‘Hawks after dark: Kansas football Week 3 matchup features brutal start time
Kansas football will take the field at an unusually late start time in Reno against Nevada this Saturday.
If you’re a Kansas Jayhawks football fan interested in watching this week’s game, you might need some late-night caffeine to get through all 60 minutes.
For the first time in the 21st century, Kansas football will play a night game in the Pacific time zone. The Jayhawks and the Nevada Wolf Pack are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT, or 9:30 p.m. CT for those watching from the Kansas area.
Last week’s showdown against Illinois lasted nearly three hours. The pace should move a bit quicker this Saturday, but planning a night game in the Pacific time zone is questionable, to say the least.
The late start will also affect Kansas’ traveling schedule. It is about a three-hour flight from Reno to Lawrence. After postgame interviews finish and the players and staff complete packing their stuff, you’re looking at an extra few hours. That means that the team would arrive back home past sunrise of the next day.
“It’s tough,” Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold said to 247 Sports. “But you’re worried about the after-effects, so that’s what we’re trying to look at as well.”
Granted, the game this Saturday could wind up being a snooze fest for viewers. Nevada is coming off a 33-6 home loss to FCS opponent Idaho. Even so, it could take a toll on the players mentally and physically to finish a game past midnight in Central time zone.
Kansas opens league play against BYU next week. The Cougars are a physical team that will bump and bruise KU’s players. That could certainly take a toll on how the Jayhawks perform in Week 4.