This is the time of year when we remember why and how much we love college football. It’s our big slobbering basset hound. But we forget how dumb it can be.
Thank you, USC-Michigan State start time, for a reminder.
The Spartans (3-0) and No. 25 Trojans (3-0) will meet Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with an official kickoff time of 8:05 p.m. local. That’s 11:05 p.m. in East Lansing, Mich., the home of Michigan State University. That’s a great way to remind everyone of the ills of expansion and the Big Ten’s most recent TV deal, and of how little fans matter in college sports decisions anymore.
The customer’s always right? Nah, man, the customer’s snoring loudly.
According to the MSU Alumni Association, the school has 550,500 living alums, about 306,000 in Michigan and about 423,000 in the Eastern time zone. And that’s just alums. A study by The Athletic in April did not place MSU among the top 12 largest fan bases, but a 2022 study from marketing research firm SBRnet estimated 2.93 million fans of the Spartans, sixth-most in the nation and third-most in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Penn State.
Regardless: It’s a whole bunch of people. Most of them are trying to figure out how, exactly, they’ll be able to stay up until close to 3 a.m. Sunday in the event of a close game. Little kids, the people all sports leagues should be thinking about as they distribute their “inventory,” sure won’t make it. Anyone older than about 25 who isn’t artificially in a different time zone because of a work schedule will need to take serious measures.
it’s gonna be a late one folks pic.twitter.com/1FeJ2zhlqQ
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) September 8, 2025
Jolt Cola? Self pinching and/or slapping? Toothpicks to prop open the eyes, a homemade version of that scene in “A Clockwork Orange?” A big nap? That’s a bit more reasonable. But who wants to nap with all that college football on TV? And who’s going to walk the dog?
Sure, college students are night owls by nature. The packed bar in the college town living and dying with every play as the home team plays on the road is a great American sports scene. But the East Lansing bars will give last call and turn on those unforgiving lights around 1:45 a.m. The third quarter will just be making way for the fourth quarter.
What do you expect these kids to do? Have enough charge in their phones to stream the Fox broadcast finish while waiting in line for their 7,500 calories’ worth of pizza/burritos/chili cheese fries? This sounds like the recipe for an uptick in post-bar brawls. Add that to your conscience, college sports leaders.
There is good news for the 517 registered Michigan State alums living in Thailand. As someone who lives in the Central time zone, I can tell you that the 11 a.m. college football kickoff is absolutely perfect. That’s when they’ll get MSU-USC in Bangkok – throw some moo ping on the grill and let the Mekhong flow!
The Big Ten did not respond to a request for comment on the decision, whether anyone protested and how many other of the league’s Eastern time zone fan bases may face the prospect of throwing off body clocks for weeks to watch a football game. That’s fine. As long as it doesn’t mean everyone is too busy figuring out how to spin commissioner Tony Petitti’s newest College Football Playoff idea, a 60-team field with 17 auto bids for the Big Ten, setting up a gigantic 2026 play-in game between bitter rivals Rutgers and UCLA for the final spot.
Speaking of Rutgers and UCLA, this has happened before. Last year, in fact. Two Big Ten games had 11 p.m. (ET) starts, one of them Oregon at UCLA. This made geographic sense, even if the league doesn’t at all. The other was Rutgers at USC on a Friday after a World Series game on Fox. It will happen again, but not often. This one came about because Fox had the third choice Saturday after CBS took Michigan-Nebraska and NBC grabbed Illinois-Indiana.
Fox, which isn’t allowed to air a Big Ten game against CBS or NBC (which has the Illini and Hoosiers in prime time), went for strong brands requiring strong coffee to watch. Tough break, Spartans fans. Also, tough break, Trojans student-athletes – a week later, you’ll be lining up for kickoff at 9 a.m. (PT) at Illinois to supply that all-important “Big Noon Kickoff” content for Fox.
It’s all so dumb. And if it’s damaging over the long haul, this willingness to let TV executives treat college sports people like “Candyland” board pieces, the folks who allowed it will have cashed their chips in and scurried away by then.
On the less cynical side: The Big Ten will be offering up around 15 straight hours of football Saturday and into Sunday. This won’t seem so bad once Jayden Maiava and Aidan Chiles start zipping passes around the Coliseum.
Until you wake up on the couch just before dawn, have to search up the final score and realize the dog tipped over the trash can again.
(Photo of Aidan Chiles: Nick King / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The Late, Late Show: How the Michigan State-USC Kickoff Highlights the Absurdities of Modern College Football
The roar of the crowd, the crisp autumn air, the pageantry of marching bands – college football is a deeply ingrained American tradition. But sometimes, the pursuit of television dollars and the relentless expansion of conferences can lead to decisions that leave fans scratching their heads, or more likely, fighting to stay awake. The upcoming matchup between the Michigan State Spartans and the USC Trojans is a prime example.
While the game promises to be a compelling contest between two undefeated teams, the 8:05 p.m. Pacific Time kickoff (11:05 p.m. in East Lansing) is a slap in the face to a significant portion of the Spartan faithful. Imagine being a die-hard Michigan State fan, eager to cheer on your team, but facing the prospect of staying up until the wee hours of the morning to see the final whistle. For many, especially those with young children or demanding work schedules, it’s simply not feasible.
The decision highlights the growing disconnect between college sports administrators and the fans who fuel the enterprise. The mantra of "the customer is always right" seems to have been replaced with "the network is always right." The pursuit of lucrative television deals has led to scheduling decisions that prioritize broadcast windows over the convenience and well-being of fans.
Michigan State boasts a massive alumni network, with over half a million living graduates, the vast majority residing in Michigan and the Eastern Time Zone. Add to that the millions of casual fans who support the Spartans, and you have a significant population whose viewing experience is being compromised. While college students might be able to rally, fueled by late-night pizza and youthful energy, the average fan faces a far more daunting challenge.
What are the options for the dedicated Spartan fan? Downing copious amounts of caffeine? Resorting to desperate measures to stay awake? Sneaking in a nap and risking missing crucial plays? The situation is particularly ironic considering the focus on attracting younger fans. How can college football hope to cultivate the next generation of supporters when games are scheduled at times that are completely inaccessible to them?
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. For the fortunate 517 Michigan State alumni living in Thailand, the 11 a.m. kickoff is a dream come true. They can enjoy the game with a delicious meal and a refreshing beverage, all while the rest of the Spartan nation is struggling to stay awake.
The Big Ten’s silence on the matter is deafening. The league’s refusal to address the scheduling concerns raises questions about their priorities and their commitment to the fan base. Are they too preoccupied with commissioner Tony Petitti’s latest College Football Playoff proposal, a plan that seems more focused on maximizing revenue than on ensuring fair competition and a positive fan experience?
This isn’t an isolated incident. Similar late-night kickoffs have plagued Big Ten teams in the past, particularly those on the West Coast. The constant juggling of schedules to accommodate television networks has turned college football into a game of "Candyland," where fans are merely pawns in a larger commercial enterprise.
However, amidst the cynicism, there is a glimmer of hope. The Big Ten’s jam-packed Saturday schedule promises hours of football action, offering a welcome distraction from the scheduling woes. And who knows, maybe the Spartans and Trojans will deliver a thrilling contest that makes the late kickoff worthwhile.
But even if the game is a classic, the underlying problem remains. The increasing influence of television networks and the disregard for the fan experience are trends that threaten the long-term health of college football. Unless administrators prioritize the needs of their supporters, they risk alienating the very people who make the sport so special. And if that happens, waking up on the couch to find the dog has raided the trash can might be the least of their worries.