Ohio State vs. Texas move to Sunday primetime blocked by Longhorns, Fox exec says
Ohio State vs. Texas move to Sunday primetime blocked by Longhorns, Fox exec says
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Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams on cover of EA Sports College Football '26
EA Sports chose Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams to be on the cover of College Football '26. We talk to the athletes about what this moment means to them.
There has been plenty of discussion around the time for the season opener between Ohio State and Texas, and the Longhorns ultimately determined it.
The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch will kickoff the 2025 season in one of the most highly anticipated Week 1 games. When it was announced the game would be on Fox, the belief was the game would kick off at noon ET as part of the network's "Big Noon Saturday." The gametime was confirmed Thursday.
The timeslot has been widely disapproved of by Buckeyes fans, so much that an Ohio lawmaker introduced legislation to prevent Ohio State from playing early afternoon games.
Understanding the implications of the matchup, Ohio State reportedly tried to move the game to Sunday − with no NFL − for a primetime kickoff. However, Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill said Texas blocked the move.
'There was a deal in place between Fox and Ohio State to move the game to Sunday night,' Mulvihill told The Athletic. 'We felt like Week 1 prior to NFL kickoff gave us an opportunity to look at sort of an alternate scenario, and then Texas exercised their contractual right to keep the game on Saturday, which is completely their right. I can understand why they would take that position, but we did work with the school to try to come up with a different scenario and get the game to Sunday."
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte confirmed to ESPN he vetoed the decision, citing the short week it would create for the Longhorns. Texas plays San Jose State in Week 2 at noon ET.
Noon kickoffs have drawn the ire for Ohio State fans. When Fox debuted "Big Noon Saturday," the network could air a premier matchup in the first timeslot of the day as ESPN and CBS typically aired their top game in the late afternoon and evening. It's worked for ratings, but at the cost of people attending the game. Fans argue the early kickoff times force them to wake up earlier in the morning and give them less time to tailgate, in addition to losing the atmosphere that night games provide.
Ohio State has been a consistent College Football Playoff contender, and thus has made it an easy choice for Fox to pick for the noon timeslot. Five of Ohio State's eight home games during the regular 2024 season were at noon, including the last six games of the regular season.
The Buckeyes are also confirmed to have another Fox noon kickoff in the regular season finale at Michigan on Nov. 29, which is the rivalry's traditional time.
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