Zags, WCC may trade Mondays for Thursdays

Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference appear to be ready to wave goodbye to ESPN’s Big Monday and say hello to Thursday night telecasts.

The WCC is poised to return its conference schedule to a Thursday/Saturday format, a significant change from the current Saturday/Monday arrangement. The WCC has been the nightcap on ESPN’s Big Monday the last three years, with tipoff times at 8, 8:30 or 9 p.m. following Big East and Big 12 games. If the change is approved – and there doesn’t appear to be any significant obstacles – the WCC would have games televised on ESPN’s family of networks Thursday nights and on a smattering of Saturdays.

“This was ESPN’s idea. It was discussed with the (WCC) coaches when they had a meeting with ESPN at the Final Four,” Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said.

“The WCC would be the second or third game on Thursdays. We’re talking about earlier tip times, probably 8 o’clock.”

WCC director of communications Jae Wilson said the proposed change is expected to be discussed at an executive committee meeting in early July.

“It’s something we’re open to and I think ESPN is open to as well,” Wilson said.

The proposal makes sense for coaches, players and fans, Roth said.

“It would be very positive on every campus,” he said. “Monday nights are just tough for a lot of different reasons. It’s the start of the work week, it’s the start of the school week and the ESPN games are tipped very late.

“The current format makes it difficult for the student-athlete to get a true day off. It’s usually Tuesday and they still have to go to class, even if they don’t have a practice. But this way if you’re home that weekend, they can get that Sunday off.”

Roth said he’s heard nearly no resistance to a Thursday/Saturday format.

“We would be going up against the Pac-10 on the West Coast on the same schedule,” Roth said. “There are some downsides. Will the officiating pool be better or worse? As far as media coverage in areas where there’s a lot of competition like L.A. or the Bay Area schools, on Mondays we weren’t up against as much competition (for coverage). But I think it’s an all-around positive move and the upside more than outweighs the downside.”

Gonzaga had six Monday conference games and one Saturday WCC game televised by ESPN or ESPN2 last season. However, most of ESPN’s promotion of Big Monday centered on the Big East and Big 12 contests. The WCC game often tipped off after 9 p.m., meaning they started early Tuesday morning on the East Coast.

“We’ve talked about it a little as a staff and Thursday is near the end of the work week,” Roth said. “You only have Friday and it’s not, ‘If I go to the game Monday, I won’t get home until late and then I have the whole week ahead of me.’ “

The WCC has a contract with ESPN through the 2010-11 season. Roth said he doesn’t expect the schedule change to affect Gonzaga’s agreements with Fox Sports Net and KHQ.

“We’ve been very flexible with Fox and KHQ and we want to continue to do that,” Roth said.

“Gonzaga is working on bringing the ESPN College GameDay broadcast to Spokane, likely for the non-conference game against Memphis. The Saturday night game usually airs on ESPN or ESPN2, with GameDay (highlights and analysis, typically with Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas and Hubert Davis) originating from the host site Saturday morning and evening, following the contest.

“We’re trying to find a date to work,” Roth said.

Gonzaga also is trying to put together a home tournament, likely a two-day, four-team event in November at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Participants haven’t been finalized.