Northwestern fans will wake up to a unique atmosphere for the season’s first gameday with students on campus as FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff visits for the first time.
FOX’s flagship college football pregame show premiered in 2019, and it is making its first trip to Evanston for its seventh season ahead of the Wildcats’ (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) conference-opener against No. 4 Oregon.
The pregame show’s star-studded panel includes three-time national champion coach Urban Meyer, Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Mark Ingram II, two-time All-American quarterback Brady Quinn and host Rob Stone.
“It’s a beautiful scenery and a great matchup,” Ingram said to reporters Friday afternoon. “We always try to support the Big Ten and find exciting venues that we haven’t been to, to cater to fans that we haven’t been to, so we can all just spread the love and celebrate the game of football.”
NU and Oregon headline Fox’s Saturday broadcast slate with Joel Klatt and Gus Johnson on the call for the 11 a.m. kickoff. Both teams are coming off decisive Week 2 victories, as the Ducks (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) knocked off Oklahoma State 69-3 and the ’Cats defeated Western Illinois 42-7 in their home opener.
Big Noon Kickoff emcee and crowd host Anthony Russo is responsible for interacting with fans and keeping energy high on-site. Russo has been with Big Noon Kickoff since its inception in 2019 and said the lakefront stadium and Lakefill setting make for one of the most unique venues in all of college sports.
“[The lakefront set will] look great on national TV. It’ll look great on camera,” Russo said. “Would you rather hang out in a restaurant in the middle of the city or would you rather be on the beach? This is as cool of a spot as we’ve had in all of the years doing FOX Big Noon.”
After a trip to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals last season, the Ducks have carried their dominant form into 2025 and will be coach David Braun’s squad’s toughest challenge yet.
Russo said this is the type of matchup that can make the pregame show special.
“You’ve got [Oregon] a big team coming in, a team that obviously is favored, and then you still have a good start to the season, a really, really cool opportunity for the school,” Russo said. “I think the students will embrace that, therefore the hosts and I will embrace it.”
Along with being NU’s first time hosting Big Noon Kickoff, Saturday also marks the school’s first gameday with the class of 2029 on campus. Russo said he hopes Big Noon Kickoff’s presence will make Saturday even more memorable for students experiencing their first major college event.
“Thinking back to when I went to college, if my first experience was something like this, getting on national TV, getting to see celebrities, ex-athletes, big-name players, I don’t think it gets cooler than that,” Russo said.
Students and fans can join the show’s live taping along the Lakefill. Gates open at 8 a.m., while the show runs from 9 a.m. until NU and Oregon kickoff at 11 a.m. on FOX.
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