“I’ve got to go to church” - Texas AD embracing villain role after blocking Ohio State's proposal to move high-profile Week 1 clash

The Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes are scheduled to clash in a high-profile Week 1 matchup. The game will take place on Saturday, August 30, but the Buckeyes are interested in moving the game to Sunday. The Buckeyes reportedly proposed this schedule change to the Longhorns, but it was rejected.

According to ESPN insider Pete Thamel, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte was not afraid to play the villain role and rejected the Buckeyes' request. He cited not wanting his team to have less rest heading into Week 2, along with another funny reason.

"Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week for our boys who were just told we're kicking off at high noon?" Del Conte said. "It was never about moving the time of day."

"It was just, 'Hey do you want to move the day?' And I go, 'We're not moving. We're contractually obligated to this day.' That was it, but you know, the craziness is oh my God, they said no. I just said no to Sunday. I've got to go to church. I mean, hot dang."

Ohio State fans have expressed frustration with consistent noon kickoff times in recent years. This even led to Ohio representative Tex Fischer to propose a bill prohibiting Buckeyes games from starting before 3:30 p.m. ET if the game is against another state university or an AP Top 10 ranked opponent.

This matchup between Ohio State and Texas is part of a home-and-home series over the next two seasons

The game between the Buckeyes and Longhorns next season is the first matchup in a two-year series between these teams. They will play at Ohio State in 2025 before the series shifts to Texas in the 2026 season. It should be one of the most high-profile matchups of Week 1 this coming season.

Another reason Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte might not have wanted to move the game is because of viewership issues. With the game scheduled to take place on Saturday, the Texas-Ohio State matchup will likely be the premier game of the day.

While it would likely still be a premier game on Sunday, it would be up against Miami-Notre Dame. It is better for the Longhorns not to directly contest the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish for viewership. Playing on Saturday not only keeps the Longhorns on a normal schedule, but it also allows them to get more eyes on the game.