Oklahoma AD slams FOX for start time of game against Nebraska

The renewal of the Oklahoma-Nebraska football rivalry in 2021 has been surprisingly fraught with off-field tension, and that escalated again on Thursday.

Sooners athletic director Joe Castiglione took aim at FOX for scheduling the game for its “Big Noon Kickoff” telecast on Aug. 28. That means the game will be played at 11 a.m. local time, despite the efforts of Oklahoma to get the game played at a “more traditional time that would honor this game and our fans.”

Statement from @soonerad on the OU-Nebraska football game: pic.twitter.com/p6fUJBwW5e

— Oklahoma Sooners (@OU_Athletics) May 27, 2021

It’s not exactly common that a school would take on a TV partner publicly over this, but it’s also understandable why FOX would want this game in its typical showcase window. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work as well for Central Time.

The game has been dramatic for a lot of reasons, none related to the rekindling of the long-standing rivalry. One school even confirmed it tried to back out of playing the contest, but ultimately failed to do so. Now that it’s officially on the schedule, there’s a new controversy. Who knows what more might happen in the three months to go before the game is scheduled?