TCU players like night football, but not everyone is a fan of a late start

When they heard “night game” for Saturday against Kansas, TCU players Desmon White and Ben Banogu didn’t think of what it meant for themselves.

They thought about their fans.

“They would rather sit in a 7 o’clock game than a 2:30 game,” White said.

That’s probably accurate. The student section and most seating areas at Amon G. Carter Stadium baked in the sun for 2:30 p.m. starts against SMU and West Virginia. Many of the fans braved the heat, but after halftime, it’s hard to convince everyone to return from the shade of the concourse or suites.

“No one likes sitting in the heat,” Banogu said. “Those 11 o’clock and 2:30 games can be brutal. It’s a nice change of pace. Night games in the Carter are always fun.”

The only drawback is waiting around in the hotel all day. For the players, it means conserving energy and watching a lot of games on TV.

“When you play a night game, you have to know how to treat your body, when to get rest, when to stay off your feet,” Banogu said. “The harder things about night games are just keeping your mind active and keeping your mind on the game and knowing when not to keep your mind on the game. That can probably be the hardest part about it.”

TCU coach Gary Patterson likes the energy of night games.

Outside of that?

“Nothing,” he said.

Nothing?

Nope. Throws off his schedule.

Playing late means getting home late, which means less time to watch all the games he wants to watch to cast his USA Today Coaches Poll vote.

“I’m still one of those guys that believes the coaches poll is supposed to mean something,” he said. “I’d rather play at 11 or 2:30 so you could actually get two or three hours of being a real human being.”

Saturday’s 7 p.m. start will be the second night game at TCU this season. The Horned Frogs kicked off at 7 against Jackson State in the season opener, the only game they can set their own start time. The others are set by Fox or ESPN, as allowed in their contract with the Big 12.

“It’s not that I don’t like night games,” Patterson said. “I like all games, period. That’s why we work so hard, so you get 12 opportunities. If you’re asking me when I like to play so I can actually have some quality of life, it’s not exactly one of my hot spots.”

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "TCU players like night football, but not everyone is a fan of a late start."