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Ohio State AD says Buckeyes have ‘carried’ Big Noon, calls for more flexibility
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Ohio State AD Ross Bjork is ready to see some more flexibility in the system for game selection with the Big Ten’s media rights deal.
The media rights deal between the network trifecta of FOX, CBS and NBC features traditionally designated time slots for each network. Within that model, FOX has commanded the 12 pm ET time slot, and the network carries the most weight within the deal and often has dibs on the top games of the week.
It’s a time slot that Ryan Day found his program regularly slotted last season, ending the season on a wild streak of noon kickoffs, much to the agony of many fans. Now, the AD is echoing those sentiments after confirming that Texas denied an attempt to move the season opener vs. Ohio State to Sunday.
“We really started the conversation back in the fall as we were forecasting out, knowing that we had a lot of noon games last year, just forecasting out, we’ve got Texas, a big-time game… I think our program, our fans deserve some marquee night games,” said Bjork.
“… We asked (Texas to move to Sunday). I don’t blame them, but those conversations started. We worked with FOX, they were understanding. But really, at the end of the day, there’s no flexibility in the contracts. FOX bought the noon window, CBS bought the afternoon window, and NBC has the night window.”
Bjork holds no ill will against the Longhorns, but he is tired of the lack of flexibility within the system, proclaiming Ohio State has “carried” FOX’s noon time slot thus far:
“What we need is more flexibility. Can that happen anytime soon? I don’t know. But I think every program should deserve the right to have way more flexibility,” Bjork claimed. “We have carried the day for Big Noon. There’s no question about it.”
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The three-headed media deal was always bound to produce some oddities as a previously unheard-of model, especially for a conference with the prestige of the Big Ten. Now, we’ll see if the Buckeyes get some of the primetime relief they’re seeking, but they won’t find any before the much-anticipated rematch vs. the Longhorns.