Overlooked Big Ten Series Earn Rare Over-The-Air TV Slots

Two of the Big Ten’s less notable series will have a different stage than usual thanks to some scheduling quirks. Maryland-Wisconsin and Rutgers-Iowa will both receive over-the-air exposure this weekend due to preseason network picks and multiple home games for the conference’s West Coast teams, among other things. Maryland-Wisconsin will be NBC’s version of Big Noon Kickoff, while Rutgers and Iowa will be Fox’s Friday night game.

The catalyst for Maryland-Wisconsin receiving the rare NBC noon TV slot was CBS’ preseason selection of Michigan-Nebraska before the start of the season. The rest of the Big Ten’s TV selections for September 20th built off this predetermination by the network. This game worked with both Oregon and USC hosting home games to open up the NBC noon slot for Maryland-Wisconsin, giving the series network TV exposure for just the second time ever.

This is just the fifth meeting in the Maryland-Wisconsin series and the first since 2017 to air on an over-the-air network. A 6-0 start and the #5 ranking in the country for Wisconsin pushed Fox to air their game against Maryland. However, it was not their flagship game for the week since this was in the pre-Big Noon Kickoff era. 1.495 million viewers saw the Badgers beat the Terrapins 38-13. The Big Ten Network aired the other three meetings. Only the 2022 game had ratings available on SportsMediaWatch.com. 576,000 viewers watch Wisconsin beat Maryland 23-10.

Unlike Maryland and Wisconsin, Rutgers and Iowa received the often-controversial Fox Friday Night slot before the season. There was no network puzzle. This is the first time these two post-2014 Big Ten rivals have faced off on over-the-air TV. The previous four meetings, dating back to 2016, have all aired on cable television. Their networks and ratings are below via SportsMediaWatch.com.

• 2016: ESPN, 815,000 viewers
• 2019: FS1, 545,000 viewers
• 2022: FS1, 739,0000 viewers
• 2023, Big Ten Network, 714,000 viewers

It is odd to see two former cross-divisional games involving the pair of 2014 Big Ten Atlantic expansion teams on such a large stage. Still, it is refreshing to see the networks showcase different conference matchups. The rare network TV exposure should set viewership records for at least the Rutgers-Iowa series. Maryland and Wisconsin's game may not have the implications of the 2017 game, but it still should have a broad audience.

Along with sportsmediawatch.com, mattsarzsports.com was an indispensable aid to my research.