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There aren’t many college football fans who’d prefer to see their team play in a game that kicks off at noon, a time slot that tends to be reserved for the least anticipated contests on the weekly slate. There’s only so much schools can do to control the schedule, but one lawmaker in Ohio has proposed a bill that’s seemingly designed to spare the Buckeyes that particular fate.
College football teams have a fair amount of leeway when it comes to firming up their non-conference schedule, and while they know what date every game will fall on before the season begins, they don’t have any say when it comes to the specific times those contests will begin once it gets underway.
Those decisions ultimately fall into the hands of the television networks that pay boatloads of money for the right to broadcast those games, and they have plenty of incentive to make sure the ones that are surrounded by the most hype are scheduled at a time that allows them to maximize viewership.
Night games tend to be the premier attraction, but it’s usually too hard to complain about the 3:30 timeslot. With that said, it is very easy to complain about noon games, which are especially frustrating if you’re attending one in person due to the limited tailgating possibilities but also tend to be the least attractive option for most people watching from home.
Fox has attempted to flip the script with the “Big Noon Saturday” game it reserves for the most anticipated Big Ten showdown it has the rights to air, which has become a bit of a sore point among fans of the most talented teams in the conference in recent years.
That includes Ohio State, which saw five of the 12 games it played during the regular season last year designated for the Big Noon Saturday slot—an issue that’s led to one politician drafting a bill to push back.
Tex Fischer, a Republican state representative for District 59 (comprised of a region south of Youngstown), is behind a piece of legislation that would technically apply to every public university in the state but is ostensibly designed to benefit Ohio State by mandating any game between two teams in the Top 10 must be held at 3:30 P.M. or later.
A few weeks ago, I said it would be a crime for FOX to put Ohio State vs Texas at noon.
Promises made, promises kept! https://t.co/yTBk2F9rmD
— Tex Fischer (@texfischer) May 15, 2025
There is an exception for games where an earlier start time is considered a “college football tradition,” which is obviously meant to make sure Ohio State and Michigan continue to start their rivalry games at noon.
Fischer’s bill proposes a $10 million fine for conferences or networks that failed to abide by the law, although it’s obviously worth noting this is primarily a publicity stunt that won’t be codified—as was the case with the bills previously floated by Ohio politicians who’ve targeted streaming services and tried to ban flag-planting.