University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic director put out a series of tweets late Monday evening, saying that the university "won't operate with a comparing mindset" in determining when to play its' season-opening football game.
The Mocs decided in early March to move their season opener against Shorter College to Thursday, Sept. 1. Since then, both Vanderbilt and Tennessee have decided to move their games to that same day, citing a jam-packed weekend of games on Labor Day weekend.
"We (UTC) set our first game prior to all," Blackburn tweeted. "Others have changed to that date.
"UTC athletics won't follow the 'Draft behind" mentality! We'll pick a direction and move intently that way with fierce competitiveness!"
The game is currently scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, 30 minutes before the Vols host Appalachian State and an hour before the Commodores face South Carolina in Nashville. Blackburn said that it's possible that if UTC could choose to move its game time up to 6:15.
Changing the date is a possibility as well, although they could only move back. The FCS does not allow games to be played on Tuesday or Wednesday of the opening week.
Whenever the opener is played, the Mocs will be stepping on the field as the three-time defending Southern Conference champions.
"Of all teams playing that night, UTC is the only 3 in a row league champ!" Blackburn tweeted. "No arrogance, but humbly we won our league 3 yrs in a row. Unlike (other leagues) playing that night, we set our game time first!"
UTC plans to finalize the game time soon with approval from campus adminstration.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.