The 2023 football season marks a seismic move for the Big Ten, embarking on a new media rights deal with FOX, CBS and NBC. And the latter broadcaster is set to carry primetime games for the league — except they won’t be airing prime competition.
NBC is effectively getting the third pick of games after FOX and then CBS and the September slate of games, reported by Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, seems to reflect that. Fortunately for NBC this season, at least, they also have the rights to a blockbuster Ohio State–Notre Dame matchup in South Bend on Sept. 23.
The rest of the NBC schedule for Big Ten football in September is as follows, according to the report from McMurphy. (All times are Eastern Standard Time.)
Sept. 2: West Virginia at Penn State, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 9: Charlotte at Maryland, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 16: Syracuse at Purdue, 7:30 p.m.
The Mountaineers traveling to Happy Valley is a pretty juicy matchup in Week 1, especially with the love Penn State is getting as a potential playoff team. Other options would’ve likely been Ohio State traveling to Indiana or Michigan hosting East Carolina.
Week 2 was slim pickings with the best matchup — Nebraska at Colorado — going elsewhere. The best alternative to the game NBC reportedly got would be Minnesota hosting Eastern Michigan.
Syracuse and Purdue provided an entertaining show in 2022, but there’s no guarantee of similar fireworks in West Lafayette in 2023. With a few prime Power 5 non-conference matchups and one notable conference bout — Penn State travels to Illinois — there was a plethora of options. Michigan State hosts Washington, Indiana welcomes Louisville and Jeff Brohm and Maryland will play Virginia in College Park that weekend.
