Ohio State-Northwestern Kickoff Set for Noon
The November 14 home game at Columbus will be televised by FOX, with a noon start time.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Television
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Ohio State announced that its November 14 home game against Northwestern will kick off at noon on FOX. The announcement means the Buckeyes will play no home night games during the 2026 regular season.
Why it matters
It is the first time since 2018 that Ohio State will play no home night games, a shift in scheduling that changes the game-day experience for fans in Columbus. The noon start also positions the matchup on FOX's broadcast window for a national audience.
Ohio State's first three home games kicked off at noon or 12:30 p.m., and the November 14 game is the Buckeyes' final noon home game of the sequence in which the Michigan game also falls. Both Ohio State and Northwestern enter the matchup with 6-2 records.
The players
Ohio State University
A public research university in Columbus, Ohio, whose football program is one of the most widely followed in college athletics.
Northwestern University
A private research university in Evanston, Illinois, competing in the Big Ten Conference.
FOX
A major American broadcast television network that holds the rights to the game.
The details
Ohio State announced on Monday that the November 14 home game against Northwestern will begin at noon and air on FOX. The team's final two home games of the season, including the Michigan matchup, are also noon contests on FOX.
Timeline
August: Ohio State released a pin set featuring a black helmet on the Northwestern pin.
October: Ohio State's home game against Maryland started at 4:15 p.m.
November 2: Ohio State announced the Northwestern game kickoff at noon.
November 14: Ohio State hosts Northwestern at noon on FOX.
Season Trajectory
Ohio State's noon kickoffs extend a scheduling pattern that has kept the team away from home night games since 2018. The shift places the Northwestern matchup within a season that has already seen the Buckeyes trade daytime and afternoon starts across their home slate.
Fans planning to attend the November 14 game should expect a noon kickoff and arrive early in Columbus. Viewers outside the stadium can tune to FOX at midday to follow the matchup.
The takeaway
Ohio State's noon start on FOX gives fans in Columbus and national viewers a fixed time to plan around for the Northwestern matchup. The schedule change is the first home-slate shift of its kind since 2018.
What happens next
Ohio State hosts Northwestern on November 14 at noon on FOX, and the Buckeyes' remaining home games follow with noon starts on FOX.
Further reading
For more on television broadcast schedules, see Television.
Live Poll
Would a noon kickoff change whether you attend a college football game in person?
