Length (in time) of Football Games since 2008

Al A Bama · Dec 27, 2014

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...ength-of-college-football-games-a-5980583.php

"Balloning game length a growing concern: Era of record scoring responsible for average jumping 14 minutes since 2008, to 3 hours and 23 minutes"

This article from the Houston Chronicle shows the increased length of games. "The NCAA Football Rules Committee expects to discuss the issue when it meets in February," according to Rogers Redding.

There has been a gradual 14 minute increase since 2008. I guess more plays, maybe more TV timeouts for commercials, etc. Looks like games would be shorter since the clock still runs after catching a pass and running out of bounds unless it's less than 2 minutes in the quarter. I do still want that clock to stop on 1st downs. I hope they don't change that rule. Otherwise it could keep a team from coming back and winning in the last minute or tying (like Bama vs LSU). I wonder if they considered the number of games going into overtime.

The reason I really posted this was because I have DVRed at least 2 games this year where when I reviewed the games I was not able to see the end of those games. The DVRing had stopped while the game was still in progress.
1. Alabama vs Auburn (NOT an OT game)
2. Alabama vs LSU (An OT game)

I do have Comcast. When I initially DVRed these games as well as others, it ask if I wanted to extend the time by 30 minutes and I always do this. This didn't work in these two games.

So, for the SEC Championship games, I DVRed the games with an additional 30 minutes and DVRed the program that was to come after it: Wheel of Fortune. So, that way I got to go back and see the entire game with interviews of Coach Saban. I only hoped my wife didn't delete the Wheel of Fortune show listed on my DVRed programs.

Have any of the rest of you guys had this problem?

Crimson1967 · Dec 27, 2014

An extra 14 minutes gives my just enough time to drink one more beer.

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day-day · Dec 27, 2014

Incomplete passes add time to the games but the biggest impact is probably scoring. Everytime a team scores there is time for resetting the field and doing a kickoff. If the score is a touchdown, there is also time for the extra point. If it is a televised game (not a big if these days) then there are commercials piled in after the scores between kickoffs. A low scoring game still gets its share, to some extent, after punts.

I wonder if there are more reviews of penalties and plays now?

TIDE-HSV · Dec 27, 2014

Al A Bama said:
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...ength-of-college-football-games-a-5980583.php

"Balloning game length a growing concern: Era of record scoring responsible for average jumping 14 minutes since 2008, to 3 hours and 23 minutes"

This article from the Houston Chronicle shows the increased length of games. "The NCAA Football Rules Committee expects to discuss the issue when it meets in February," according to Rogers Redding.

There has been a gradual 14 minute increase since 2008. I guess more plays, maybe more TV timeouts for commercials, etc. Looks like games would be shorter since the clock still runs after catching a pass and running out of bounds unless it's less than 2 minutes in the quarter. I do still want that clock to stop on 1st downs. I hope they don't change that rule. Otherwise it could keep a team from coming back and winning in the last minute or tying (like Bama vs LSU). I wonder if they considered the number of games going into overtime.

The reason I really posted this was because I have DVRed at least 2 games this year where when I reviewed the games I was not able to see the end of those games. The DVRing had stopped while the game was still in progress.
1. Alabama vs Auburn (NOT an OT game)
2. Alabama vs LSU (An OT game)

I do have Comcast. When I initially DVRed these games as well as others, it ask if I wanted to extend the time by 30 minutes and I always do this. This didn't work in these two games.

So, for the SEC Championship games, I DVRed the games with an additional 30 minutes and DVRed the program that was to come after it: Wheel of Fortune. So, that way I got to go back and see the entire game with interviews of Coach Saban. I only hoped my wife didn't delete the Wheel of Fortune show listed on my DVRed programs.

Have any of the rest of you guys had this problem?

Yes, I have, with Comcast. The idea behind the new clock rule was to shorten the game. I knew that CBS would just seize the opportunity to squeeze in more commercials...

PA Tide Fan · Dec 28, 2014

The HUNH is part of the reason for longer games but also I think more parity in college football is another reason. With more competitive games each team is going to do whatever they feel it takes to generate points when on offense. When there were more mismatches the dominant team got a big early lead then started running the ball a lot just to eat up time and avoid being accused of running up the score.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Dec 28, 2014

I've yet to have this problem. I have uverse though.

Crimson1967 · Dec 28, 2014

I rarely tape games but I always add extra time, at least an hour, onto the record time when I do. I also set it to record the next show.

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OreBama · Dec 28, 2014

I always DVR it an extra hour. I have Xfinity by Comcast, btw. However, that extra hour is not always enough.

CBS games run almost four hours average by my estimation. That's a lot of Sonic and Chik-Fil-A commercials.

CajunCrimson · Dec 28, 2014

We always DVR the next hour as well. Part of it is that kickoff is sometimes 20 minutes after the start of the broadcast

Redwood Forrest · Dec 28, 2014

"under further review" is part of the problem. Another is a team, like I just watched yesterday, where the losing HC calls time out two times and prolongs the game when the game is clearly over. I suppose the HC is trying to sent the message that every play is important and we don't quit. Well! This same HC took all 29 seconds on the last two plays of the first half and purposely let the clock run out. Duh. Stupid on both ends of the half.

If every play is important then he should have been in his 2 min. drill and trying to get the FG range instead of letting the clock run down.

CrimsonForce · Dec 28, 2014

One idea would to be just skip the extra point. After a touchdown have the next play be the kickoff unless the scoring team wanted to go for two. 99% of extra points are made so it's pretty pointless to go through the process of kicking one after every touchdown. I think it would add up to a lot of time saved, especially in high scoring games..

centerstar · Dec 28, 2014

CrimsonForce said:
99% of extra points are made so it's pretty pointless to go through the process of kicking one after every touchdown.

You couldn't fake anymore, which also, happens rarely.

Redwood Forrest · Dec 28, 2014

CrimsonForce said:
One idea would to be just skip the extra point. After a touchdown have the next play be the kickoff unless the scoring team wanted to go for two. 99% of extra points are made so it's pretty pointless to go through the process of kicking one after every touchdown. I think it would add up to a lot of time saved, especially in high scoring games..

I agree. I have thought they ought to move the PAT back at least ten yards to make the issue more in doubt. As it is it pretty much is Automatic Point after TD.

Nolan · Dec 28, 2014

I believe it was recently talked about. Move the PAT back 10-15 yds and create more situations in which the offense may go for two. Could be interesting.

mrusso · Dec 28, 2014

CrimsonForce said:
One idea would to be just skip the extra point. After a touchdown have the next play be the kickoff unless the scoring team wanted to go for two. 99% of extra points are made so it's pretty pointless to go through the process of kicking one after every touchdown. I think it would add up to a lot of time saved, especially in high scoring games..

The 1% that are not made sure helped us at Arkansas. The PAT and for the most part, the game itself, are not to blame so much as the commercials. College football is such a high dollar extravaganza now days that it takes all these sponsors to make a broadcast happen. I fear the day is coming when we'll have commercials after every 1st down.

bamaga · Dec 28, 2014

CrimsonForce said:
One idea would to be just skip the extra point. After a touchdown have the next play be the kickoff unless the scoring team wanted to go for two. 99% of extra points are made so it's pretty pointless to go through the process of kicking one after every touchdown. I think it would add up to a lot of time saved, especially in high scoring games..

The extra point miss in overtime by BC is the reason PSU won yesterday.

mikes12 · Dec 28, 2014

The only time it really bugs me is when our game is scheduled to be televised but the previous game (or race or whatever) isn't finished yet. Meanwhile our game is halfway through the first quarter and we're still watching something else. I know sports can sometimes go over, but it's as if they don't plan ahead better for those possibilities.

CrimsonNagus · Dec 28, 2014

It is not the on field action that has increased the length of games, at least not by a huge margin. The only reason games approach 3 1/2 to 4 hours is because of TV and the almighty ad dollars.

If it was only the on field action and higher scoring then west coast games should be generally longer but, CBS games are almost a half hour longer or more then most ESPN PAC12 games.

This will never change and only get worse because the networks are not going to give up the money.

day-day · Dec 28, 2014

Forgot to address the recording issue. I add an hour to the game when scheduling a football or basketball game.

Seems like every other Bama basketball game has a previous game go into overtime and then the Bama game comes in at about 8 minutes into the game. ESPN is nice enough to start the Bama game on another channel like ESPN-News until the first game is finished but my recorder doen't recognize this.

bama579 · Dec 28, 2014

Annoying, no doubt.

It is a price to pay - so to speak - for having almost every game of consequence available to watch. Who would chose to only have two/three college football games watchable on a weekend? I'll gladly put up with the annoyances . . . ven JeEsse Palmer![barf]

Length (in time) of Football Games since 2008

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