For just the second time this season, Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff and ESPN’s College GameDay will be in the same location on Saturday. And if Penn State fans get their way, one will be much better attended than the other.
In what will mark one of the most highly anticipated games of the 2024 college football season, the No. 3 Nittany Lions will host No. 4 Ohio State with plenty on the line for both programs. And while that would typically call for a night game — especially in Happy Valley — the high profile Big Ten showdown will instead kickoff at Fox’s preferred start time of 12 p.m. ET.
Suffice to say, the daytime start hasn’t gone over well in State College, with some fans going as far as to call for a boycott of Fox’s on-campus pregame show. That’s included columns from popular Penn State websites Onward State and Nittany Central, as well as comments from many Nittany Lions fans on social media.
Anyone caught at the big noon broadcast loses their alumni status. We’ve been robbed of a white out night game. https://t.co/8UU9RlunyG
— Greg Gurenlian (@GregBeast32) October 28, 2024
We’re calling for Boycott… Energy
Do NOT go to Big Noon Kickoff under any circumstances! https://t.co/sAXK4Io7bP
— Let’s Talk Penn State Podcast (@LetsTalkPennSt) October 27, 2024
Yeah if you’re mad about this game of the year being at noon, your form of resistance is to make sure Big Noon has has an empty lawn behind it. The rare chance for fans who actually go to games to exert some power over TV execs https://t.co/pplbjRSOeO
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) October 27, 2024
Nah go to Gameday and boycott Big Noon Kickoff since they’re the reason this isn’t a night game https://t.co/SmyACeFMlO
— Jack Margavitch (@margav_20) October 28, 2024
You know what, they’re absolutely right, we need to show up and show out at BOTH shows!! Don’t forget to stop by The Family Clothesline and pick up one of these before you go! https://t.co/WrmnoluoNP pic.twitter.com/tazkipsydV
— The Penn State Troll 🦁🧌 (@ThePSUTroll) October 28, 2024
Speaking to The Athletic’s Audrey Snyder, Fox president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill acknowledged the blowback to the Penn State-Ohio State start time, while also defending his network’s strategy.
“It’s our job to put the schools that we’re partners with in front of as many people as possible,” Mulvihill said. “If we can provide our schools as much exposure as possible, that should not just benefit Fox, but that should benefit those programs. What we’ve found over the last 6 years is that it’s very clear that putting our best game on at noon is what delivers the biggest audiences for these games.”
He added: “There’s a belief that prime time is somehow inherently better, but that’s not really matched up by the analysis.”
That may be the case, but it also doesn’t mean much to Penn State fans who were hoping for a full day of tailgating and to provide the Nittany Lions with the most raucous homefield advantage possible. Ultimately, this is an instance of fans and TV executives having competing interests and as is often the case, it’s the money that wins out.
Penn State fans aren’t the first college football fans to call for a boycott of an on-campus pregame show, even if such efforts have rarely affected the on-air product. Nevertheless, it’s been impossible not to notice a growing trend of fans being unhappy with primetime-caliber games being played at 12 p.m. ET, regardless of what data Fox has to support its strategy.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.