Ohio State fans are not exactly thrilled over the latest development surrounding FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff.”
The Buckeyes have been a staple on FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff,” which means they frequently play at 12:00 pm ET on Saturdays. Their games draw big TV viewership numbers, which is why FOX likes to have them play in that time slot, which follows FOX’s pregame show intended to compete with ESPN’s “GameDay.”
This week, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork told WOSU’s “All Sides” that he expects the Ohio State-Penn State game on November 1 to be a noon kickoff.
“I think we know the Buckeyes drive Big Noon Kickoff. That’ll be a high-powered game. So I think we probably know what’s going to happen around game time for that one,” Bjork said. “FOX, they love the Buckeyes. And Big Noon is a big deal. They’ve invested in that time slot. So we’ll presume it’s a 12 noon kickoff,” Bjork said.
Buckeyes fans have gotten used to having noon kickoffs, which they don’t necessarily prefer. However, there is an aspect about the noon kickoff for the Penn State game that has fans annoyed. Ohio State has declared the Nov. 1 game to be a “blackout” game. In a blackout game, Buckeyes players wear black jerseys, and fans are encouraged to wear black as well. When executed properly, the coordination between fans and players helps to create an intimidating environment. This type of effort is especially effective for a night game, so having a “blackout” during a noon kickoff loses the luster.
Buckeyes fans aren’t too happy about that.
Ross Bjork told a news outlet today that he expects Ohio State vs. Penn St to be a noon kickoff for the BLACKOUT. That, IMO is football scheduling malpractice pic.twitter.com/2LOZRDvHW5
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) August 6, 2025
Defeats the purpose of it being a BLACKOUT during a NOON GAME 🤦🏿♂️
— Dragon Hayabusa 🎮 (@Kid_Da_04) August 6, 2025
Can we please lose these black uni's. Black out during the day is stupid. Scarlet the shoe makes way more sense, and it's one of our primary colors.
— Tony Langenkamp (@tvlang) August 7, 2025
Noon is the perfect time for a football game.
— Doug Kline (@DougKline7) August 7, 2025
Ohio State having issues with Big Noon Kickoff is nothing new. In fact, a politician introduced some legislature to fight the early kickoff times for the school.
