MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Texas blocked Ohio State from transferring its marquee season opener in opposition to the Longhorns to Sunday night time, however not due to the kickoff time, athletics director Chis Del Conte stated Wednesday.

Ohio State proposed transferring the season opener scheduled for Midday ET on Saturday, Aug. 30 to Sunday night time, however Texas nixed the concept due to shorter preparation time for its Week 2 matchup, Del Conte stated. Hypothesis that Texas did not need the sport performed in entrance of a hyped crowd of Buckeyes at night time was misinformed, Del Conte added.

“Why would I need to transfer the sport to Sunday night time and have a brief week for our boys that had been simply advised we had been kicking off at excessive midday?” Del Conte stated Wednesday exterior the SEC’s spring conferences. “That was by no means about transferring the time of the day, it was simply, ‘Hey, do you need to transfer the day?’ We’re contractually obligated to this present day. That was it. The craziness is, ‘Oh my god, they stated no.’  I simply stated no to Sunday. I gotta go to church. I imply, sizzling dang.”

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Texas hosts San Jose State in Week 2 on Sept. 6.

247Sports first reported Texas nixed the concept, which Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork introduced to FOX. FOX agreed to make the transfer, if Texas was compliant, in accordance with Entrance Workplace Sports activities.

Hypothesis on the sport transferring was sparked Might 12, when FOX didn’t announce a kickoff time for the sport after making bulletins for different video games. FOX owns the primary choice among the many convention’s three media companions — FOX, NBC and CBS — with video games slotted at Midday ET on Saturdays.

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FOX’s “Huge Midday” sport of the week has been successful for the community since 2019. Shifting the sport to Sunday night time doubtless would have pitted the sport in opposition to ABC’s Notre Dame-Miami showdown set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. FOX Sports activities’ president of insights and analytics advised Entrance Workplace Sports activities the community would have skilled a “minor” loss in viewership with the transfer to Sunday night time, however the community was nonetheless keen to maneuver the sport for Ohio State.