Because Joe Buck is leaving Fox for ESPN, Ohio State’s season opener against Notre Dame could be headed for a noon kickoff.
While Buck will be continuing to call NFL games, joining ESPN alongside Troy Aikman to call Monday Night Football, ESPN has reportedly agreed to give Fox the first pick of an early-season college football game in exchange for letting Buck out of his contract one year early, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
Fox and ESPN first talked about compensation late last night. Fox will receive the rights to pick one Big 10 game before ESPN next season, a source with knowledge said.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 12, 2022
It's a little more complicated than that, I'm told, but that is the gist. https://t.co/M6Rkr6y6GO
That, according to Awful Announcing’s Ben Koo, likely means that Fox will select the rights to Ohio State’s Week 1 game against Notre Dame – which means the Buckeyes’ highly anticipated season-opening tilt against the Fighting Irish will likely be played at noon rather than in primetime.
Hearing this is almost assuredly Ohio State vs Notre Dame.
— Ben Koo (@bkoo) March 12, 2022
Just hilarious that out of nowhere the sports media gods has delivered us a truly spicy and unforeseen development as fox trades Joe Buck to ESPN in exchange for Ohio State vs Notre Dame which will be a Big Noon game https://t.co/lVCptpgKrs
ESPN president of programming and original content Burke Magnus, however, denied those reports on Saturday night.
Let me put an end to this oneits 100% false. Back to Championship Week. @awfulannouncing @AndrewMarchand @AndrewBucholtz @BryanDFischer @mattsarz https://t.co/BtJFwhr0IC
— Burke Magnus (@burkemagnus) March 13, 2022
