of the world can figure out how to make money for soccer matches and zero TV breaks, surely they can figure out how to make money with 1:30 breaks. Oh and then we never have to see the hated TV official in red holding things up ever again.

If you want the jerseys to read "Etihad", or "Chevrolet" or "Emirates Air", etc. across the front instead of "Syracuse", you can afford fewer commercials.