91 Days Until Kansas Football: KU’s season will end on Black Friday

On Thursday, KU announced the kick times for four games on the 2018 schedule - the three nonconference games and the Texas game. I for one had forgotten that the Texas game had been moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving, as noted when the schedule was released in October of 2017.

But thanks to the start time being released, KU playing Texas on Black Friday is back in the news. The game will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network, and simulcast by the Jayhawk Television Network.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things, this really isn’t that big of a deal. Assuming KU’s record is what most of us suspect it will be, there wouldn’t be a lot of people there even if the game was on Saturday.

But an 11 AM kickoff on Black Friday? You’re just asking for no one to show up, especially for a one or two-win team coming off a 50-point loss at Oklahoma.

KU’s lowest official attendance over the last five years was 21,050 in 2017 vs Texas Tech. I’m guessing the official attendance for this one will be similar; of course, that’s tickets sold, not butts in seats. I’m really curious as to what the actual attendance will be. Surely it will be 10k or less, right?

I know the politically correct thing to say is that KU’s regular season will end on Black Friday, but let’s be honest - no one expects this KU team to go bowling. Putting the season finale on LHN at 11 AM on Black Friday ensures that the fewest number of people possible will be able to take in David Beaty’s last game (assuming he doesn’t get canned at the end of September).

It brings to mind the old philosophical question: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?