If you are an Ohio State football fan, you’ve endured more than your fair share of Buckeye noon games thanks to FOX’s bet on placing its marquee game of the weekend in the early viewing window. It’s been known as the Big Noon Game and falls just after the network’s answer to ESPN College GameDay, a similar show with former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Big Noon Kickoff.
To say that OSU fans are fed up with a lack of night games for the biggest of games would be an understatement. It’s no secret that Ohio State games have carried the day for the Big Noon window, and many fans are clamoring for Athletic Director Ross Bjork and others to pull their weight to change what has become the status quo. The realization that the Ohio State vs. Texas game will also be highlighted at Noon seemed to make those calls even louder.
But never fear, Bjork seems to be in your corner Buckeye fans. When meeting with the media last week, the new AD spoke to the so-called issue with game times, and it sure sounds like he’ll be working to change OSU fans’ viewing big games just after breakfast.
“I think our program, our fans deserve some marquee night games. … Really, at the end of the day, there’s no flexibility in the contracts,” Bjork told the media. “FOX bought the noon window. … What we need is we need more flexibility. Can that happen anytime soon? I don’t know. … We understand why FOX went with Big Noon, we understand why we’re picked all the time, but we’re hoping (for) just, more flexibility.”
Same here, Ross. Flexibility in anything is good, especially when it comes to creating the type of environment a night game in the ‘Shoe can present. How it’s done, or how long we’ll have to wait is the question. The current television contracts run through 2029, so it sure seems like we’ve got a few years before there’s language that can be official. So, what we seem to be left with is people sitting down in a room or having a phone conversation to shift things a bit.
We feel good about Bjork making a run at that, but ultimately, it’s up to the executives at FOX to get on board with that sort of thing.
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