Why does Alabama vs. Texas start at noon? Crimson Tide get first taste of ‘Big Noon Saturday’ in 2022

Alabama and Texas will trade in the primetime spotlight for the noonday sun in their Week 2 meeting in Austin.

In a move that has generated criticism, Fox has opted to use its noon Eastern time slot — termed “Big Noon Saturday” by the network — for the game between the top-ranked Crimson Tide and Longhorns.

Fans have bemoaned the fact this game — only the 10th all-time meeting between two of college football’s premier programs, and first since the 2010 BCS championship game — will not be given the primetime treatment. Instead, it will have an 11 a.m. kickoff in the Central time zone, and 9 a.m. kickoff for those on the West Coast.

That begs the question: Why has Fox opted to give this primetime-caliber game such an early kickoff? The Sporting News breaks down the logic behind the decision, as well as the history of “Big Noon Saturday.”

MORE: Watch Alabama vs. Texas live with fuboTV (free trial)

Why is Alabama vs. Texas on at noon?

Simply put: Fox, which has TV rights in place with the Big 12, does not want to contend with other games that come on throughout the day. Those include “SEC on CBS” (3:30 p.m. ET) and ABC’s “Saturday Night Football” (7:30 p.m. ET).

And so Fox executives made the unorthodox decision to place their biggest games not in the 3:30 p.m. or primetime slots, but in the noon slots. The program — which also directs more viewers to “Big Noon Kickoff” at 11 a.m. ET, drawing eyes from ESPN’s “College GameDay” — was officially dubbed “Big Noon Saturday.”

Here’s a promo of “Big Noon Kickoff” and “Big Noon Saturday” when they were announced ahead of the 2019 season. In the video, the narrator asks for college football fans to “Start Saturday strong.”

As for how Fox came to acquire the rights to Alabama-Texas, that too is relatively simple: The Big 12 has a media rights deal in place with ABC/ESPN and Fox. Per a FAQ section from the Big 12’s site, the networks alternate picks of given weekends, with first overall pick depending on the year; because this is an even-numbered year, Fox got first pick.

ABC/ESPN and Fox have established a process and order for selecting games. ABC/ESPN and Fox will have alternating picks with Fox selecting first in even years and ABC/ESPN picking first in odd years. After ESPN has selected its 32nd game, Fox has all remaining picks. The draft is a bit complicated but each network utilizes the selections to determine weekends it will pick first or second or maybe not select a game that week.

Fox almost certainly used its first pick for Week 2, the week of Alabama-Texas. The Crimson Tide will be only the third independent/Power 5 team from outside the Big 12, Pac-12 and Big Ten to play on “Big Noon Saturday.” The first was Army in 2019; the second was Notre Dame in 2021.

ESPN likely used its second overall pick to grab Week 7 (the week Texas plays Oklahoma). Following the selection of those games, Fox likely used its third overall game for the Oklahoma-Nebraska game, which will take place at noon on Sept. 17.

Curiously, Fox’s gamble appears to have paid off. A December 2021 report from Sportico suggests “Big Noon Network” had overtaken “SEC on CBS” in terms of average annual viewership (helped greatly by Michigan’s upset over Ohio State in 2021).

MORE: What channel is Alabama vs. Texas on today?

Alabama vs. Texas start time

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
• Kickoff: Noon ET

Alabama vs. Texas will kick off at noon ET from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Here are the announcements from the respective teams (both of which are in the Central time zone):

🚨 Game time announcements 🚨

09/02 vs. ULM – 7:00 p.m. CT on @LonghornNetwork
09/10 vs. Alabama – 11:00 a.m. CT on @CFBONFOX
09/17 vs. UTSA – 7:00 p.m. CT on @LonghornNetwork

Mark your calendars! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/eUyxIZ15SX

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 26, 2022

TIDE.
HORNS.#BamaFactor #RollTide pic.twitter.com/zqETYK5viG

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) May 26, 2022

MORE: Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers ‘excited’ for shot at Alabama — and viewers should be, too

Alabama schedule 2022

* SEC game

Texas schedule 2022

* Big 12 game