Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork leading crusade for more football night games
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.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
2025 Gold Cup Rules: Why Yellow And Red Cards Won't Affect World Cup Co-Hosts
Stars of the United States and Mexico won't have to worry about missing out on the first game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they take the field for the Concacaf Gold Cup final on Sunday (4 p.m. PT on FOX). That's because any potential suspension from either a red card or multiple yellow cards will be served prior to next year's World Cup. In a recent change by Concacaf, players from the three 2026 World Cup co-hosts — Canada, Mexico, and the United States — can serve that suspension in the team's next international friendly match. The next competition for those three countries is technically the 2026 World Cup, but due to the exception outlined by FIFA for host nations, they aren't affected by potential suspensions based on card accumulation. That's particularly relevant for Canada, which won't have Jacob Shaffelburg for its next match after he picked up two yellows in the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Guatemala. Shaffelburg would have missed out Canada's next competitive match (their 2026 World Cup opener) but instead can serve the suspension when the team travels to Romania for a Sept. 5 friendly match. It also makes a difference for Mexico and the U.S., which have nine combined yellow cards going into Sunday's final (four from the U.S., five from Mexico). An additional yellow card or a red card for any of the already-cautioned players will result in a suspension for their friendlies in September. The change comes as a result of article 69.3 of FIFA's disciplinary code, which states that "if a representative team is hosting a final competition and is consequently not required to participate in qualifying matches to reach the final competition of this tournament and its next official match is in that final competition, any match suspension shall be carried over to the representative team's next friendly match." This differs from Concacaf's Disciplinary Code, which states that any unserved suspensions outstanding at the end of the competition will be carried over to the "next official match of the player or team official's National Team." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
5 hours ago
- Fox Sports
USA Gets Mexico In The Gold Cup Final Everyone Wanted: 'We Owe Them'
ST. LOUIS — U.S. men's national team defender Chris Richards didn't hesitate when asked if he wanted to face Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup final. It was only an hour after the U.S. had outlasted Guatemala 2-1 in Wednesday's semifinal. But Richards was upfront about wanting to face the Americans' historic nemesis in Sunday's grand finale in Houston (coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on FOX). Mexico was still locked in a scoreless battle with Honduras halfway across the country at that point. It would've been easy for Richards to hedge. He didn't. "Yeah," Richards said. "Yeah, I do." "We owe them a little something from the October camp," Richards added, alluding to Mexico's 2-0 win in Guadalajara last fall that snapped a seven-game winless run against the Americans. "We'll do it by winning a trophy." He and his USMNT teammates got their wish. Mexico went on to defeat Honduras 1-0 in Santa Clara, California, and advance to Sunday's championship. It promises to be a sold-out crowd of more than 70,000 mostly green-clad fans at NRG Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans. "Growing up seeing the USA-Mexico games, to be able to play in one would be unreal," said U.S. forward Diego Luna, a Mexican-American who scored both goals against Guatemala. The atmosphere on Sunday will be off the charts. But Wednesday's match was the ideal dress rehearsal for coach Mauricio Pochettino's squad, who were the home team only in name at Energizer Park. Most of the 22,000 there were rooting for the Guatemalans, who hadn't made it to the Gold Cup semifinal round in almost three decades. The noise inside the stadium was deafening for most of the contest. It made for an unforgettable spectacle, with the emotion from the stands spurring on both sides. "It's so intense," said St. Louis native Tim Ream, who captained his country for the 20th occasion on Wednesday, tying him with program legend Clint Dempsey for 11th on the all-time list. "It adds more to the game, adds more pressure." And for the most part, the Americans dealt with it well. Both of Luna's goals came inside the first 15 minutes of the contest, which helped take the air out of the building — at least for a while. But Los Chapines soon got their supporters back in the game and probably had the better of the play the rest of the way. "They had nothing to lose," said Ream. "They're down 2-0 after 15 minutes and they can go all-out, because they have to find a way back into the game." By the time it was over, the visitors had kept 51 percent of possession and out-shot the U.S. 20-12, finally beating keeper Matt Freese on Olger Escobar's strike that made the final 10 minutes excruciating for the USMNT backers in the house. Still, Pochettino's team found a way to survive. Those lessons could prove invaluable this weekend and, with the 2026 World Cup on home soil less than a year away, beyond. "This game tonight would be like the little brother to the U.S.-Mexico game," Richards said. "If they were a bit nervous for that one, the next line is going to be a lot bigger…it was really important for some of the younger guys to experience that." As grizzled Concacaf veterans, Ream and Richards weren't surprised that the U.S. was basically the away team at home. It's been the case for U.S. teams going back decades when they come up against rival countries where soccer is regarded as more religion than sport. It was a new experience for the many youngsters on this roster, which is missing about a dozen regulars this summer, including AC Milan star and USMNT headliner Christian Pulisic. "Growing up seeing the USA-Mexico games, to be able to play in one would be unreal" — U.S. men's team star Diego Luna But it surely surprised some of the youngsters. It was an eye-opener for Pochettino, too. "Unbelievable, the fans of Guatemala," the coach said. "It was an atmosphere that we did not expect." "That is Concacaf," Ream said. "You're playing in the heart of the heart of America and you have 95 percent Guatemalan fans. "You have to embrace it," he continued. "You have to enjoy it." Luna certainly did. "I loved it," he said. "That's what every game should be like." The next one will be several orders of magnitude bigger. But this young U.S. team has shown plenty of resilience in its last two games, including last Sunday's penalty shootout win over Costa Rica in the quarterfinals. And this squad has earned the right to play on the biggest stage there is in this corner of Planet Fútbol. Few would've predicted a U.S.-Mexico decider at the start of the tournament, which the Americans entered on the back of a four-match losing streak — their longest run of futility since 2007. Now they are just one more victory away from their eighth Gold Cup title. "We're onto a final, a final that I'd say a month ago, everyone basically counted us out of," Ream said. "Shame on them." Whether or not they prevail, the U.S. will be ready. "It's new for a lot of guys to play in environments like this – that's something we can build off," Luna said. "This is a great example for what's to come on Sunday." recommended Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
USA vs. Guatemala: Everything To Know, How To Watch Gold Cup Semifinals
The United States and Guatemala will go head-to-head for the first time in almost a decade in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals on Wednesday on FOX (kickoff at 7 p.m. ET; coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on FS1). The U.S. and Guatemala haven't played each other since the World Cup qualifying semifinals in 2016, when both sides won their respective home matches. That was the sole loss for the U.S. in their last 23 meetings with Guatemala (16W-6D-1L). The U.S. has never lost at home to Guatemala, winning 14 of 15 games, and drawing only a 2007 friendly. Could that change on Wednesday? Here's everything you need to know about the highly-anticipated match:Odds as of July 2:USA to win Gold Cup semifinal: -380 (bet $10 to win $12.63 total)Guatemala to win Gold Cup semifinal: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total) How to watch United States vs. Guatemala: The match will air on FS1 and the FOX Sports app at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 2. The U.S. At The Gold Cup So Far: Scouting Guatemala: How To Watch United States vs. Guatemala: The match will air on FS1 and the FOX Sports app at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 2. Editor's Picks: Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
