Ohio State vs. Texas Showdown Sparks Controversy Among College Football Fans—What’s Behind the Backlash?

If college football’s got you fired up, you’re not alone — especially after FOX dropped the bomb Tuesday about the Ohio State vs. Texas kickoff timing. Here we are, staring down a Week 1 showdown between two top-five juggernauts — the Buckeyes fresh off a national title, the Longhorns itching for payback after that Cotton Bowl loss — and instead of a prime-time spectacle, FOX teases us with a “Big Noon Kickoff” slot at 12 p.m. E.T. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to sandwich college football’s most electrifying rematch in the glare of a Saturday afternoon sun? Fans have been vocally outraged — and I gotta admit, I feel their frustration. Is noon the new villain of college ball, or are we all just nostalgic for those night game atmospheres? Whatever the case, this matchup, led by Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian, isn’t just opening the season — it’s setting the tone, and the slot it lands in might just ruffle more feathers than the kickoff itself. Ready to unpack why noon is suddenly a hot-button issue among the faithful? LEARN MORE.

College football fans are not happy with the Ohio State vs. Texas announcement on Monday.

The Buckeyes and the Longhorns are expected to be top five teams heading into the 2025 season. Ohio State, of course, is coming off a national championship season. Texas, meanwhile, is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, losing to the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian’s teams will open the 2025 college football season in Week 1. However, college football fans are not happy with the Ohio State vs. Texas announcement that broke on Monday afternoon.

FOX announced on Monday afternoon that the Ohio State vs. Texas game will be held on the network, meaning it’ll probably be a “Big Noon Kickoff” contest at 12 p.m. E.T.

College football fans are not happy about that. Everyone wanted a night game.

“Big Noon Kickoff is literally the devil. How does this matchup not get a primetime slot?!” one fan wrote.

“This game being on Big Noon is disgusting. A top 5 match-up to kickoff the season should be primetime,” one fan added.

“Ya’ll knew what you were doing not listing the kickoff time,” one fan added.

“Big Noon Kickoff is ruining college football,” one fan added.

“A high noon kick… gimme 12 straight noon kickoffs!” another fan joked.

“It would be a travesty if FOX puts this on at Noon,” one fan added.

We've got a CFP rematch coming your way in Week 1🔥@TexasFootball will take on the defending champs @OhioStateFB Week 1 on FOX 🤘🌰 pic.twitter.com/vcMdK502gT

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) May 12, 2025

FOX hasn’t officially announced a kickoff time for the Ohio State vs. Texas game, but it seems likely that it’ll be at noon E.T.

Ohio State is also set to take on Michigan on FOX later in the year. The Buckeyes’ game against the Wolverines is expected to kick off at noon E.T., too.