ESPN to Televise Football Season-Opener vs. TCU
4/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 26, 2011
WACO, Texas - The Baylor football team's 2011 season opener against Rose Bowl champion TCU has been moved to Friday, Sept. 2, so that it may be televised nationally on ESPN with kickoff set for 7 p.m. (CDT) at Floyd Casey Stadium. Originally, the Bears and Horned Frogs had been scheduled to open the season a day later in Waco."Agreeing to ESPN's request to move the TCU game to Friday night is not something that we take lightly," said Baylor Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. "Coach Briles, as a former Texas high school coach, and our staff are strong proponents of high school football in our State. Moreover, we have worked closely with high school programs in our community and throughout Texas to host both regular season and playoff games at Floyd Casey Stadium.
"At the same time, this is a unique opportunity for our student-athletes and program to garner significant national exposure," he added. "Also, the fact that this game falls on Labor Day weekend when college games are typically spread throughout the weekend gave us more reason to support this exception to normal practice."
In previous seasons, Big 12 teams have played televised games over the long Labor Day weekend on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. However, before agreeing to move the TCU game, Baylor officials communicated with area high school administrators and coaches as well as the Texas High School Coaches Association.
It is the second adjustment to the Bears' 2011 football schedule , as it was previously announced that Baylor's game vs. Texas had been moved from mid-October to Saturday, Dec. 3, to be televised on ABC at either 2:30 or 7 p.m. (CST).
McCaw also announced that the Bears' home games against Stephen F. Austin State (Sept. 17) and Rice (Sept. 24) would both kick off at 6 p.m. (CDT), unless televised by the Big 12 Conference.
Baylor, which finished 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12 a year ago, will open the 2011 season with three straight home games for the first time since 2008 and only the second time in the Big 12's 16-year history. All-told, BU will play seven home games in 2011, including four of its first five at Floyd Casey Stadium, where it posted a 4-2 record a year ago en route to the program's first bowl invitation since 1994.
| 2011 Football Schedule | |||
| Sept. 2 | TCU (ESPN) | 7 p.m. CT | Waco, Texas |
| Sept. 17 | Stephen F. Austin | 6 p.m. CT | Waco, Texas |
| Sept. 24 | Rice | 6 p.m. CT | Waco, Texas |
| Oct. 1 | at Kansas State | TBA | Manhattan, Kan. |
| Oct. 8 | Iowa State | TBA | Waco, Texas |
| Oct. 15 | at Texas A&M | TBA | College Station, Texas |
| Oct. 29 | at Oklahoma State | TBA | Stillwater, Okla. |
| Nov. 5 | Missouri | TBA | Waco, Texas |
| Nov. 12 | at Kansas | TBA | Lawrence, Kan. |
| Nov. 19 | Oklahoma | TBA | Waco, Texas |
| Nov. 26 | Texas Tech | TBA | TBA |
| Dec. 3 | Texas (ABC) | 2:30 or 7 p.m. | Waco, Texas |
