[Update] UCLA @ Washington Moved to November 18: Thursday Night On ESPN

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

UPDATE (N): Here is the official release from UCLA:

This season's football game between UCLA and Washington in Seattle, WA will now be played on Thursday, November 18, it was announced today. The game was originally scheduled for November 13.

The request for the date change was made by ABC/ESPN and agreed to by both schools and the Pac-10 Conference athletic directors.

The game will be televised nationally by ESPN and will kick off at 5:00 pm PT. It will be UCLA's second Thursday night game of the year and third non-Saturday contest. The Bruins now have byes prior to each Thursday game.

"We are excited about the opportunity to play another nationally televised game," said head coach Rick Neuheisel. "The additional national exposure will benefit our program. The UCLA-Washington games are always rock'em-sock'em affairs and the Thursday night atmosphere will just add to the excitement."

"Having two UCLA games against Washington and Oregon are significant difference makers in the quality of our 2010 Thursday Night schedule," said Dave Brown, ESPN Vice President - Programming. "Both games have the potential to play a major role in the race for the Pac-10 Championship and Rose Bowl this season. We greatly appreciate the assistance we received from the Pac-10 as well as Rick Neuheisel and Dan Guerrero at UCLA for their efforts in having the Bruins appear on Thursday night for the first time since the early 1990s."

I am actually very excited to read this.  Even though the game might have just gotten a little tougher, considering it will be Jake Locker's last game, and it will be a Thursday night home game for the Huskies on ESPN. I am still very happy about this developement.  Here is the link straight from Seattle.

Personally I am happy because I'll be able to go to the game, and take a long weekend in Seattle, one of my favorite cities. More importantly however, it once again gives huge national exposure to our program and what CRN is accomplishing.  If we want to be a national player (and CRN definitely does) then we need to be on national television.  The ESPN Thursday night game has gained so much importance nationally over the past few years, and the opportunity to have a chance to beat UDUB on their home turf on national television is too much to pass up.  It will be so big for recruiting and showing those from around the country that we are to be taken seriously.  Sure it will be tough, but the exposure our program will get, and that our players will get, will be worth it.

I can't wait.