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Big 12 commissioner responds to criticism about kickoff time for Nebraska-Oklahoma game

Spenser Davis

By Spenser Davis

Published:

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby spoke at his conference’s media day on Wednesday, and addressed some lingering criticism about the 11 a.m. CT kickoff time for Nebraska-Oklahoma this fall.

The criticism came from Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione, who said the program was “bitterly disappointed” to not have a prime time kickoff vs. the Huskers in Norman.

Castiglione and the Sooners lobbied for a later start, but to no avail. FOX ultimately decided to put the game during its Big Noon Kickoff slot.

“I think Joe’s position on it was it was a marquee game and he would have liked to have seen it played in prime time,” Bowlsby told reporters Wednesday, via the Tulsa World. “He’s entitled to that position, and we talked about it extensively in the time before he made his comments.

“Having said that, we all signed the TV contract, and we can change it the next time around if we want to change it, but we are going to live by our stipulations on the television agreements and that’s what we did on this occasion.”

The game will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the “Game of the Century” — a contest between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 1 Nebraska in 1971. The Huskers won the game and, eventually, the 1971 National Championship.

Nebraska will host Oklahoma in 2022 to complete the home-and-home series.

The Huskers and Sooners will meet this season on Sept. 18.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.