Mark Snyder

Detroit Free Press

The biggest remaining question about Michigan’s football schedule is where the night games will fall.

Yes, plural.

Michigan did not play a home night game last season but could have a number of them, including more than one at Michigan Stadium this year.

“It is a possibility,” U-M athletic director Warde Manuel told the Free Press today. “When the schedules come out, we can have up to two night games.”

Among those under consideration is the Oct. 7 game against Michigan State, a rivalry matchup previously considered off-limits when it was solely up to the schools' administration.

“Could be,” Manuel said of the MSU possibility.

The past hesitation centered around additional security concerns, beyond those for a night game against a different opponent. The game usually has a number of fans at either school who visit and remain outside the stadium tailgating, an addition that is far less frequent at other games during the season.

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“It’s still a concern,” Manuel said. “The only difference is, the Big Ten and television can assign us to a primetime game and it’s not our option. In November, we have the option if we choose to do so. I don’t anticipate that choice being made.”

Which means Ohio State on Nov. 25 is not a consideration.

Following the installation of permanent lights in 2010, U-M has only hosted a few night games in its history – 2011 and 2013 against Notre Dame and 2014 against Penn State.

But that was when the athletic department was able to make its own decisions and tell the television networks it wasn’t interested at times.

Under the terms of the new television deals, which take effect this season, the conference and television partners set the schedule.

“It comes out in terms of we agreed to it several years ago as a part of negotiating the new Big Ten television contract that we would allow up to two games at night,” Manuel said. “Last year for this (2016) football season, we had the option. Next year and moving forward the Big Ten can assign us and television in the Big Ten. In the month of September and October.”

If U-M lands two night home games – Cincinnati and Air Force in September, MSU and Rutgers in October are the possibilities in the first two months – that could make the season very night-heavy. There is no announced kickoff time for the Cowboys Classic season opener against Florida, but it is historically a night game. The Oct. 21 game at Penn State is another likely landing spot as the Nittany Lions designated that their “White Out” game.

None of those plans fit U-M’s preference, but it’s no longer in their control, signed away as part of the deal.

“Jim (Harbaugh) and I have been in lockstep, saying our preference is in the afternoon and not in the evening,” Manuel said. “In this particular case, we have granted the ability for the Big Ten to assign two home games in the evening. That’s where it will go.”

Michigan has non-conference games scheduled through the middle of the next decade, with Notre Dame, Washington, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Texas and Oklahoma holding signed contracts.

But with dates around those remaining unfilled, there could be shifts.

“You’re always looking at scheduling in the out years or we receive calls because others have,” Manuel said. “While it’s set as it is and contracted, there’s always things we’re looking at and will continue to look at into the future.”

One area where U-M knows it will not play a night game is on Fridays. Michigan told the Big Ten that it would not participate in the conference's plan this fall for a series of Friday night games.

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