Angry about noon start times for the Ohio State University football team’s games, state Rep. Tex Fischer introduced legislation to permit the state to impose $10 million fines for any state university ranked in the Top 10 to play another Top 10 team before 3:30 p.m.

Fischer, R-Boardman, said: “The likelihood of this advancing is virtually none. But hopefully pressure will change the minds of people who schedule the start times. I’m under no illusions it will go anywhere, but it shows that the fan base is sick and tired of these noon games.”

The legislation, which Fischer said took 15 minutes to draft, is specifically targeted at Ohio State and the noon start time of many of its games, which are shown on the Fox Sports TV network.

The bill demands games, which must be played in Ohio, between a state university in the Football Bowl Subdivision that is ranked in the Top 10 in the Associated Press poll or its successor against another team also in the Top 10 cannot start any earlier than 3:30 p.m.

The exception is if the game is a “college football tradition,” such as Ohio State-Michigan, known as “The Game,” which starts at noon. Fischer’s bill describes that as “a game between the teams of two institutions whose football teams have competed against each other at least 50 times and the start times has been the same for at least 95% of those games.”

This would not impact Youngstown State University as it is a Football Championship Subdivision team, or what used to be referred to as Division 1-AA, whereas Ohio State plays in the FBS, formerly Division 1-A.

Fischer said the bill likely would only impact Ohio State though he noted that the University of Cincinnati was ranked in the Top 10 as late as 2021.

Fischer said his specific target is Fox’s “Big Noon Saturday” game. The Buckeyes, the 2024 national champions, played seven games at noon last season, including the final six to end the year, which angered many fans. Under Fischer’s bill, only one of those was a home game against another Top 10 team — Indiana University- on Nov. 23.

Ohio State is opening the upcoming season against Texas at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30. The game will be on Fox and is expected to start at noon.

Fischer said that was the final straw for him.

“All these marquee matchups end up on noon because Fox wants to milk them for ratings and money,” he said. “They put Ohio State games on at noon to get good ratings. Ohio State draws ratings whether it’s day or night. Ohio State has arguably the biggest fan base in the country.”

Fischer added: “As fans, we’re fed up to have these games start at noon. It’s not good for businesses around the stadium to have people there at noon rather than at night. Evening games create a better atmosphere and create more revenue.”

Also, Fischer said, getting up to watch a noon Ohio State game in person can be challenging for some, including the school’s students.

The $10 million fine would be issued by the attorney general to either the host team’s football athletic conference — the Big 10 for Ohio State — or the TV network broadcasting or streaming the game — typically Fox — whichever party scheduled the earlier start time.

While prime time games can mean younger fans don’t get to watch, Fischer said as a kid, “I had a strict bedtime. But the exception was when the Buckeyes were playing.”

Fischer said he wrote the bill in 15 minutes and it didn’t detract from the work he is doing in the Ohio House. He also stressed that he doesn’t think the bill will go anywhere.

“It will probably go nowhere and it should probably go nowhere, but I want to make a point,” he said.

Fischer’s proposal has already received national media attention with USA Today, Sports Illustrated writing articles and former Ohio State players tweeting support for it.

dskolnick@vindy.com