One of the frustrating aspects of being a college football fan of a Big 12 team is dealing with how the conference announces kickoff times. For most games, that incredibly important factor is not determined until one or two weeks prior to kickoff. However, sometimes, we get advanced word on when Texas Tech or other conference teams will kickoff some early-season games. Unfortunately, the news we got on Thursday about the Red Raiders' week two game vs. Kent State is not ideal.
According to Brett McMurphy on X, Texas Tech's September 6 home game against Kent State will kick at the dreaded time of 11 a.m. Central. Of course, that is the least desirable time for most fans, especially those recovering from a Friday night in the Depot District or who have family obligations, such as kids' sporting events, on Saturday morning. Plus, it could be unbearably hot in Lubbock at that time of the year, making an 11 a.m. kick miserable for those in attendance.
However, even fans who will take this game in via television aren't going to be happy with McMurphy's report. That's because he also shared that the game will be broadcast on TNT and HBO Max.
This season, those two media entities have the rights to broadcast some Big 12 games. McMurphy reports that in week one, they will show Arizona's home game vs. Hawaii at 9:30 p.m. Central, and in week three, they will have the Arizona State home game against Texas State at the same time.
Big 12 football's return to TNT comes because of a settlement with ESPN, which has had the streaming rights to the conference's football inventory for years. This shuffling started because, next season, TNT is losing its rights to broadcast NBA games after 34 years.
Of course, that move wasn't made without litigation. So, to help settle a lawsuit brought by TNT's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, over the NBA’s decision to grant its future rights package to ESPN, Amazon and NBC, it was agreed that 13 Big 12 football games would move from ESPN's streaming service (ESPN+) to TNT and HBO Max.
This agreement runs for the next six college football seasons. Many see it as a bit of a win for the Big 12 because more of the conference's football inventory will be shown on a linear television network rather than on a streaming platform.
However, fans probably won't like the change. First of all, there will be a new network broadcasting football games, and that usually means new announcers and production teams, which often leads to an inferior broadcast product. But even more impactful is the fact that yet another network will have its say in when games kick off.
The Big 12 allows its media partners to decide the kickoff times of each week's games. However, when games are on ESPN+, the university hosting the game gets to pick when the game starts. That's why almost all of Texas Tech's ESPN+ games kick at night.
Now, Tech's least intriguing game of the season will be at the most unpopular time of the Saturday schedule. While the opener a week earlier against South Alabama won't be much of a slugfest either, at least it will be the first game, meaning plenty of eyes will be on Jones AT&T Stadium to see the revamped Red Raiders in action for the first time.
That might not be the case when Kent State comes calling in week two. Last season, the Golden Flashes were 0-12, making them arguably the worst FCS team in the nation. Therefore, their trip to Lubbock in September isn't going to get many fans fired up.
Neither will the kickoff time for this game. Additionally, if the broadcast on TNT is substandard, as many expect it to be, then it will make for a forgettable week for Red Raider fans.
However, many of us remember the days when a Texas Tech game of this nature would not have been shown on television at all. With that perspective in mind, maybe we should just be thankful that we'll get to see the game on any television network.