With Fox Sports broadcasting Texas football’s season opener against Ohio State, it was understood the two premier programs would be slotted for the company’s “Big Noon Kickoff” time slot. However, Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork approached Fox about moving the game to Sunday night prime time, according to a report from 247Sports.
The Longhorns said no, much to the dismay of Buckeyes fans. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte recently explained the university’s reasoning — they did not want to give themselves less rest heading into Week 2.
Advertisement
“Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week?” Del Conte said. “I’ve got to go to church.”
More: Will Texas football have to avoid scheduling marquee matchups like Ohio State? | Golden
Athletic director Chris Del Conte speaks during a press conference as The University of Texas announces Sean Miller as their new men’s basketball coach Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Ohio State played its final six 2024 regular-season games at noon ET, to the frustration of its faithful followers. It got to the point that Ohio State Rep. Tex Fischer, R-Boardman, introduced a bill about two weeks ago that would require Ohio State football games to kick off at 3:30 pm ET or later if the Buckeyes are playing a top-10 ranked team in the Associated Press poll. The only exception would be Michigan.
Advertisement
Texas played 14 and 16 games in the past two seasons as they made the College Football Playoff. The extended season means recovery time is placed at a premium, with the Longhorns cancelling their annual spring game in part due to wear and tear.
So while Ohio State might not be happy, it makes sense that Texas does not want to give up a day of rest and shorten its schedule to accommodate their opponents.
Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas vs Ohio State football 2025: Why the game won’t move to Sunday