For the first time in 71 years, the Huskies will be playing a non-weekend contest in Husky Stadium to accommodate a nationwide telecast on ESPN. The game will be on Nov. 18.
The Thursday night game against UCLA will begin at 5 p.m., which could pose some challenges for 91探花faculty, staff and students who normally travel in that part of campus. Intercollegiate Athletics is exploring transit and parking options to ameliorate some of the problems.
In a news conference Monday, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Woodward admitted that the timing of game would inconvenience some. “A major planning effort is under way and I am confident we will be able to make this a positive, memorable event for our fans and our team.”
ESPN has said that the game is attractive to them for at least two reasons: It could have Rose Bowl implications and it is the final home game for quarterback Jake Locker, who already is being touted as a possible candidate for a Heisman Trophy.
The last time the Huskies played on a weekday was a 1939 Thanksgiving Day matchup with Oregon.
The Husky Ticket Office has reported strong pre-season sales, with a nearly 96 percent season ticket renewal rate and about 2,100 new season ticket requests being processed.