The Good and Bad of Fox’s College Football Plans for 2019

Fox and college football initially went together like oil and water. Its coverage of the BCS between 2006 and 2009 was, to put it politely, horrific.

When Fox reemerged in the college football world in 2012, fans had reason to be wary. However, over the past couple of years, the network has stepped up by not only televising big games, but doing so in a manner that didn’t enrage college football fans.

This year, Fox is taking things up a notch. They’ve launched a new pregame show. They’ve poached ESPN talent. They’re focusing on a new timeslot. It should be a fascinating season, for those interested in the media side of college football.

With the season about to kickoff, let’s look at what the good and bad, if not ugly, for the upcoming season

Good: The Big Noon concept

Do Fox execs read my blog? I argued passionately that the death of the noon game in college football was bad for the sport. Every network had lined up to put its best game in primetime, except for CBS and its weekly 3:30 p.m. SEC game. It led to way many too many Saturday nights where my remote was on the verge of exploding after a noon window filled with blowouts.

Fox correctly identified this window as a place to make an impact, as ABC’s Saturday Night…