Ohio State football: The last big ESPN/ABC game
By Ryan Stano
The Ohio State football team will be playing its first game of the season on Saturday night in the Shoe against Notre Dame. The game will be played at 7:30 pm and will be on ABC. It’s on ABC because of the Big Ten’s contract with ESPN for such games.
That contract will end at the end of the season. The Big Ten has a new, very lucrative contract that will broadcast games on FOX, CBS, and NBC. ESPN’s relationship with the Big Ten is no longer. That means big games like Saturday night won’t happen much anymore.
In fact, the only way you’ll see another Ohio State football game on ESPN is if they make the College Football Playoff. ESPN still holds on to those rights. If Ohio State ends up playing Alabama and Georgia 6-10 years from now in the regular season, those games could be on ESPN/ABC as well.
Saturday night will be one of the last times you hear Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit calling an Ohio State football game. Some of you may like that but it makes me a little sad. I think Herbie is the best analyst of college football on all of the networks. He does an excellent job on the broadcast. I could take or leave Fowler.
This game signifies the end of an era in some ways. It signifies the end of a 40-year relationship between the Big Ten and ESPN. That relationship might get restarted again at some point, but that won’t be the case for at least another 8 years because of the new Big Ten TV deal.
Next. Ohio State football: Three players to watch vs. Notre Dame. dark
No matter who broadcasts their games, fans will continue to watch the Buckeyes in every part of the country. Saturday night is one I’ll be watching from the stands.