Because ESPN is a money making enterprise and apparently those that make programming decisions for the network have determined that televising college football games on Friday nights from the end of August into November draws sufficient ratings to justify negotiating television contracts with the conferences (including the ACC which agreed to comply with the request for Friday night games for an increased rights fee) requiring a certain number of games hosted by conference teams to be played on Friday nights. As for the 6 pm start, ESPN is also televising Wazzu at Houston game at 9:15 that night; so, the UNC at WF game starts at 6 pm to accommodate the double-header.
Used to be that ESPN would televise games on Thursday nights. Then, the NFL took over that night. So, ESPN (and other networks like CBS Sports Network) started televising college games on Fridays as there are people that like to watch football on the weekends regardless of who is playing. That's why WF at Rice is being played on Friday this week.
As for why ESPN chose WF v. UNC, is that a serious question in 2019? Literally every college football game between two Power V conference teams is televised. It's not just Notre Dame v. USC that gets on TV these days. If the networks couldn't make money televising UNC v. WF they wouldn't do it. This Friday, ESPN is televising Boise v. Marshall; so, it doesn't appear the viewing public is super-picky about who they watch as long as football is on.
Guessing that among other reasons how a random college football game can garner enough attention to justify ESPN televising it is that with the growth of sports gambling, there are enough people sitting around on a Friday night that want action meaning that degenerate gamblers alone create a large enough audience for ESPN to sell advertising to mesothelioma ambulance chasers to justify the limited production cost and rights fee that it takes to televise college football games.
Not to pile on, but don't see the need for Currie to explain this to the WF fanbase. Everyone knows or should know that TV sets the starting time for almost every WF football and basketball game and that has been the case for a long time.