Texas denied Ohio State request for Week 1 football game: report

The matchup between Ohio State and Texas is set to dominate the Week 1 college football schedule, but the Buckeyes apparently wanted to move the marquee game.

That is, until Texas said no.

Ohio State’s athletic department requested to the Longhorns that the schools move their game to the primetime window on Sunday, either in the late afternoon or evening, but that Texas refused that offer, according to 247Sports.

That means we’ll see the Buckeyes host the Longhorns from the Horseshoe on the traditional Saturday, and given the network broadcasting the game, the current speculation is that it will begin at noon Eastern time.

Fox is expected to be on site in Columbus to host its “Big Noon Kickoff” show for the game, and as the name implies, that means they’ll be playing in the early window.

It’s an expected reaction from the Texas side, which would like to avoid having to play under the lights on the road against more than 100,000 Ohio State fans, a combination that could work against the Longhorns on the field.

Had the game been played on Sunday night, it would have gone against the Notre Dame vs. Miami matchup on ABC, but that would be the only other football game at that time.

We likely won’t see any changes to when Ohio State plays at Texas next fall, as that will be the Buckeyes’ second opponent of the year, meaning the NFL season will almost certainly have started, leaving no chance to play on a Sunday.

That game, set for Sept. 12, 2026, should be played in the primetime window, given the SEC’s relationship with the ABC network.

(247)

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