The 2014 Cougar Football schedule for next season changed Tuesday when the opener against Rutgers University moved from Friday, Aug. 29 to Thursday, Aug. 28.

The teams will play the game in CenturyLink Field for the annual Seattle Game.

“A large amount of our fan base is from the west side, and being able to take the game to them helps the program,” Associate Director of Athletics Bill Stevens said.

The Seattle Game helps reach donors to the team and boosts revenue, Stevens said.

The schedule of the Seattle Mariners played a role in the date change, he said. The Mariners have a game on Friday night, so the Cougar game was moved to Thursday.

Stevens said the date and time of the game will not have much of an impact on the players’ academic schedules. The players fortunately do not miss many classes throughout the year, anyway, he said.

The Cougars will play Rutgers in New Jersey the following year on Sept. 12, 2015.