Chris Del Conte responds as Texas blocks prime-time move for 2025 opener at Ohio State
Chris Del Conte responds as Texas blocks prime-time move for 2025 opener at Ohio State Chris Del Conte kept it short and sweet for his reasoning to keep the game on Saturday.
The Texas Longhorns will open their 2025 football season against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus — and it will remain a Big Noon Saturday kickoff despite efforts to move the game to Sunday night.
According to multiple reports, including one from Horns247, it was the Texas athletic department that declined a proposal from Ohio State and Fox Sports to shift the highly anticipated matchup into a Sunday prime-time slot.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte didn't mince words when asked about the decision.
'Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week? I've got to go to church,' Del Conte said Wednesday, citing concerns over recovery time and personal priorities.
When Fox Sports initially announced it had secured the rights to the game, the kickoff time was noticeably absent, prompting speculation the network was eyeing a marquee evening slot. Ohio State's athletic department reportedly lobbied for the move in hopes of avoiding yet another noon kickoff — a time slot that many Buckeyes fans believe stifles the game-day experience and tailgating atmosphere in Columbus.
But that effort hit a wall.
Since a Sunday move would alter the scheduled date of the game, Texas had to sign off on the change — something it was unwilling to do. Sources indicate that Texas believed its chances of winning would be stronger with a noon start and preferred not to compromise its preparation for the following week's game against San Jose State.
Fox has faced criticism from Ohio State fans in recent seasons for placing the Buckeyes in the Big Noon Saturday window for several high-profile games, diminishing the typical energy associated with late afternoon or evening kickoffs at Ohio Stadium.
Had the game remained on Saturday but simply moved into a later time slot, Texas would have had no jurisdiction. But the proposed shift to Sunday required mutual agreement, and UT made its position clear.
Texas and Ohio State are set to rematch after the Cotton Bowl win that advanced Ohio State to the National Championship, and then to win it all. This will also be the first game Texas has Arch Manning at the helm of the team. The 2025 showdown is expected to be one of the premier non-conference games of the season, drawing national attention — regardless of the time slot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How to buy Texas vs Texas Tech softball College World Series tickets
How to buy Texas vs Texas Tech softball College World Series tickets The dynasty is over, a new champion of college softball will be crowned. No. 12 Texas Tech defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 3-2 in Monday night's Women's College World Series semifinal, advancing to the finals and ending the Sooners' run of four-consecutive NCAA titles. The Red Raiders survived a scare after Oklahoma homered with two outs in the bottom of the last inning to tie the game, but a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning kept the team undefeated and sent the underdogs onto the College World Series finals. Texas Tech, in its first College World Series appearance, will now take on in-state rival No. 6 Texas in the best-of-three game finals. Texas shutout Tennessee earlier in the day to advance to the finals and the Longhorns are also undefeated during the College World Series. Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Texas vs. Texas Tech College World Series softball championship tickets. Shop Texas vs Texas Tech softball World Series tickets Texas vs Texas Tech softball tickets Here are the cheapest available tickets for Texas vs. Texas Tech in the Women's College World Series finals: Texas vs. Texas Tech College World Series schedule The Women's College World Series will conclude from Oklahoma City later this week. The finals is a best-of-three game series, with Game 3 only occurring if the teams split the first two games. Game 1 : Wednesday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET - Shop tickets : Wednesday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET - Shop tickets Game 2 : Thursday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET - Shop tickets : Thursday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET - Shop tickets Game 3*: Friday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET - Shop tickets * = if necessary Shop Texas vs. Texas Tech softball World Series tickets
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Oklahoma head baseball coach gives UNC the ultimate compliment in postgame presser
Oklahoma head baseball coach gives UNC the ultimate compliment in postgame presser When another head coach calls you a team capable of winning a championship, you listen. With its 14-4 victory over Oklahoma in Monday's winner-take-all matchup to close out the Chapel Hill Regional, the UNC (45-13) baseball team solidified one thing: it's one of the country's best. Not only did the Diamond Heels dominate Monday, but they did so against a Sooners squad from arguably the best conference across college baseball. North Carolina lost 9-5 against Oklahoma a day earlier, but responded with its best offensive outburst of the 2025 postseason. UNC also won 11-5 against the Sooners on Saturday evening. Beating a team twice in three days is extremely tough to do in any sport, particularly during the baseball postseason, in which only the best teams and players remain. The Diamond Heels' latest obliteration of Oklahoma prompted the Sooners' head coach, Skip Johnson, to deliver the ultimate compliment. "You guys have a team here that can win the national championship, I can tell you that," Johnson said during his postgame press conference. "They're good. They're really good. They can run, they can do a lot of things. You guys should be proud of that." This message sound familiar? LSU's College World Series-winning head coach, Jay Johnson (no relation), also called North Carolina a National Championship-caliber team after the 2024 Chapel Hill Regional. If you recall that exciting ending, UNC downed the 2023 CWS champion Tigers, 4-3, in the 10th inning. You thought Oklahoma was a difficult opponent? Next up for the Diamond Heels is a Super Regional date with the Arizona Wildcats, who are 4-time College World Series winners. Arizona is winners of its last eight games. North Carolina has Jake Knapp, Gavin Gallaher and a team full of talented guys ready to counter – and hungry for a CWS title of their own. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Women's College World Series: Texas Tech walks off vs. Oklahoma, Texas blanks Tennessee to advance to finals
Lauren Allred's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Texas Tech a 3-2, walk-off win over Oklahoma in the Women's College World Series. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis) For the first time in five years, women's college softball will have a new national champion. Oklahoma was eliminated from the Women's College World Series with a 3-2 loss to Texas Tech on Monday. The Sooners had to defeat the Red Raiders twice to avoid double elimination, but Lauren Allred's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh made sure that wasn't an option with a walk-off win. Advertisement However, Oklahoma did not go down quietly with their season at stake in the seventh inning. Hannah Coor allowed the tying run to come to the plate with a one-out single. Isabela Emerling hit into a fielder's choice but kept the inning alive for Abby Dayton to blast a game-tying, two-run homer to right-center field with two strikes. The Red Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with Alana Johnson drawing a one-out walk against Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry. Demi Elder then drove Johnson in with a triple. Two batters later, Bailey Lindemuth brought Elder home with a single. For 6 2/3 innings, that was plenty of offense for Texas Tech star NiJaree Canady. Prior to the seventh and Dayton's 2-run shot, the junior right-hander allowed three hits and one walk while striking out seven Sooners batters. Advertisement Oklahoma's defeat ends what has been a dynastic run in women's college softball under head coach Patty Gasso. The Sooners had won the past four national championships and seven of the past 11 Women's College World Series. (They also made the finals of the 2019 tournament.) Texas 2, Tennessee 0 Teagan Kavan pitched three scoreless innings to close out a 2-0 win for Texas over Tennessee to lead the Longhorns to the Women's College World Series finals. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The Texas Longhorns are heading to the 2025 Women's College World Series finals. A day after Tennessee's dramatic win over UCLA, the Lady Volunteers were eliminated after a 2-0 loss to Texas on Monday. Offense was nowhere to be seen early in the contest. After three scoreless innings, frustrations finally boiled over for Tennessee. Following a questionable called strikeout by the home-plate umpire, Tennessee hitting coach Craig Snider was ejected from the contest for arguing balls and strikes. Advertisement Snider stormed out of the dugout to confront the home-plate ump on the field before he eventually walked back to the clubhouse. While the next Tennessee hitter was able to draw a walk, Texas pitcher Mac Morgan managed a groundout to end the inning. Morgan's ability to bounce back after Snider's outburst may have inspired the Longhorns. Texas outfielder Katie Stewart led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run on a ball that just carried over the left-field wall, giving Texas a 1-0 lead. Texas then took out Morgan — who had a season-high four strikeouts — in favor of sophomore pitcher Teagan Kavan. Advertisement After two scoreless — and hitless — innings by Kavan, Texas added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. A walk by Joley Mitchell and a single by Stewart put the Longhorns in scoring position. With two outs, Texas infielder Victoria Hunter hit a ground ball to third. Tennessee's Taylor Pannell scooped up the ball, but threw it too high to first. The ball sailed into the dugout, allowing Mitchell to score. With a 2-0 lead, Kavan took the mound in the seventh looking to close it out. Kavan allowed hard contact against the first two hitters she faced, but excellent defensive plays by Mia Scott at third and Leighann Goode at short kept Tennessee from starting a rally. Kavan then struck out Emma Clarke for the final out, sending Texas to the finals. Tremendous pitching performances by Morgan and Kavan propelled Texas to the victory. Morgan allowed just three hits over four innings of work, striking out four. Kavan did not allow a hit over the game's final three innings. Snider's ejection couldn't help Tennessee rally. The team failed to notch a single hit after the coach was sent to the clubhouse. With the win, Texas will move on to the finals, which will begin Wednesday. They'll take on the winner of Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Both teams will face off Monday. Because it's a double-elimination tournament, Oklahoma — which already has one loss — will need to beat Texas Tech twice in order to advance. Texas Tech can reach the finals with just one win over Oklahoma on Monday.
