A Way-Too-Early 2025 Slate for the Big Ten's Three Major TV Windows

The first year of the expanded 18-team Big Ten was largely a success - four Big Ten programs made enlarged College Football Playoff, the most of any conference. Two Big Ten programs reached the CFP Semifinals while Ohio State prevailed as the national champion.

At the same time, 2024 was not without its growing pains, especially regarding the TV network lineup. Many complaints were lodged about programming, the majority of them launched at Fox’s Big Noon timeslot. Ohio State fans were unhappy to be stuck as Fox’s standard bearer in the noon window, appearing in the timeslot six consecutive times to end 2024. Penn State fans bemoaned Fox’s selection of their game with Ohio State, which precluded the iconic White Out night game in Happy Valley for the Nittany Lions’ biggest game of the regular season.

While the decisions were at time frustrating, it was the deal the conference made, and a lucrative one at that. “This has been a question for the last 20 years,” Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said. “We as institutions decided that the television revenue was important. And we gave up the ability to place games where maybe it would be most convenient for us.”

Still, we’ve reached the off-season and can reflect on what worked and what didn’t in 2024 and start dreaming of improvements for 2025. The Big Ten is always going to face some hurdles with scheduling due to the bargain they struck with Fox, CBS, and NBC, in addition to the introduction of programs in a different time-zones.

So what does the ideal slate look like for the three primary windows? This article will attempt to craft an ideal slate, taking into account some realities of the selection process and blending in some wishful thinking. No, this is not necessarily predictive and no, it does not take into account the Fox Friday Night slate, the Week 14 Black Friday matchups, or how the calendar would interact with other special circumstances. For example, CBS and NBC have previously swapped windows to allow Notre Dame the primetime spotlight while the Big Ten slated their NBC game for the midafternoon. That won’t be considered here, though I’ll try to note other consequential games outside the Big Ten’s media rights from week-to-week. This is more about identifying matchups for the major windows that help set the table for a better 2025 slate.

Let’s dive in.

WEEK 1:

• Fox Big Noon: Texas-Ohio State

• CBS Midafternoon: Montana State-Oregon

• NBC Primetime: Utah-UCLA

The headliner to kick off 2025 is about as big as they come with the defending champs hosting Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns in Columbus. This has Fox written all over it. A rematch of the Cotton Bowl between two CFB giants should be one of the most watched events of the year.

But as we’ll see in these early weeks typically reserved for non-conference matchups, the Big Ten slate can often come up lacking. Outside of Texas-Ohio State and Utah-UCLA, the Big Ten has no Week 1 matchups featuring two Power 4 schools. Nebraska will meet Cincinnati in Kansas City on August 28 (a Thursday) but the Big 12 retains the rights to that contest. A matchup in the Pacific Northwest between Oregon and rising FCS power Montana State was the next best draw and a chance for viewers to get acquainted with new Oregon QB Dante Moore. Nevada-Penn State was also a consideration.

WEEK 2:

• Fox Big Noon: FIU-Penn State

• CBS Midafternoon: Boston College-Michigan State

• NBC Primetime: Oklahoma State-Oregon

As discussed above, the B1G lacks a variety of high-end choices in Week 2. There are a total of five games between Big Ten squads and P4 opponents, but only two are under the Big Ten’s umbrella. Michigan-Oklahoma, Illinois-Duke, and Iowa-Iowa State are all road games retained by the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 respectively. If possible, I would propose sending Big Noon to Ames for the Cy-Hawk game given Fox’s rights to Big 12 games. Without that option, Penn State gets the nod as a presumptive Top 5 program entering 2025.

WEEK 3:

• Fox Big Noon: Ohio-Ohio State

• CBS Midafternoon: Oregon-Northwestern

• NBC Primetime: USC-Purdue

The conference gets a pair of early conference matchups, but otherwise have no P4 matchups for Week 3. Wisconsin (at Alabama) and Minnesota (at Cal) both hit the road for P4 clashes, but the slate is otherwise bereft of compelling options. The in-state matchup in Columbus is the most interesting of the bunch and if we’ve learned anything it’s that when in doubt, pick Ohio State and the solid viewership the Buckeyes faithful bring.

WEEK 4:

• Fox Big Noon: Michigan-Nebraska

• CBS Midafternoon: Michigan State-USC

• NBC Primetime: Illinois-Indiana

As we transition out of non-conference play, the slate improves with a variety of compelling conference matchups. Week 4 offers a slew of fun games, though in-state rivalries featuring Purdue-Notre Dame and Washington-Washington State will fall outside the Big Ten’s rights. Oregon State-Oregon is a Big Ten game and could make one of the major windows, but I’ll opt to showcase conference matchups where available. MSU-USC in particular offers the Big Ten the chance to unveil a trophy featuring some historical references to the Spartans and Trojans, can we get a Trojan Horse trophy? Maybe the Helen of Troy game?

Illinois-Indiana could have massive stakes for an early season matchup between two teams that outperformed expectations in 2024, hence a showcase for Cignetti and the Hoosiers in the primetime window vs Bret Bielema and the Illini.

WEEK 5:

• Fox Big Noon: USC-Illinois

• CBS Midafternoon: Ohio State-Washington

• NBC Primetime: Oregon-Penn State

Week 5 offers the Big Ten and its TV partners the chance to right past wrongs. Oregon-Penn State looms as one of the biggest matchups of 2025 and is the obvious choice for the annual White Out in Happy Valley. Naturally, the folks in State College already fear this game getting the Big Noon treatment. Indiana-Iowa could also be an option for one of the three windows depending on the outcome of the aforementioned Week 4 Illinois-Indiana game. Do the right thing, NBC! Secure the rights to this game as the football gods intended!

WEEK 6:

• Fox Big Noon: Wisconsin-Michigan

• CBS Midafternoon: Penn State-UCLA

• NBC Primetime: Minnesota-Ohio State

The Buckeyes get some requested network variety with a home night game against PJ Fleck and the Gophers on NBC. Michigan State-Nebraska was another consideration for the major windows, but a scenic matchup between Penn State and UCLA in the Rose Bowl and a classic Big Ten matchup between the Badgers and Wolverines in the Big House make up the rest of the Week 6 slate.

WEEK 7:

• Fox Big Noon: Ohio State-Illinois

• CBS Midafternoon: Indiana-Oregon

• NBC Primetime: Michigan-USC

I really wanted to get the Illibuck game in primetime, but the other windows featuring West Coast kicks meant the Buckeyes and Illini would feature on Big Noon. Michigan and USC feature in the NBC slot after a close contest in Ann Arbor in 2024. The Ducks host the upstart Hoosiers in Eugene on CBS in a battle between two 2024 CFP one-and-dones looking to prove themselves again in 2025. Other considerations include Iowa-Wisconsin and UCLA-Michigan State.

WEEK 8:

• Fox Big Noon: Penn State-Iowa

• CBS Midafternoon: Washington-Michigan

• NBC Primetime: Ohio State-Wisconsin

Bear with me Iowa fans, I know the folks in Iowa City would love another night game in Kinnick against Penn State. The Kinnick Voodoo game is coming, I promise. For Week 8, the Hawkeyes host the Nittany Lions in the Big Noon slot while Washington rematches Michigan after splitting the last two matchups. Ohio State travels to Madison to face the Badgers in primetime for some Jump Around vibes. USC-Notre Dame is another huge matchup featuring a Big Ten squad, but the game will be carried by NBC as a part of its Notre Dame coverage.

WEEK 9:

• Fox Big Noon: Michigan-Michigan State

• CBS Midafternoon: Minnesota-Iowa

• NBC Primetime: Wisconsin-Oregon

The Badgers almost upset the Ducks on NBC in Madison in 2024, Week 9 offers another shot for Wisconsin in primetime in Eugene. The battle for the Floyd of Rosedale features on CBS while the Wolverines travel across the state to battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy on Fox. Illinois-Washington could be another option in the major window depending on how the chips fall as the season progresses.

WEEK 10:

• Fox Big Noon: Penn State-Ohio State

• CBS Midafternoon: Michigan State-Minnesota

• NBC Primetime: USC-Nebraska

While we don’t know all the details behind the Big Ten’s TV network draft, we do know that Fox has the top three picks. Texas-Ohio State and Ohio State-Michigan are guaranteed to occupy two of those picks, we give Fox PSU-Ohio State here to round out the top selections. Hopefully, both the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions are less aggrieved with noon timeslot having provided some variety in the schedule up to this point. Michigan State and Minnesota might not be a blockbuster headliner, but it features solid Big Ten brands in a somewhat light Saturday slate. USC-Nebraska features two recently struggling bluebloods, but should still get a nice viewership draw. The Trojans also will have the chance to dispel the conversation around USC playing on the road in the Midwest in November.

WEEK 11:

• Fox Big Noon: Washington-Wisconsin

• CBS Midafternoon: Indiana-Penn State

• NBC Primetime: Oregon-Iowa

Alright Hawkeye fans, here’s your showcase night game. Few venues are as underrated or as daunting as Kinnick, this Week 11 matchup allows the Hawks to initiate Oregon to the perils of visiting Iowa City after the sun sets. A battle for the title of “UW” kicks off the weekend, followed by Indiana traveling to Happy Valley for a battle between two 2024 CFP squads.

WEEK 12:

• Fox Big Noon: Penn State-Michigan State

• CBS Midafternoon: Iowa-USC

• NBC Primetime: UCLA-Ohio State

The Land Grant game gets the Fox Big Noon slot, a game that was sorely missed last year as a result of Penn State’s “unrivaled” status. A week after Iowa hosts a West Coast newcomer in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes head to LA to face the Trojans in the CBS slot and the Bruins head east for a date with the Buckeyes. I opted for Ohio State based on the reliability of ratings, but Minnesota-Oregon and/or Wisconsin-Indiana could also end up being consequential matchups as we near the end of the regular season.

WEEK 13:

• Fox Big Noon: Illinois-Wisconsin

• CBS Midafternoon: Nebraska-Penn State

• NBC Primetime: USC-Oregon

A traditional West Coast rivalry features on primetime as USC heads north to face the Ducks, a game that could have CFP implications if Oregon can continue its momentum and Lincoln Riley can right the ship in Los Angeles. CBS snags the rights to Matt Rhule’s return to face his alma mater in State College while Bret Bielema returns to his old stomping grounds in Madison on Big Noon.

WEEK 14:

• Fox Big Noon: Ohio State-Michigan

• CBS Midafternoon: Oregon-Washington

• NBC Primetime: UCLA-USC

No surprise for the Big Noon slot - The Game should be as compelling as ever as Ryan Day again tries to finally conquer TTUN. A pair of West Coast battles occupy the other two slots and are, in my opinion, the most likely matchups to feature games with CFP or conference title implications. It is worth noting that the Corn Bowl will occupy its usual slot on Black Friday.

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This is, of course, somewhat silly as an exercise. There will always be games we expected to be high stakes that fall short of expectations and others that become huge matchups we never would have expected.

Still, fans across the conference are crossing their fingers that the 2025 iteration of the conference will fix some of the issues from 2024. Did my slate do that? Maybe, maybe not. I admit there are some potential flaws, namely the exclusion of certain programs from the three windows. Maryland, and Rutgers all fail to make an appearance on Fox, CBS and NBC, perhaps those programs will prove me wrong and crack the three window slate in 2025. Michigan and Ohio State still appear on Fox way more than most of the other programs, but I do think there is enough variety to satisfy the fanbases while recognizing that Fox is somewhat limited as it cannot choose games kicking off on the West Coast for the Big Noon slot.

If you disagree or have suggestions, leave a comment with your thoughts. As always, thanks for reading.

Cheers!

By the numbers: Appearances by each program

• Illinois

  • Fox: 3

  • CBS: 0

  • NBC: 1

• Indiana

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 2

  • NBC: 1

• Iowa

  • Fox: 1

  • CBS: 2

  • NBC: 1

• Maryland

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 0

  • NBC: 0

• Michigan

  • Fox: 4

  • CBS: 1

  • NBC: 1

• Michigan State

  • Fox: 2

  • CBS: 3

  • NBC: 0

• Minnesota:

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 2

  • NBC: 1

• Nebraska

  • Fox: 1

  • CBS: 1

  • NBC: 1

• Northwestern

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 1

  • NBC: 0

• Ohio State

  • Fox: 5

  • CBS: 1

  • NBC: 3

• Oregon

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 3

  • NBC: 6

• Penn State

  • Fox: 3

  • CBS: 3

  • NBC: 1

• Purdue

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 0

  • NBC: 1

• Rutgers

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 0

  • NBC: 0

• UCLA

  • Fox: 0

  • CBS: 2

  • NBC: 2

• USC

  • Fox: 1

  • CBS: 3

  • NBC: 4

• Washington

  • Fox: 1

  • CBS: 2

  • NBC: 1

• Wisconsin

  • Fox: 3

  • CBS: 0

  • NBC: 2