After having four night games in 2013, Northwestern is stepping back to reality this season, playing just one game in primetime this season.
The Big Ten announced that the Wildcats' home game against Nebraska — the Homecoming game — will be played at 6:30 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. NU will not play a primetime game on ESPN or ABC, though the Wildcats should have some ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC games during the day this year.
Playing a game at night against Nebraska could potentially look bad on TV, since the Huskers traveled en masse to Evanston last time, but the movement of the student section to the east stands should make the crowd look more purple on TV.
We also already know that NU will play at 2:30 on NBC against Notre Dame, and according to Teddy Greenstein, the Cal game will also kick off at 2:30:
ALSO confirmed: Cal-#Northwestern season-opener a 2:30p kick.
— Teddy Greenstein (@TeddyGreenstein) April 22, 2014
The full schedule is as follows:
Aug. 30 — vs. Cal, 2:30
Sept. 6 — vs. Northern Illinois
Sept. 20 — vs. Western Illinois
Sept. 27 — at Penn State
Oct. 4 — vs. Wisconsin
Oct. 11 — at Minnesota
Oct. 18 — vs. Nebraska, 6:30, BTN
Nov. 1 — at Iowa
Nov. 8 — vs. Michigan
Nov. 15 — at Notre Dame, 2:30, NBC
Nov. 22 — at Purdue
Nov. 29 — vs. Illinois