Night football historically has been a rarity in the Big Ten after the first Saturday in November. The conference’s billion-dollar-a-year television package will make it a regular thing beginning next week when Michigan State visits Ohio State for a 7:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff. The rationale for the general prohibition was that the conference’s traditional footprint in the upper Midwest made November night games a hardship for teams and fans because of potentially inclement weather. Dollar signs have trumped any pushback that might have come from schools’ athletic administrations about ending the longstanding tradition. Coaches generally said they have no preference about kickoff times and that their teams are tough enough to play through harsh weather conditions. Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell and Nebraska’s Matt Rhule said night games at any point in the season can create raucous atmospheres that help the home team.
