Fox took over as the main Big Ten broadcast partner in 2017. With that position, Fox got some perks including first pick of games for much of the football season. That means this year’s edition of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry will air on Fox November 24. It marks the second consecutive year that the Wolverines-Buckeyes game will be on Fox.
So when the Wolverines travel to Columbus, expect to see Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the call. Last year’s contest gave Fox its second-best rating ever for a college football game registering a 6.1 rating and 10.5 million viewers, although it was down significantly from 2016 when it aired on ABC.
Fox made the announcement during its network upfront presentation. The network’s college football schedule also includes the annual Red River Rivalry game between Texas and Oklahoma on October 6 and the Michigan-Michigan State contest on October 2o.
This will bring Fox a strong college football schedule and combined with the premiere of Thursday Night Football this season, the network should be quite football heavy on weekends. The NFL will kick off what will be in essence four days of football through Sunday from September through November.
Ohio State appeared seven times in 2017 on Fox or FS1. Michigan was on Fox four times.
Fox’s contract with the Big Ten runs through 2022.
About Ken Fang
Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.
He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.
Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.