Lee Barfknecht Says NU/UT at 2:30 pm; I say "Not So Fast!"

Sources suggest that a 2:30 pm kickoff time is the most likely scenario for the Nebraska/Texas football game, according to Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald. But while I don't completely dismiss a 2:30 pm kickoff, I tend to lean against it, unless Nebraska loses to Washington or Kansas State.

Barfknecht's sources admit that ABC hasn't given any indication that they will be opening an 11 am kickoff window for October 16th, but you can read that both ways. ABC is leaving their options open, and likely won't make any decision until October...maybe not even until the Kansas State game.

Furthermore, according to the Big XII conference, "ESPN sublicenses six games from FSN, dates may be flexible and times are tentative." Three ESPN games are already set:  SMU at Texas Tech on Sunday, September 5 and two Thursday night games, Texas A&M at Oklahoma State on September 30 and Nebraska at Kansas State on October 7.  All other dates are labeled "tentative":  October 30th at 8:15 pm, November 6th at 6 pm, and November 20th at 6 pm.

But some of those dates don't have particularly compelling games that would be attractive for ESPN/ABC. October 30th has Nebraska-Missouri, A&M-Tech, Oklahoma-Colorado, Iowa State-Kansas, Kansas State-Oklahoma State, and Texas-Baylor. (NU/MU and A&M/TT look like the likely candidates for ABC and ESPN broadcasts.)  November 6th has Nebraska-Iowa State, Kansas State-Texas, Oklahoma State-Baylor, Texas A&M-Oklahoma, Texas Tech-Missouri, and Kansas-Colorado. (A&M/OU and TT/MU look like the most likely candidates.)  November 20th has Nebraska-Texas A&M, Texas Tech-Weber State, Kansas-Oklahoma State, Colorado-Kansas State, Iowa State-Missouri, Oklahoma-Baylor, and Texas-Florida Atlantic. (After NU/A&M, none look too big on the 20th.)

These dates are just placeholders, and ESPN will move them if a matchup looks more compelling as the game approaches.  Especially that November 20th window.  I do wonder if ESPN isn't eyeing Missouri at Nebraska for that October 30th 8:15 pm window.  (Uggh. I hate 8:15 kickoffs.)

I don't believe ABC wants to televise Texas at Nebraska at 2:30 pm. ABC has already scheduled Iowa at Michigan for 2:30 pm as part of the regional broadcast. With Nebraska's move to the Big Ten, there will be more interest in Big Ten country to see the Huskers, and they won't want this game on pay-per-view in Big Ten country if Nebraska and Texas are undefeated.

I still think it'll be a morning kickoff on ABC or an evening kickoff on ESPN, when all is said and done, if Nebraska is undefeated when Texas comes to town.