For once, the Central Michigan Athletics Department listened to fans.

It heard the constant gripes about the abolishment of the tradition that is Central/Western football weekend. It heard the students, alumni and fans complaining that they couldn’t go to the game last year – an epic battle that just wasn’t the same if you had to watch it on TV – because it was on a Tuesday night.

It stopped blaming the Mid-American Conference for scheduling. “The MAC schedules the games, not us,” was the excuse often given by CMU.

But instead of letting someone else do their work, CMU and WMU took action. And now the Central/Western football game is where it belongs – on a Saturday.

All the festivities that come with Central/Western weekend can return. The lame public relations gimmicks such as “Tuesday Night Tussle” and “Friday Night Lights” can now go by the wayside.

When you think about it, what the athletics department did was significant.

CMU picked tradition over money. Student concerns over TV. When was the last time any college football program did those two things?

Central and Western had a two-year contract with ESPN to air the rivalry game on a weeknight. However, both declined to renew the contract after it expired this year.

CMU also will give up the “national exposure” it wanted so dearly (and unnecessarily wanted). A Saturday game likely will be relegated to a Comcast Local or on one of the small-market ESPN networks.

But who cares? The important thing is students and alumni from both schools can attend the game and not worry about missing class or driving back the night of the game.

The athletics department didn’t have to give up its heart and soul (its best rivalry) just for TV. All it did was screw over fans who wanted to go to the game.

CMU will get its exposure by doing what it has been doing the last two seasons – winning MAC championships. Exposure comes with winning; it can’t be bought.

Not only is the game on Saturday, but it is on a day when one of the two major college programs in Michigan is away. Central will play Western Oct. 18.

Michigan is at Penn State, while Michigan State hosts Ohio State.

The last Saturday Central/Western game in Mount Pleasant (2004) was the same day as the U-M/MSU game. This isn’t the case in 2008, and that’s a good thing.

But all that matters is it is a Saturday. Things will be back to normal.

College football was meant for a Saturday afternoon.

Everyone should be thankful it is now a reality.

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