CORAL GABLES, Fla. – When it comes to Thursday night games, Mark Richt would rather not be involved in them.
The first-year University of Miami head coach said Tuesday that he's not in favor of Thursday night games like the one in which his Hurricanes will participate two days from now at Virginia Tech.
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Richt spent 15 seasons at the University of Georgia and managed to avoid Thursday games. Now, just seven games into his Miami tenure and with his team coming off consecutive home losses, Richt must prepare the Hurricanes to suit up in a tough road environment after a short week of preparation.
"I really think it's wiser to have an open date prior to Thursday night, and after the game, obviously, you're not playing on Saturday, so you have some time there," Richt said in a pregame news conference. "The five-day turnaround, in my opinion, I don't think it's very good, even though both teams are doing it."
As part of an agreement between the Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN, Miami is one of seven ACC schools that has either played or will play a nationally televised Thursday night game this season.
The Hokies (4-2, 2-1 ACC) play consecutive Thursday night games. After hosting Miami (4-2, 1-2 ACC) this Thursday, Virginia Tech has a full calendar week off before traveling to Pittsburgh for another Thursday night game. After playing the Panthers, the Hokies will have nine days of rest before playing their next game at Duke.
Three ACC schools -- Clemson, Duke and North Carolina -- have Thursday and Friday games on their schedules. The games can lead to an unbalanced schedule.
"If you have one team with an open date, and one team with five days, that's not fair," Richt said.
Before Clemson's 56-10 win at Boston College on a Friday night earlier this month, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney voiced his displeasure about traveling out of town on a Friday to play a game instead of being home to watch his sons play football.
"I don't control it. (Clemson athletic director) Dan Radakovich doesn't control it," Swinney said. "Those are all TV contract stuff, and I understand that. I don't fret about it or worry about it. We just do what we do. That doesn't mean I have to like it."
Richt said it was a presidential decision that kept Georgia from playing in any Thursday games while he was there, but he realizes that what's best for his program isn't necessarily what's best for television.
"As far as what makes sense for TV, I'm sure it makes sense for TV," Richt said. "But what makes sense for the student-athletes? I don't think it's a good idea. I think it's a bad idea."