By Zain Bando
Within the last several years, regular season neutral site games have become commonplace in college football. In some instances, it’s a great way to give the two teams exposure to a larger audience in a new location. But that’s exactly it – it’s rare and it should stay that way as such.
The 2023 schedule has multiple notable neutral sight games. As Thanksgiving weekend features a plethora of games with potential division title implications, NBC and the Big Ten are banking on a tilt between Michigan State and Penn State to steal football-hungry viewers on Black Friday from other leagues and networks.
Nonetheless, Michigan State, who traditionally has its Senior Day game at Spartan Stadium each year will have an adjustment. Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, will host the game, which takes away the experience of finishing a playing career in front of your home fans and home.
The Big Ten and NBC certainly thought this through during their network draft. However, given the rivalry aspect and the fact Penn State could play in Indianapolis the following week makes the game less impactful. The on-campus environment is just better for true fans and players.
Having to beat Michigan State in an NFL stadium as opposed to the Woodshed is a lot more appetizing for the Nittany Lions. Especially if the weather conditions play a factor like in 2021 and the excitement builds as Mother Nature does her thing. That’s when the game gets really interesting, almost larger-than-life, in a sense.
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It takes away from what the spirit of college football is all about. The environments can be better and more memorable than the games themselves. It also further differentiates CFB from the pros.
If this game is a dud, it might be time for the conference to consider whether or not Big Ten league games should be away from a team’s designated site.
Florida State-LSU is a neutral site game again
In Week 1, high stakes will boil over when Jordan Travis and Jayden Daniels duke it out in a high-stakes rematch with College Football Playoff implications on the line.
Unlike Michigan State and Penn State, Florida State and LSU have a nonconference tilt, so to take a shot at the neutral site angle being bad is a bit unfair.
The game takes place in Orlando, FL., giving FSU a mini home-field advantage. It completes a neutral sight home and home as last year’s game was in New Orleans, LA.
It’s the pageantry that makes College Football awfully unique. Week 1 in college football is almost the equivalent of a mini-Christmas for some fans, so having that rare, unique aspect in certain situations makes neural site games worthwhile.
Whether the game will live up to the billing or not remains to be seen, but what is true is this will be the second straight season LSU and Florida State have been given a national platform to slug it out. The second-to-last FBS game of the weekend is being broadcast across the country on ABC. It’s hard not to ask for much more than that.
Happy Week 0 to those who celebrate.
