It may not be everyone’s interest, but ever since the Big Ten switched up its television deal starting in 2023, I have been fascinated by how networks go about making their selections. This is a challenging endeavor, as much of the process is not publicized, and even some of the assumed guardrails are often ignored (can Big Noon Kickoff end up being anywhere??).

Still, at the very least it serves as a decent proxy for how television — and by extension, the college football world — views the conference slate each week. With the season rapidly approaching, we already know which games FOX, CBS, and NBC have chosen for the first three weeks of the new year. Here is a preview of which (mostly non-conference) games will take center stage these weeks for the Big Ten.

Week 1

FOX Big Noon: Texas

See Full Page