fsfaculty: Thursday Night Football?

["Delores Hudson" <dhudson@Senate.msstate.edu>]

AUTHORIZED BY: Dr. Walter J. Diehl
                               President, Robert Holland Faculty Senate
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Faculty Colleagues:

ESPN and the SEC have requested that Mississippi State University reschedule its football game with the University of Alabama from Saturday, Nov. 8, to Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003.  The Thanksgiving evening game with Ole Miss is unaffected, and no other Thursday night games are being considered.

In light of the information below, I am soliciting input from the faculty regarding the advisability of holding a Thursday night game this fall.  Please let me know your opinion by 2:00pm on Thursday, July 3; reply to Delores Hudson (dhudson@senate.msstate.edu).  Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions. (wdiehl@biology.msstate.edu, 5-7576). 

The following items are under consideration/negotiation in case the game is moved.
1) The university is contemplating closing at 12:00noon or 3:00pm (not yet decided), after which no classes will be held.  If announced this summer this will provide faculty enough time to re-structure classes to the extent possible.
2) ESPN will provide a minimum of 60sec and potentially a maximum of 90sec of advertising time for MSU during the game (compared to 30sec normally allocated).
3) The Athletic Department will transfer $100K to the Division of Academic Affairs from the $150K that ESPN must pay MSU for the inconvenience of moving its game.
4) ESPN will provide coverage for an additional football game in the Fall 2003 and potentially additional coverage in the Fall 2004 beyond that already scheduled.    

Nota Bene: Fees from special event parking (e.g. football games) go to the university not the Athletic Department.


__________ I can accept moving the Alabama game to Thursday night.


__________ I cannot accept moving the Alabama game to Thursday night for the following reasons.




Thank you for your input.

Walter Diehl
President, Robert Holland Faculty Senate