The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team will not be playing Appalachian State on a Thursday night, Mocs coach Russ Huesman said Tuesday.
Instead, the Mocs will begin their 2010 season at Finley Stadium against the Mountaineers on Saturday, Sept. 4. The matchup is still expected to draw more than 10,000 fans, but a Thursday night game against the five-time defending Southern Conference champions could have brought out one of the largest crowds ever.
Athletic director RicK Hart said earlier this month that there was support for the Thursday night game within the Appalachian State athletic department, however the biggest obstacle was going to be the missed class time for ASU’s players. The Mountaineers had to miss class for two of their three games in the 2009 FCS playoffs.