Kansas State and Arizona command big-name treatment
When Kansas State and Arizona were initially announced as a possible Friday game, FOX seemed like an all but certain landing spot. FOX Sports added a Friday night primetime package to their broadcast network earlier this offseason. At the time, it seemed like a ho-hum, drop-in-the-bucket TV designation. Then the FOX College Football Friday schedule was released this past week.
I was stunned to see just two Big 12 games. No doubt the Big Ten was likely to snag a majority of those slots, but it seemed like FOX would maybe try to squeeze some more juice out of notable matchups in the Big 12 that would get buried on a normal Saturday. The only other Big 12 Friday game on FOX’s schedule comes with a caveat, it is on Black Friday which traditionally is loaded up like a slimmed-down Saturday.
The Battle of Wildcats was fortunate to have a Friday designation before FOX sealed their Friday lineup, but given the rest of the schedule, they could have passed and sent it to FS1 or an ESPN entity. This is highlighted by the fact that Northwestern and Maryland will be featured on October 11th, despite Arizona State and Utah already being slated for that Friday. Other options that would have been far more appealing include K-State at Colorado and Arizona at BYU.
The past success and current trajectory combined with two of the best quarterbacks in the league earned top billing for this matchup. It is a good win during a time in which the Big 12 will have little to celebrate alongside the SEC and Big Ten.
Standalone exposure
You can try to believe that systems in place are meant to make a win or performance equal no matter when they are played. We know that isn’t true though. K-State and Arizona are both likely to be Top 25 teams when this game takes place. Having the audience that FOX will command is good for whoever the victor is.
Snagging an early-season win like that can be worth more than getting it later in the season. Especially with more eyeballs in a standalone game.
It can also be beneficial for certain individuals that you think could win the Heisman Trophy. Avery Johnson, anyone? While his talent would undoubtedly show up to many over the course of a season, winning awards in sports has turned into a game of momentum. Capture it early, and the race might be called after 3/4 of the season.
But all of this is for the person in the know for college football. K-State will get a negative benefit in recruiting. Despite getting a national TV game that everyone will have access to, recruits can’t watch anyway because they are playing. And obviously, they are on being able to visit for what should be one of K-State’s most electric home games of 2024.
Avoiding Brando
For those who won’t be attending the Friday night clash, I await FOX’s announcement on broadcast assignments. Will the Friday night game be treated as the second-best game of the week and get Jason Benetti and Brock Huard every week? Or will it change week to week depending on the status of the matchup? Either way, I hope for the sanity of K-Staters and America, that Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman don’t get to call these Friday nights on FOX.
Brando’s struggles are well documented, specifically in K-State games. It isn’t an enjoyable crew and doesn’t scream “big-time college football game.” That crew would be better suited for FSN in 2006.
Who gets to call these games will say a lot about how seriously FOX takes this package.
FOX College Football Friday Schedule (Italics = Big 12)
9/13 – Arizona at K-State
9/20 – Illinois at Nebraska
9/27 – Washington at Rutgers
10/4 – Michigan State at Oregon
10/11 – Northwestern at Maryland
10/18 – Oregon at Purdue
10/25 – Rutgers at USC
11/8 – Iowa at UCLA
11/15 – UCLA at Washington
11/22 – Purdue at Michigan State
11/29 – Utah at UCF
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