Bruins Are at the Mercy of TV Schedule

How television can affect college football:

UCLA practiced Thursday morning at Spaulding Field, then boarded a plane for Michigan, a day earlier than usual.

The Bruins usually arrive at the site of a road game about 24 hours before kickoff, but the Saturday game in Ann Arbor was originally scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PDT, so Coach Bob Toledo decided to take the team east a bit earlier to acclimate.

But ABC decided 11 days ago to televise the game at 3:30 p.m. EDT, seeking a strong 12:30 p.m. Los Angeles time slot.

“I would have preferred to go later, but the game was going to be at 12:30 there,” Toledo said. “By the time it was changed, it was too late to change our plans.”