Chris Del Conte responds as Texas blocks prime-time move for 2025 opener at Ohio State
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Chris Del Conte shares thoughts on Ohio State game scheduling
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas Lottery results: Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for Aug. 19, 2025
The Texas Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here's a look at Aug. 19, 2025, results for each game: Mega Millions 10-19-24-49-68, Mega Ball: 10 Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here. Pick 3 Morning: 0-6-1, FIREBALL: 4 Day: 2-9-1, FIREBALL: 3 Evening: 2-1-0, FIREBALL: 1 Night: 9-2-7, FIREBALL: 4 Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Pick 4 Morning: 0-7-8-2, FIREBALL: 5 Day: 9-8-9-7, FIREBALL: 1 Evening: 7-3-7-5, FIREBALL: 1 Night: 8-1-8-9, FIREBALL: 4 Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here. All or Nothing Morning: 02-03-04-06-07-08-11-12-13-16-20-23 Day: 01-02-04-06-08-09-11-12-15-17-21-24 Evening: 03-05-09-12-14-15-17-18-20-22-23-24 Night: 01-04-05-06-08-09-11-12-17-18-23-24 Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here. Cash Five 01-04-18-19-35 Check Cash Five payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Texas editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas Lottery results: Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for Aug. 19, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PISD Board of Trustees calls for bond election
The Palestine Independent School District Board of Trustees is calling for a bond election this November. According to a press release from PISD, the board made this decision, by vote, following the recommendation from district administrators who have studied and reviewed assessments of the district's campuses and facilities. The proposed bond is for the construction of a new career and technology education center, renovations to aging facilities, to address parking and traffic flow in and around campuses as well as safety and security upgrades. 'It has been 16 years since the last bond election in Palestine ISD. The 2025 Bond helps address our buildings and spaces that are on average 45 years old,' Superintendent Jason Marshall stated in the release. According to the release, Texas school districts do not receive state funding for renovating or building new schools. Instead, they must receive funds through school bond elections. The 2025 November Bond will ask voters to consider a $60 million package in one proposition. 'We are obligated as good stewards to keep our voters informed about only the facts surrounding this bond,' Marshall stated in the release. 'These bond funds will only be used on the projects identified in this bond package and on the ballot. We will be reaching out by phone, mail, digital and social media to inform all our voters about the facts before they go to the polls in October and November.' The release stated the estimated financial impact of the bond would be $5 a month on a home valued at $200,000 in PISD with a homestead exemption. 'If paid for by bond funds, district-wide repairs would help make school buildings more energy efficient and lower operating costs – allowing the district to allocate its annual maintenance and operations funds back into the classroom for other items like teacher salaries and student programs,' officials with the school stated in the press release. More information about the bond projects and voting locations is available on the district website at Early voting begins Oct. 20 and ends Oct. 31, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. To register to vote or to find out your registration status, call the Anderson County Elections Department at 903-723-7438 or visit the county website at Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tarrant County reduces November Election Day voting locations by 33%
Citing low turnout rates and cost reductions, Tarrant County commissioners on Tuesday cut the number of voting locations for the Nov. 4 constitutional amendment election. Early voting locations were cut by a fourth, from 44 in 2023 to 33. Election Day sites fell by more than a third, from 330 to 214. Commissioners were considering 24 early sites but added nine after Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig told the court the initial numbers were the 'bare minimum' he would recommend. Odd year elections often have a lower turnout rate with the 2023 election drawing 12.48% of the Tarrant County registered voters. Five sites had fewer than 300 people come to vote throughout the early voting period. This year's ballot includes 17 constitutional amendment proposals, including an increase in the homestead exemption for school taxes. The Senate District 9 race is also on the ballot. 'I would venture to guess, 99% of the public cannot name a single thing on there,' County Judge Tim O'Hare said. 'And if they can name it, it's the homestead exemption.' The state requires the county to have 212 Election Day locations. Ludwig said having two more than that will allow room for unforeseeable closures. The reduction will save the county over $1 million, according to Ludwig. One early voting center costs 'on average, a little over $10,300' to operate, Ludwig told the court. With the aim of cutting costs and a minimum number of sites in mind, the elections office identified which locations had the lowest voter turnout. When two locations were near one another, the site with less attendance was removed from the list. 'We couldn't just take, you know, the 12 highest turnout locations and throw them on the map, because it clearly puts them all in specific areas, and you have big gaps all over the map. So we also have to look at, how do we get locations spread around the county to ensure that there's accessibility, the distance isn't too great for anybody to get there.' The average distance between early voting locations is 4.5 miles, with the greatest distance being 10 miles at the Azle location. Commissioner Roderick Miles, a Democrat from Como, said this effort is not about cost efficiency; it's about voter suppression. 'Everybody deserves the right to have a place that they are comfortable with and familiar with to go and to cast their vote,' Miles said. 'My people lived, died and suffered and fought for the right to be able to vote, and to dismantle or to take those rights away from us that we worked hard to get is unacceptable on any level. It's not about money, it's about access. If there's only one person that goes to a voting site, so be it that's one person that got to participate in the democratic process, it doesn't matter the cost.' In discussion ahead of the vote, four commissioners on the five-person court said they wanted to see additional polling locations added to the initial list of 24. Commissioner Manny Ramirez, a Republican from Fort Worth, said the initial list left off voting locations he knows to be used heavily in the past. 'Some of these neighborhoods are like cities in and of themselves,' Ramirez said. The nine added were: Como Community Center, Legacy Learning Center Northwest ISD, Tarrant County College Northwest Campus, Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, Charles F. Griffin Building, Bob Duncan Center, Gary Fickes Northeast Courthouse, Vernon Newsom Stadium, Dover Fellowship Hall. Only the two Tarrant County College locations were not already on the Election Day list. Commissioners Ramirez, Miles, Alisa Simmons and Matt Krause voted in favor of the added locations, and O'Hare opposed. The full list of early voting and Election Day locations was approved by a 3-2 vote along party lines. Simmons, a Democrat from Arlington, said she would rather wait and vote on the list at a special called meeting since Ludwig and County Administrator Chandler Merritt will not be at the next scheduled meeting on Sept. 3. 'There's no evidence that due diligence was conducted by the election administrator,' Simmons said. 'The elections administrator, he single handedly developed these lists without guidance and input from the top leadership in this county. So to me, today is not a good day to vote on these lists.' Krause said he applauds the effort Ludwig and his team made, though he knows no one will be excited by the loss of voting centers. 'When we talked, I know everything was driven by just pure voter turnout, and I think that's the right way to do it,' Krause said. 'I think that you were looking at, I understand some of the concerns the commissioner was just talking about, but I actually appreciated that that's how you looked at it.' Of the 96 residents signed up to comment on the issue, all but one who spoke were opposed. They highlighted the fragility of voter trust, the lack of accessibility to the ballot box and the disproportionate effect it will have on voters with fewer resources. Loretta Hardeman, the lead clerk for elections at Como Community Center, was one such resident who called upon the commissioners to add locations to the list. The community center had initially not been on it, but was added by Krause. 'My prayers were answered,' Hardeman said in reaction to the addition. She said in her 30 years of serving during elections, a loving relationship has been born between herself and the voters she sees annually. 'I know more about a lot of these voters than just average, coming in and vote,' Hardeman said. 'We make sure if they can get in the line, I'll personally go out there and push the wheelchair, bring them in, and we're going to make sure we get them back to their cars. It's love. It's bigger than having a building. Is the love for the voters. You have to love people, you have to want to help. And it comes back tenfold.' Hardeman promised that if someone comes to vote at the Como Community Center, they'll be back every election thereafter. 'We celebrate our first time voters, so they get excited, and they bring other first time voters back to us,' Hardeman said. 'I've seen throughout my tenure, parents that have come and brought their children from three and four years old, even babies that they have grown up during my time, and come back and tell me about their lives, bring their girlfriends, their fiances, their wives when they marry and vote.' Solve the daily Crossword
