Ross Bjork Says Ohio State Wanted To Move Texas Game Out Of Noon Slot

In an interview with Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch on May 29, Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork revealed the Buckeyes attempted to move their Aug. 30 game with Texas out of the noon slot.

“For these kind of games, especially a nonconference season-opener, playing at night has a special feel,” Bjork said. “We tried as many different options as possible, including moving the game to Sunday night.”

As Bjork explained, any attempt to move the game to a separate day necessitates approval from the opposing team, and the Longhorns said no to the date change.

Ohio State still aimed to get the game moved to Saturday night rather than noon, but Bjork said the contract signed by the Big Ten in 2022 made it nearly impossible to move the game away from noon.

“They’re a great partner,” Bjork said of Fox. “They tried. They have the first pick each week. There was no way they were not going to choose the Ohio State-Texas game. Here’s the bottom line: The lack of flexibility that’s built into the current TV contracts between Fox, CBS and NBC did not allow this game to be moved to another window.

Despite the failed attempts to move the time of the game, Bjork is still optimistic the Buckeyes will have a great atmosphere for what will likely be a top-five matchup.

“It’s going to be a great game-day setting,” Bjork said. “Let’s capitalize on the moment, regardless of when the game is played.”