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2h ago

Lincoln Riley Criticizes USC’s Extreme Kickoff Swing, Drawing Viral Backlash

The flap highlights TV-driven scheduling after realignment that forces West Coast teams into late nights one week followed by early mornings the next.

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Overview

  • USC plays at Illinois at 11 a.m. Central on Saturday, a 9 a.m. Pacific start just a week after an 8 p.m. Pacific home kickoff against Michigan State.
  • Riley said the team moved from “the absolute latest kick in the country to the absolute earliest,” adding that USC does not control TV windows and has adjusted preparation to keep players fresh.
  • The comments drew online criticism, including from former USC captain Petros Papadakis, who called it excessive complaining given the realities of Big Ten travel for a West Coast program.
  • Coverage frames the whiplash in start times as a consequence of the Pac-12’s collapse and USC’s Big Ten move, which expanded travel and reduced consistency in local kickoffs.
  • Analysts and fans point to networks’ pursuit of ratings—exemplified by Fox’s Big Noon window—as a key driver of early and late slots for cross-time-zone matchups.