This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It would be great if, someday, we could get over the idea that playing a college football game on a day other than Saturday is some sort of punishment from the television partner. That it's some sort of sign that you're a lesser program that's being disrespected.

It's simply not true.

OK, when teams (mostly from the Mid-American Conference) play on Tuesday or Wednesday nights late in the season, that's a bad thing. That's a sign of how little ESPN's Powers That Be think of you.

But Thursday games? Friday games?

Nope.

The folks at ESPN and Fox have told us repeatedly that Thursday and Friday nights are showcases for college football. That games played on those nights are more likely to be seen and reported on because there are fewer of them than there are on your average Saturday — at least until bowl season.

University of Utah fans have had some fun at BYU's expense, arguing that the independent Cougars are being dissed by their frequent non-Saturday appearances. But take a look at this year's schedules:

• BYU has two Friday games and one Thursday game.

• Utah has two Thursday games and one Friday game.

• And Utah State has two Friday games and one Thursday game. (Although there's no TV for the Thursday, Sept. 1, home opener against Weber State.)

Utah's Thursday, Sept. 1, home opener against Southern Utah is on the Pac-12 Network. And, no, it's not exactly a top-shelf game.

You could make the same argument about BYU's Friday, Sept. 30, game in Provo against Toledo. Although the Rockets are an FBS team, and SUU is FCS.

But Fox Sports 1 is choosing to air USC at Utah on Friday, Sept. 23, and Utah at Arizona State on Thursday, Nov. 10, because it expects those games to draw a good TV audience. It's not an insult, it's a vote of confidence.

The same is true for ESPN, which will telecast Mississippi State at BYU on Friday, Oct. 14, and BYU at Boise State on Thursday, Oct. 20.

Both the Utes and the Cougars are also going to have a bunch of late Saturday starts. We don't know how many yet, because we don't have complete schedules.

Again — not an insult. It's a function of the time zone in which we live. ESPN and Fox want games that kick off at 8 p.m. MT or later because that puts them in prime time on the West Coast.

It's inconvenient for local fans, particularly those who actually attend games. But it's not an attempt to humiliate the Utes, the Cougars or their supporters.

Don't get your feelings hurt, but TV programmers aren't even thinking about fans in the stands. Obviously.

Just remember that all of BYU's games will be televised. All of Utah's games will be televised. All but one of USU's games will be televised.

That's great for the fans who aren't in the stands. And for season ticket holders who can't travel to all the away games.

• All six of Weber State's home games will be on TV — five on KJZZ-Ch. 14, and one (vs. Montana State on Oct. 15) on ROOT. The Sept. 10 game at South Dakota will be streamed on ESPN3.

No other road games will be available — including that blackout on the Weber at USU game on Sept. 1.

• Southern Utah is scheduled to be televised twice — at Utah on Sept. 1 on P12N; and at BYU on Nov. 12 on BYUtv.

Scott D. Pierce covers TV for The Salt Lake Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce. —