Ross Bjork hears the complaints loud and clear.
Ohio State’s athletic director knows Buckeye fans are sick of noon kickoffs. He didn’t exactly say he’s tired of them, too, but he didn’t shy away from the fact that his program deserves more night games.
This all came back into focus after Ohio State tried — and failed — to get Texas to move their noon kickoff. Texas’ AD wasn’t having it, citing church on Sunday and refusing to give his team a short week before facing San Jose State.
Bjork wanted to give Ohio State fans a break, but they should brace themselves: more noons are coming. Even with complaints hitting a fever pitch, this is just the reality of college football’s TV landscape today. The AD made it clear the program is pushing for change, even if the current system feels locked down. At the same time, he acknowledged the limitations in the contracts and the realities of television rights deals.
“Look, I think our program, our fans, deserve some marquee night games. So we started having that conversation,” Bjork said on Thursday. “Texas, in the contract, it goes both ways. They have the ability to approve or not if the game moves off of a Saturday. We asked them. I don’t blame them. But those conversations started. We worked with Fox. They were understanding. But, really, at the end of the day, there’s no flexibility in the contracts. Fox bought the noon window. CBS bought the afternoon window. And NBC has the night window. And then the Big Ten Network and Peacock layer into that.
“What we need is we need more flexibility. Can that happen anytime soon? I don’t know. But I think every program should deserve the right to have way more flexibility. We have carried the day for Big Noon. There’s no question about it. You look at the viewership. So, 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. That’s what we’re looking for. And so, I think Commissioner [Tony] Petitti is going to work with our TV partners. We’re going to continue to have those conversations, but can anything change anytime soon? Probably not. Because those contracts are rigid, and they’re locked in for several years.”
It’s not that Ohio State doesn’t want prime-time games. It’s that they’ve become the anchor for a TV package built around the noon hour. Bjork’s willing to fight for change, but until the money moves, the kickoffs won’t.
The Buckeyes might carry Big Noon, but it’s come at the cost of variety, and their fans know it.