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Kickoff times for three of the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ football games were announced this morning, including the Homecoming matchup with Illinois.
Almost time to fire up those grills! Start times announced for three 2019 home games! #Gophers // #SkiUMah // #RTB pic.twitter.com/F5bjPAiy0I
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) May 30, 2019
I can’t say I’m thrilled about an 8 p.m. kickoff for the Thursday night season opener against South Dakota State. The most optimistic perspective would be that it allows more time for people to get off work, go home, and get to the game, but an 8 p.m. kickoff also means accepting that you probably won’t be back home until after midnight on a weekday.
Not sure what the specific reasoning is, if a valid one exists beyond the whims of FS1, but I wouldn’t be surprised if attendance is sparse as a result, considering the fact that the Gophers already don’t have the luxury of a Power 5 opponent to draw a crowd.