Big 12 football: Kansas State plays twice on Thursdays

The Big 12 will be a major part of ESPN’s Thursday Night Football package. Four Big 12 conference games will be played on Thursday nights, including the Texas-Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving night.

The other three games are Texas A&M at Oklahoma State on Sept. 30, Nebraska at Kansas State on Oct. 7 and Kansas State at Kansas on Oct. 14.

Those back-to-back Thursday night games are unique, and KSU coach Bill Snyder worries about the concept.

“It’s part of the TV-driven direction that college football has gone,” Snyder said. “I think it’s great for the viewing audience. I can appreciate it in that respect.

“For Kansas State, you know, considering where we’re located and the distance that people have to come, it’s not always my preference to do that.

“We have working-class people coming from western Kansas. It’s pretty hard for them to make a Thursday night game and get back for Friday workday. So weekends are probably a preference in that respect.”

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, at media days on Monday, said he doesn’t mind Thursday night games. “It’s gotta set right on the schedule,” Pelini said. “It can be used as an advantage if you use it the right way. Anytime you can be on national television…”