Wednesday's game between No. 8 Loyola Maryland and No. 16 Towson isn't the only one moving to a noon start on a weekday.
Mount St. Mary's announced that Friday's home opener against Delaware (1-2) at Waldron Family Stadium in Emmitsburg will also begin at noon. The game had originally been scheduled for 4 p.m., but a projected high of 17 degrees from Weather.com prompted Mountaineers coach Tom Gravante and Blue Hens coach Bob Shillinglaw to change the time.
"Coach Shillinglaw called up and asked, 'Hey, do you want to move the game up because we can make arrangements and come earlier?' So we bumped it to noon," Gravante said Tuesday night. "Not crazy about the high of 17 that is forecast for Friday, but I can only say that I hope we benefit from it and Delaware doesn't because I've heard they have an indoor facility, and we're going to be practicing outside.
"That might be a little bit of a shocker to them and their athletes. We'll have to see. That's the only thing that could give us an edge, that we will have already experienced that weather for three or four days before Friday's game."
The frigid temperature and time change might impact the number of fans who are brave enough to attend the game, but Gravante said the adjustment should not have any effect on Mount St. Mary's (1-0).
"This is the time we play on the weekends," he said. "All of our home games at Mount St. Mary's are scheduled for noon. So it really shouldn't make a difference. I'm just concerned about the frigid temperatures."