Are NCAA national championship games starting too late?
.JPG "The NCAA national championship game between Villanova and Michigan began around 9:20 p.m. EST. Is that too late, especially on a school night?")
Monday's NCAA national championship game between Villanova and Michigan started well after 9 p.m. on a school night for many kids throughout the nation.
The national football championship in January between Clemson and Alabama had a similar late start time.
Consider this: the second half didn't start until after 10:30 p.m.
It's hard to believe the NCAA couldn't tweak the schedule so kids, and many early-to-bed adults, don't have to yawn their way to the finish.
A 9:20 p.m. start is still early on the West Coast (6:20), so starting at 7 or 8 would mean a tip time when many out west are driving home from work. But how about a Friday/Sunday Final Four setup. You could start games at 7:30. Then the Sunday final could tip at 7.
Football could move from a Monday final to a Saturday night.
I'm guessing ratings would be higher, too.
This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Are NCAA national championship games starting too late?."