* Each SEC school is supposed to have one game on ESPN+/SEC+. With additional changes due to TV announcements over the first three weeks, here's when I am assuming each SEC school will have their ESPN+ game:
- 8/31: Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
- 9/7: Florida, LSU, Missouri, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
- 9/14: Tennessee, Texas
- 11/2: Oklahoma
- 11/16: Alabama, Kentucky
- 11/23: Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina
* While we wait for Oregon State and Washington State to finalize their CW contract, I'm expecting at least one Friday night home game for each school to alleviate some Saturday congestion. The ACC contract between Raycom and the CW is for 13 football games also. With the 2024 regular season having an extra week, I could see a week where an ACC game is skipped by CW to carry other events like LIV Golf plus their newly added NASCAR Xfinity Series races late September through November. Or as you'll see below, the possibility of a ACC CW Friday night game.
* FOX supposedly has the top three selections across the season for the Big Ten. Providing that is indeed accurate, we can safely assume that Michigan at Ohio State is top choice along with FOX announcing that they'll carry Texas at Michigan for Week 2, a game FOX worked to maintain control of in 2024 by working with the two schools to switch venues for their matchups in 2024 and 2027.
My last pick at the top is an interesting one. FOX rarely gets a chance to show Alabama and they have their road game against Wisconsin, but Wisconsin isn't projected to be ranked coming into the season. This is also likely to be the Crimson Tide's first "test" of the season with new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
My last pick at the top is an interesting one. FOX rarely gets a chance to show Alabama and they have their road game against Wisconsin, but Wisconsin isn't projected to be ranked coming into the season. This is also likely to be the Crimson Tide's first "test" of the season with new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
So...what about taking Ohio State at Oregon on 10/12 or Ohio State at Penn State on 11/2? Ohio State at Oregon doesn't fit the "Big Noon" mold since it would be a 9am start in Eugene. FOX could certainly take it to air later in the afternoon. Friday night I don't believe is an option based on Ohio State's desire not to play on Fridays. Could certainly see it as the NBC game with Stanford at Notre Dame as a lead in too.
I think FOX will stick with Alabama at Wisconsin, while Ohio State at Oregon goes to CBS on 10/12 and Ohio State at Penn State on 11/2 for NBC at night, at least right now with those two for CBS and NBC.
I think FOX will stick with Alabama at Wisconsin, while Ohio State at Oregon goes to CBS on 10/12 and Ohio State at Penn State on 11/2 for NBC at night, at least right now with those two for CBS and NBC.
* FOX has the first pick of weeks where they can choose first in the Big 12 in 2024, the final year before ESPN gets primary control of football. What game would FOX look to choose first? Without the options of Oklahoma vs. Texas or Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, its not as cut and dry as it used to be.
Penn State at West Virginia would be an ideal candidate as the Nittany Lions are expected to be ranked, and WVU might be at the back end of the Top 25 to start the year, even if the road team being an expected Top 10 ranked team to start the year is the reason to choose it.
Utah at Oklahoma State (Week 4), Oklahoma State at Kansas State & Arizona at Utah (both latter two Week 5) seem like they could be a big games early in the Big 12 season based on the "Way Too Early" rankings in a few places, but none has the juice you might be looking for. Kansas State at Kansas for Week 9 is further down the schedule too.
Arizona at Kansas State is also in that mix, but it has already been reserved as a Friday night game for someone. I'm looking through who might have those as well.
In the end, I think it will be Penn State at West Virginia that FOX looks to take off the top of the Big 12 inventory, taking their chances with other weeks down the schedule to get quality games from the Big 12.
Penn State at West Virginia would be an ideal candidate as the Nittany Lions are expected to be ranked, and WVU might be at the back end of the Top 25 to start the year, even if the road team being an expected Top 10 ranked team to start the year is the reason to choose it.
Utah at Oklahoma State (Week 4), Oklahoma State at Kansas State & Arizona at Utah (both latter two Week 5) seem like they could be a big games early in the Big 12 season based on the "Way Too Early" rankings in a few places, but none has the juice you might be looking for. Kansas State at Kansas for Week 9 is further down the schedule too.
Arizona at Kansas State is also in that mix, but it has already been reserved as a Friday night game for someone. I'm looking through who might have those as well.
In the end, I think it will be Penn State at West Virginia that FOX looks to take off the top of the Big 12 inventory, taking their chances with other weeks down the schedule to get quality games from the Big 12.
* Could the Big 12 still have a chance to occupy the noon Eastern slot on FOX? Maybe. I can see the opening week being a good spot for it if Penn State at West Virginia is available to FOX, but I do think FOX will want to showcase the defending national champion Michigan in the opening Big Noon slot. If FOX has the top Big 12 pick in either Week 4 or Week 5, and doesn't have the top Big Ten choice that week, then I could see a Big 12 game early in the day.
That said, I know what the Big Ten has been disseminating as messaging around their expected weekly TV schedule, so the Big Ten might be locked to FOX at noon ET with the Big 12 occupying the slots in mid-afternoon and evening.
That said, I know what the Big Ten has been disseminating as messaging around their expected weekly TV schedule, so the Big Ten might be locked to FOX at noon ET with the Big 12 occupying the slots in mid-afternoon and evening.
* What might the Thursday night CFB TV schedule look like? Assume ESPN unless denoted.
Week 1: North Dakota State at Colorado (ESPN), North Carolina at Minnesota (FS1)
Week 2: No game
Week 3: Arizona State at Texas State
Week 4: South Alabama at App State
Week 5: Army at Temple
Week 6: Texas State at Troy (likely on ESPN2/U due to MLB postseason with possibility of elevate to ESPN)
Week 7: Coastal Carolina at James Madison (ESPN), C-USA (ESPN2/U)
Week 8: Boston College at Virginia Tech (ESPN), Georgia State at Marshall (ESPN2/U)
Week 9: Syracuse at Pitt (ESPN), Georgia Southern at Old Dominion (ESPN2/U)
Week 10: Tulane at Charlotte
Week 11: Florida Atlantic at East Carolina (ESPN/2), App State at Coastal Carolina (ESPN/2)
Week 12: East Carolina at Tulsa
Week 13: NC State at Georgia Tech
Week 14: Memphis at Tulane
North Dakota State at Colorado happens to be CU's only home non-conference game, but exceptions have been made for Big 12 schools to have their sole non-conference game end up on national TV and not to have a member retained/3rd tier game for ESPN+. Two examples: Tulsa at Oklahoma State on FS1 in 2017 and UNI at Iowa State in 2019. Both may have been to help FOX Sports have a full compliment of national Big 12 games. Now that ESPN has the member retained rights, they might have the ability to game the system.
* Here's what I'm guessing the Friday night schedule to look like this, though I don't know if its been finalized how FOX will work through its remaining WWE Smackdown requirements before its college football package airs. I'm also not sure how this work when FOX airs any World Series games, or other MLB postseason games, and whether CFB will be skipped or move to FS1.
Every game listed with ESPN, or in the case of one week with the ACC Network or CW, has been moved to Friday. Most of FOX's schedule hasn't been moved to Friday with the exception of any games they end up airing from the Big 12.
Week 1
ESPN: Temple at Oklahoma (confirmed) followed by TCU at Stanford
FOX/FS1: Western Michigan at Wisconsin
Week 2
ESPN: BYU at SMU
FOX/FS1: Boise State at Oregon
Week 3
ESPN: Arizona at Kansas State
FOX/FS1: Utah at Utah State
Week 4
ESPN: Stanford at Syracuse
FOX/FS1: Northwestern at Washington
Week 5
ESPN: Virginia Tech at Miami (FL)
FOX/FS1: Maryland at Indiana
FOX/FS1: Maryland at Indiana
Week 6
ESPN: Houston at TCU
FOX: Michigan State at Oregon
If this is Oregon's homecoming weekend, Indiana at Northwestern could be a choice. Dark horse could be Syracuse at UNLV, as UNLV often has to move home games to Friday nights if they coincide with Sundays when the Raiders are at home and not in the primetime NBC game.
If this is Oregon's homecoming weekend, Indiana at Northwestern could be a choice. Dark horse could be Syracuse at UNLV, as UNLV often has to move home games to Friday nights if they coincide with Sundays when the Raiders are at home and not in the primetime NBC game.
Week 7
ESPN: Memphis at South Florida
FOX: Utah at Arizona State
Week 8
ESPN: Florida State at Duke
FOX: Oklahoma State at BYU
Week 9
ESPN2: Louisville at Boston College
FOX/FS1: Washington State at Boise State
If Boise State's homecoming is this week, slot Rutgers at USC in here.
If Boise State's homecoming is this week, slot Rutgers at USC in here.
Week 10
ESPN2: South Florida at Florida Atlantic
FOX/FS1: San Diego State at Boise State
If Boise State's homecoming is this week, slot Minnesota at Illinois in here.
Week 11
ESPN2: Rice at Memphis
ACCN or CW: California at Wake Forest
FOX: Iowa at UCLA
Week 12
ESPN2: North Texas at UTSA
FOX: Houston at Arizona
Week 13
ESPN2: Temple at UTSA
FOX: Illinois at Rutgers
Week 14 (Black Friday)
ABC: Big 12 TBA, SEC TBA, AAC TBA
ABC: Big 12 TBA, SEC TBA, AAC TBA
FOX: Big 12 TBA
CBS: Big Ten TBA
NBC: Big Ten TBA
