Michigan State football: Washington kickoff time, channel is disappointing

Wednesday was a big game for Michigan State fans. The basketball program announced the return of both Jaden Akins and AJ Hoggard but Michigan State football made sure to bring everyone back down to earth with some disappointing kickoff time and channel news.

The Spartans announced the times and channels for three more games this season, including a 7 p.m. ET kickoff against Central Michigan in the opener on FS1.

They will also be facing Richmond at 3:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network and the anticipated Washington rematch will be at 5 p.m. ET.

While the kickoff time isn’t bad, the channel that the Washington game will be featured on is severely disappointing. You’ll have to download a streaming service if you want to watch.

Unfortunately, this will be the new norm as the Big Ten is under a new TV contract. There will be more games featured on the Peacock streaming service. This means we’ll have to pay for a subscription if we want to watch one of the best games on Michigan State’s 2023 schedule.

Scheduling hasn’t been great this year for Michigan State football

First it was the Penn State game moving to Ford Field on Black Friday that got fans upset and now it’s a 5 p.m. ET kickoff on Peacock against a potential top-10 Pac-12 team. That’s disappointing.

Fans want to see this kind of game featured on national television. Who wants to pay for a subscription just to watch this game unless you’re a Spartan fan? That means fewer eyes on the program. That’s the exact opposite of what you want.

It seems like all teams will have a Peacock game, but the fact that it’s Washington and not Central Michigan or Richmond is disheartening.