After weeks of speculation, it’s now official: the biggest game of college football’s Week 1 schedule in 2025 will start at noon.
On Thursday, Fox Sports announced Big Noon Kickoff‘s first three stops of the upcoming campaign. And as has long been the expectation, that will include the Week 1 matchup between reigning national champion Ohio State and Texas in Columbus, which is now officially set for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff.
That isn’t welcome news in the Buckeye State.
With Fox entering its third season as the Big Ten’s top rightsholder, Ohio State fans have become plenty familiar with noon kickoffs. The 2024 season saw the Buckeyes kickoff off at 12 p.m. in six separate games — half of their regular-season schedule — prompting backlash from fans, especially when it comes to highly anticipated matchups like the upcoming Week 1 Cotton Bowl rematch.
While one Ohio politician even used it as an opportunity to generate some headlines, Ohio State took a more practical approach, with Fox permitting the Buckeyes to move the game from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night. Texas, however, didn’t accept Ohio State’s offer, leaving Fox to keep the game at noon on Saturday and deal with the ensuing backlash.
As for the rest of Fox’s plans, Week 2 will take its pregame show to Ames, Iowa, for the annual Cy-Hawk series between Iowa State and Iowa. In Week 3, Rob Stone and Co. will be in Evanston, Illinois, as Northwestern hosts Oregon, with the Ducks facing the Wildcats in a game that will kickoff at 9 a.m. local time in Eugene.
The remainder of Fox’s Big Noon plans will be determined as the season progresses, although it’s a safe bet the Buckeyes will once again get a healthy serving of 12 p.m. ET start times. In addition to the first fourth of its Big Noon Kickoff schedule, Fox also announced its full Friday night lineup, which will begin with Baylor hosting Auburn at 8 p.m. ET on Aug. 29.