Do College Games Last Too Long?

BamaHoosier · Jul 20, 2017

Interesting write-up by ESPN's blog. Personally I have no issues with the pace of game play. The solution seems simple to me, cut back on commercials and dead air time. If it's an 8PM kickoff, don't kick-off at 8:15 to accommodate all of the network hype. For commercials, find other ways to sell advertising space to where you aren't taking a 3 minute commercial break at every single opportunity.

Shorten the breaks and the game times will take care of themselves. Unfortunately considering the networks have sold their souls for the rights to these games, they won't let the conferences do the one thing that would make the biggest difference. The advertising dollars are just too powerful.

Funny that it mentions that games are an average of 7 minutes longer than they used to be. I guarantee if you timed all commercial breaks now vs a few years longer, you'll find that's where the biggest difference is. The breaks get longer and more frequent every year. Thoughts?

http://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/...ootball-do-anything-about-the-length-of-games

Bamabuzzard · Jul 20, 2017

This same issue is being asked and addressed in baseball as well. Are the games really too long or have people's attention span gotten shorter? I was listening to a talking head the other day who was talking about this and he said consumer's want quick, short bursts of entertainment then move on. Not just in their sports, but in entertainment in general. He mentioned what he looked for when he and his wife were looking to go to the movies ("the pitcher show" for you old folks). He said the FIRST thing he and his wife look at is the duration of the movie. He said if it's 2 hrs 47 minutes they keep looking. 1 hr 47 minutes is in the range at which they want to spend watching a movie. A changing culture will force the markets to change. There's no telling what sports is going to look like in 50 years if this fast paced, instant gratification mindset keeps moving forward. Who knows?

B1GTide · Jul 20, 2017

Can't be long enough for me.

davefrat · Jul 20, 2017

our last game against Clemson was about 20 seconds too long.

DzynKingRTR · Jul 20, 2017

Cannot wait until this time next year when ESPN posts this exact same discussion.

KrAzY3 · Jul 20, 2017

CrimsonPassion · Jul 20, 2017

I don't mind when our games are on ESPN or the SEC Network, however the CBS games seem to drag on forever without end. So, yeah, some of them are too long, in my opinion.

BamaMoon · Jul 20, 2017

There's only one reason ESPN or any other network would want to shorten the game: so they can have more commercial breaks. They don't care about "the game."

Alasippi · Jul 20, 2017

B1GTide said:
Can't be long enough for me.

me either

CrimsonForce · Jul 20, 2017

I think the biggest rule change they can make to help this is only stop the clock after a first down in the last 2 minutes of each half. This would cut down on the total number of plays each game + keep the game time to a more reasonable length. One thing I like about watching a NFL game is I know when a game comes on at noon it'll be over (almost always) by 3. NFL games last about 3 hours on average. I know it varies between which network has the game and other factors but I remember some of our 2:30 CBS games not ending until 7 or after 7. That's to long for a game that ends in regulation..

CrimsonNagus · Jul 20, 2017

I just laugh every time I see an article from networks like ESPN or CBS about the length of games. It's there fault the games are longer, not the game itself. Last time I checked, each quarter is still 15:00, each team still only gets 3 timeouts, and with all the fast pace offenses you'd think the game would feel shorter. So what could possibly be making it longer...maybe TV commercial breaks and and stupid commentary.

Have you noticed how sometimes when ESPN (or any network) comes back from a commercial they will have a "quick" interview or something on the field? You can see the players and everyone waiting in the background. Stop doing this crap and poof, the game is shorter. CBS is the worse: 2:00 start time but then a 20 minute "pre-game" show that no one really cares about. Then commercial, come back for coin toss, then commercial, back for kickoff, commercial, 4 plays, punt, commercial. Finally a drive but then a TD, commercial, extra point, commercial, kick-off, commercial. It's pretty obvious what is making the game longer.

Don't touch my baseball, it is fine the way it is!!! The commercial breaks are set for between each half inning which is how it has been for decades. The pace of play hasn't really changed and the game is fine. No real baseball fan has a problem with this but, the networks do. See, they can't ruin baseball with commercials like they can with football because of the nature of the game. So, networks push stupid ideas like pitch clocks hoping to shorten the on field game and squeeze in more commercials. See, you'll still get the typical 3 hour broadcast time but, instead of 3 minute breaks every half inning, they'll push them to 4 minutes. Follow the money, it controls everything.

Bodhisattva · Jul 20, 2017

Bamabuzzard said:
This same issue is being asked and addressed in baseball as well. Are the games really too long or have people's attention span gotten shorter? I was listening to a talking head the other day who was talking about this and he said consumer's want quick, short bursts of entertainment then move on. Not just in their sports, but in entertainment in general. He mentioned what he looked for when he and his wife were looking to go to the movies ("the pitcher show" for you old folks). He said the FIRST thing he and his wife look at is the duration of the movie. He said if it's 2 hrs 47 minutes they keep looking. 1 hr 47 minutes is in the range at which they want to spend watching a movie. A changing culture will force the markets to change. There's no telling what sports is going to look like in 50 years if this fast paced, instant gratification mindset keeps moving forward. Who knows?

I must disagree with that talking head. This consumer wants more of a good thing. If a movie is good, I'm happier that it's three hours instead of two. Same with other forms of entertainment for me. Of course, commercials aren't entertaining. I'd like to see those reduced greatly.

Bamabuzzard · Jul 20, 2017

Bodhisattva said:
I must disagree with that talking head. This consumer wants more of a good thing. If a movie is good, I'm happier that it's three hours instead of two. Same with other forms of entertainment for me. Of course, commercials aren't entertaining. I'd like to see those reduced greatly.

Oh I agree. Consumers want more of a good thing. But is what has been defined as "good" in the past considered "good" today? Does it take more to keep the average fan's attention? Or maybe something different than what it used to. Look at the style of college football that has become most popular with the average fan. It's the fast paced, high octane, basketball on grass style. I remember the 2011 "Game of the Century" between Bama and LSU. While the die hard, blue blood SEC fan bragged about the defensive gem they just witnessed. The average fan across the country screamed "BORING!!!!". Then when they turned around and watched it again in the championship game. Afterwards we heard the echoes and outcries once again from the average fan that the game was boring. Maybe the attention spans and length of games have nothing to do with it. Maybe what the average fan calls "good" is what has changed the most. I don't know. I just know I'm ready for some dang football.

Bamabuzzard · Jul 20, 2017

CrimsonNagus said:
I just laugh every time I see an article from networks like ESPN or CBS about the length of games. It's there fault the games are longer, not the game itself. Last time I checked, each quarter is still 15:00, each team still only gets 3 timeouts, and with all the fast pace offenses you'd think the game would feel shorter. So what could possibly be making it longer...maybe TV commercial breaks and and stupid commentary.

Have you noticed how sometimes when ESPN (or any network) comes back from a commercial they will have a "quick" interview or something on the field? You can see the players and everyone waiting in the background. Stop doing this crap and poof, the game is shorter. CBS is the worse: 2:00 start time but then a 20 minute "pre-game" show that no one really cares about. Then commercial, come back for coin toss, then commercial, back for kickoff, commercial, 4 plays, punt, commercial. Finally a drive but then a TD, commercial, extra point, commercial, kick-off, commercial. It's pretty obvious what is making the game longer.

Then have Verne announce "Welcome to beautiful Fayetteville, AR where the Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas are hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide coached by that man right there, Urban Meyer." (As Nick Saban is being shown on your tv screen)

(The game was actually being played in Tuscaloosa and as we all know Urban Meyer wasn't the coach of Bama). I 'll never forget the opening of that game when he botched the entire introduction.

BamaMoon · Jul 20, 2017

CrimsonForce said:
I think the biggest rule change they can make to help this is only stop the clock after a first down in the last 2 minutes of each half. This would cut down on the total number of plays each game + keep the game time to a more reasonable length. One thing I like about watching a NFL game is I know when a game comes on at noon it'll be over (almost always) by 3. NFL games last about 3 hours on average. I know it varies between which network has the game and other factors but I remember some of our 2:30 CBS games not ending until 7 or after 7. That's to long for a game that ends in regulation..

NO x infinity! Don't do anything to actually shorten the game by changing the rules anymore. Enough of that has been done in the past.

I'm all for cutting out the network filler stuff (interviews/spotlights/food stories) and less commercials, but no more cutting the game. Leave it alone!!!

Al A Bama · Jul 20, 2017

Recently, I can only recall one lasting toooooooo long and that was the last one.

TiderMan · Jul 20, 2017

Usually the only people I hear or see complaining about length of games is the usual complainers here on TideFans and they are usually the ones that do not even attend the games. They only watch it on TV.

TideEngineer08 · Jul 20, 2017

davefrat said:
our last game against Clemson was about 20 seconds too long.

bama61 · Jul 20, 2017

Somehow the fact that ESPN is the source of this question is more than a bit ironic. In football, as in most televised sports, the ever lengthening games has a lot to do with time consumed by television ads and time allotted for station identification messages. I can't really say that it bothers me though, I no longer go to games and all these breaks make it easier for us old guys to take a bathroom break, get another beer, more snacks, or check on what's happening in other games. Still to raise this issue when commercial breaks are running from 3 to 5 minutes, come on ESPN while I appreciate where the moneys come from that are distributed to the conference, give me a break!

jcabama · Jul 20, 2017

No! Like a great movie, I don't want it to end (unless the opponent is making a comeback). Last season was about two seconds too long I guess

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