In this college football podcast episode, we chat with The Athletic's Scott Dochterman about the little-known, high-stakes draft process by which Fox, CBS and NBC pick the Big Ten games that each will air this season. Learn about the insane preparation, strategy, negotiations, and decisions that shape our TV experience every fall. Plus, some insight into the Big Ten's playoff positioning strategy, why the conference is pushing for four automatic CFP bids, and more.

Check out Scott's reporting on the TV draft (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6389813/2025/05/29/big-ten-football-tv-schedule-draft-fox-nbc-cbs/) and the Big Ten's push for automatic bids (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6398844/2025/06/03/big-ten-cfp-automatic-bids/)

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

04:20 - Scott Dochterman from The Athletic explains the TV game draft

11:30 - Network strategies: Fox vs CBS vs NBC

18:00 - Surprising discoveries while reporting the story

23:51 - The "Big Noon Saturday" product

27:12 - Lessons learned from previous scheduling mistakes

31:42 - Buyer's remorse over bad matchups

36:15 - TV draft crushes

38:25 - The sophisticated preparation process

42:13 - Is there corporate espionage?

44:45 - Big Ten's push for automatic CFP bids

52:05 - Closing thoughts

_____

A fan of our college football podcast? Leave us a rating and review, and don't forget to subscribe or follow so you don't miss any of our podcast episodes:

Apple Podcasts: https://play.solidverbal.com/apple-podcasts

Spotify: https://play.solidverbal.com/spotify

Amazon Music: https://play.solidverbal.com/amazon-music

Overcast: https://play.solidverbal.com/overcast

Pocket Casts: https://play.solidverbal.com/pocketcasts

Podcast Addict: https://play.solidverbal.com/podcast-addict

CastBox: https://play.solidverbal.com/castbox

Our college football show is also available on YouTube. Subscribe to the channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@solidverbal

Learn more about the show on our website: https://www.solidverbal.com/about

Want to get in touch? Give us a holler on Twitter: @solidverbal, @tyhildenbrandt, @danrubenstein, on Instagram, or on Facebook. You can also find our college football podcast out on TikTok and Threads. Stay up to date with our free weekly college football newsletter: https://quickslants.solidverbal.com/subscribe.

College football has been our passion since we started The Solid Verbal College Football Podcast back in 2008. We don't just love college football, we live it!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this college football podcast episode, we chat with The Athletic's Scott Dochterman about the little-known, high-stakes draft process by which Fox, CBS and NBC pick the Big Ten games that each will air this season. Learn about the insane preparation, strategy, negotiations, and decisions that shape our TV experience every fall. Plus, some insight into the Big Ten's playoff positioning strategy, why the conference is pushing for four automatic CFP bids, and more.Check out Scott's reporting on the TV draft (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6389813/2025/05/29/big-ten-football-tv-schedule-draft-fox-nbc-cbs/)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6389813/2025/05/29/big-ten-football-tv-schedule-draft-fox-nbc-cbs/)</a> and the Big Ten's push for automatic bids (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6398844/2025/06/03/big-ten-cfp-automatic-bids/)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6398844/2025/06/03/big-ten-cfp-automatic-bids/)</a>Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction04:20 - Scott Dochterman from The Athletic explains the TV game draft11:30 - Network strategies: Fox vs CBS vs NBC18:00 - Surprising discoveries while reporting the story23:51 - The "Big Noon Saturday" product27:12 - Lessons learned from previous scheduling mistakes31:42 - Buyer's remorse over bad matchups36:15 - TV draft crushes38:25 - The sophisticated preparation process42:13 - Is there corporate espionage?44:45 - Big Ten's push for automatic CFP bids52:05 - Closing thoughts_____A fan of our college football podcast?&nbsp;Leave us a rating and review, and don't forget to subscribe or follow so you don't miss any of our podcast episodes:Apple Podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.solidverbal.com/apple-podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://play.solidverbal.com/apple-podcasts</a>Spotify:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.solidverbal.com/spotify" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://play.solidverbal.com/spotify</a>Amazon Music:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.solidverbal.com/amazon-music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://play.solidverbal.com/amazon-music</a>Overcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.solidverbal.com/overcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://play.solidverbal.com/overcast</a>Pocket Casts:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.solidverbal.com/pocketcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://play.solidverbal.com/pocketcasts</a>Podcast Addict:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.solidverbal.com/podcast-addict" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://play.solidverbal.com/podcast-addict</a>CastBox:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.solidverbal.com/castbox" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://play.solidverbal.com/castbox</a>Our college football show is also available on YouTube.&nbsp;Subscribe to the channel at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@solidverbal?sub_confirmation=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@solidverbal</a>Learn more about the show on our website:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.solidverbal.com/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.solidverbal.com/about</a>Want to get in touch?&nbsp;Give us a holler on Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitter.com/solidverbal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@solidverbal</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitter.com/tyhildenbrandt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@tyhildenbrandt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitter.com/danrubenstein" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@danrubenstein</a>, on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/solidverbal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/solidverbal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. You can also find our college football podcast out on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@solidverbal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.threads.net/@solidverbal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Threads</a>. Stay up to date with our free weekly college football newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://quickslants.solidverbal.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://quickslants.solidverbal.com/subscribe</a>.College football has been our passion since we started The Solid Verbal College Football Podcast back in 2008. We don't just love college football, we live it!See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

College football in all its glory. Ditch the mainstream and break the huddle with The Solid Verbal. Since 2008, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein have been shaking up the college football podcasting scene with their fun and unique blend of commentary. Whether you're a diehard or a casual observer, the show taps into your fandom with spirited debates, fresh perspectives, and segments you won't hear anywhere else. Recognized as trailblazers in the podcasting world, The Solid Verbal isn't just another college football show—it's America's College Football Podcast. Become a Verballer today and join thousands of others who don't just love college football, they live it!

Follow The Solid Verbal College Football podcast on your favorite app today and download everything you need to know this offseason.

College football in all its glory. Ditch the mainstream and break the huddle with The Solid Verbal. Since 2008, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein have been shaking up the college football podcasting scene with their fun and unique blend of commentary. Whether you're a diehard or a casual observer, the show taps into your fandom with spirited debates, fresh perspectives, and segments you won't hear anywhere else. Recognized as trailblazers in the podcasting world, The Solid Verbal isn't just another college football show—it's America's College Football Podcast. Become a Verballer today and join thousands of others who don't just love college football, they live it!Follow The Solid Verbal College Football podcast on your favorite app today and download everything you need to know this offseason.

The Solid Verbal College Football

Inside the Big Ten TV Draft with Scott Dochterman

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4681eeb4-b0ca-4ee0-a9db-b30d011a553f/transcript

Advertisement