Big Ten football Saturdays will have an NFL Sunday feel beginning this season as the conference kicks off its media-rights deals with FOX, CBS and NBC.
Viewers will feel the full power of the deal next year, when the SEC leaves CBS for ESPN and the Eye Network takes on a full slate of Big Ten games in its traditional 2:30 p.m. window. Until then, the Big Ten will be featured on select Saturdays on three broadcast networks, giving it distribution that other conferences can’t match.
The biggest change this year is the addition of NBC, which is giving the Big Ten a devoted prime-time window (aside from two nights given to Notre Dame). NBC also is putting games exclusively on its streaming service, Peacock – which is sure to put fans in a tizzy.
Not to be forgotten is the Big Ten Network, which is under FOX’s purview and still will carry more than 40% of the league’s game inventory.
Let’s break it all down in our Big Ten football TV primer:
NBC
What made NBC want to create “B1G Saturday Night”?
“We’ve had some success with a thing called ‘Sunday Night Football,’ and we thought to have a Saturday night package to complement it,” said Sam Flood, NBC Sports’ executive producer and president of production. “The two will be able to promote each other. We’re going to use a lot of the same lessons but lean into the atmosphere that goes with college football.”
Flood said that includes the pregame show, “B1G College Countdown,” which will emanate from the site of each game. Maria Taylor will host alongside analysts Matt Cassel, Joshua Perry (formerly of BTN) and Michael Robinson. Co-host Ahmed Fareed will contribute on location.
The game crew has the makings of a good one with play-by-play voice Noah Eagle, analyst Todd Blackledge (formerly of ABC/ESPN) and sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen. Its first game is West Virginia-Penn State at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2.
All games will be simulstreamed on Peacock, which will carry nine games exclusively, starting with East Carolina-Michigan at 11 a.m. Sept. 2. NBC announced that Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Iowa also are expected to appear on Peacock exclusives. Other crews will call those games.
“We’ve seen what it’s done with the Premier League,” Flood said of streaming. “We’re getting an incredible audience, better than we were getting on some of the cable platforms. So the audience understands it, and we’re going to treat it platform-agnostic. Wherever the games are being played, we’re leaning all in to make sure it’s a best-in-class production.”
Peacock Premium, which also includes movies and TV shows, is available for $5.99 per month.
FOX/FS1/BTN
FOX kicks off its schedule at 6 p.m. next Thursday with Nebraska-Minnesota before returning to its usual 11 a.m. window for “Big Noon Saturday.” Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft return as the lead crew. White Sox TV voice Jason Benetti leads the No. 2 team with Brock Huard and Allison Williams.
The biggest changes are on the pregame show, “Big Noon Kickoff,” where 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram replaces Reggie Bush and Chris “The Bear” Fallica, formerly of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” joins as a betting expert. Host Rob Stone, Matt Leinart, Urban Meyer and Brady Quinn return. The crew will travel to game sites each week, including Champaign on Sept. 16 for Penn State-Illinois.
FS1’s first Big Ten game is Central Michigan-Michigan State at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 with Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman on the call. Other broadcast tandems include Jeff Levering-Mark Helfrich and Eric Collins-Devin Gardner.
BTN has a new lead game analyst in former Michigan tight end Jake Butt. Matt Millen, Anthony Herron (of The Score and FOX 32) and Brock Vereen round out the analyst crew. They’ll join play-by-players Cory Provus, Mark Followill, Lisa Byington and Connor Onion.
The pregame show “B1G Tailgate” has a new look with Rick Pizzo hosting in-studio. He’ll be joined by analysts Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith and Vereen. Host Mike Hall and first-year analyst Tyvis Powell will contribute from a different campus each week. Dave Revsine will host studio programming the rest of the day. BTN’s schedule starts with a tripleheader Sept. 2 capped by Toledo-Illinois at 6:30.
CBS
CBS will air seven Big Ten games in various windows as it maneuvers through a shared season with the SEC. Its first game is Ohio State-Indiana at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 2. The lead crew of Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell will have the call.
CBS will carry Northwestern’s season opener at Rutgers at 11 a.m. Sept. 3. Tom McCarthy, Jason McCourty and Tiffany Blackmon will call it.
At noon Sept. 2, the network will air “CBS Sports Confidential: B1G Ten Football 2023,” a one-hour special featuring storylines for all 14 teams.
