Washington State students planning on attending the Oct. 31 home football game against Arizona State probably weren't planning on going to class that day anyway, so it was a bonus when the school's president gave them an excuse.
In a statement on Thursday, Washington State president Elson Floyd announced that classes on the Pullman campus would be optional in the morning, at faculty's discretion, and canceled in the afternoon "as part of our efforts to ensure the safety and ease of travel throughout campus for faculty, staff, students and fans."
However Cougars fans use their extra time — sleeping, tailgating, partying — it seems to have great potential to make the Thursday night contest against ASU a little more interesting. Given that it's Halloween on a college campus, we're betting a good portion of the student body shows up in costume and perhaps a bit more lubricated than they might usually.
In his statement, Floyd said he'd solicited the advice of athletic director Bill Moos and Washington State's Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Deans Council to determine how best to handle the opportunity to showcase the campus on national TV, with ESPN carrying the game on one of its networks.
"This is a rare opportunity for our university," Floyd said. "It is also the first time since 2005 that WSU has played a Thursday home football game, so it presents some special challenges."
Translation: Enjoy the day off and make sure your butt's in a seat at game time.
