Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said the school signed off on a rare November night game against UCLA in order to balance the start times for its home games this season.
The game against UCLA, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 in NBC’s evening slot, will be the Buckeyes’ third night game at Ohio Stadium after they hosted only one during the regular season a year ago.
“We thought this was a perfect opportunity,” Bjork said, “not too late in the year, but a good opportunity to have another night game.”
The three night games, which include wins over Minnesota and Ohio, are the most in a season since the Big Ten’s TV deal went into effect in 2023.
The league’s current media rights deal requires Ohio State’s approval for staging a night game following the first weekend in November due to the potential for colder temperatures, an idea that was met with reluctance from the school until recent years.
The Buckeyes had never hosted a night game in November until 2014, and the five previous ones were all held during the first or second weekend of the month.
Ohio State’s upcoming game against UCLA, which was one of the four former Pac-12 schools to join the Big Ten last year, marks the latest point during the regular season for a night game at the Horseshoe.
Bjork said Ohio State’s willingness to host a night game was helped by an earlier start at Purdue last week. The midday kickoff allowed them to return to Columbus by Saturday night and avoid playing late games in consecutive weeks.
Ohio Stadium was also winterized last year as the Buckeyes hosted a College Football Playoff game in December, an effort that prepared them to handle any elements, though this week’s forecast is mild. Temperatures at kickoff against the Bruins are expected to hover around 60 degrees.
If mid-to-late November night games at Ohio Stadium become more common in the following years, the playoff game is likely to be seen as a tipping point.
Bjork acknowledged the Buckeyes’ first-round win over Tennessee in frigid conditions provided a new perspective on hosting games at night late in the year.
“People are going to remember that atmosphere forever,” Bjork said. “It does allow you to have a little more flexibility for these November night games, to say, ‘Remember the Tennessee game?’ Hopefully, it’s the same way with UCLA this week.”
After five of the Buckeyes’ eight home regular-season games in 2024 were at noon, Bjork advocated for more variety in their start times. The Buckeyes’ final home game against Rutgers on Nov. 22 will be at noon, 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m.
“Every situation is unique,” Bjork said, “and the way the rhythm of the schedule played out this year, to have three night games compared to last year, it’s been a good balance.”
Ohio State also introduced various upgrades this year aimed at elevating the environment inside the stadium during games, especially for night games. It featured a drone show when it hosted Ohio in September.
“It goes back to what’s good for the fans,” Bjork said, “what’s good for the program, what kind of atmosphere do we want?”
The night games hold a particular benefit for the program’s recruiting efforts, making it easier for high school players to visit from out of state. As many of them play in games on Friday nights, the travel time for noon games is often limited.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day suggested they would be able to host more recruits this week as a result.
“Any time it’s a night game,” Day said, “it’s exciting.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Ohio State football signed off on rare November night game against UCLA
Reporting by Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
