HB 285: Regards the start times of college football games
<p>This bill aims to regulate the start times of college football games played in the state. A game cannot start before 3:30 p.m. if both teams are ranked among the top ten teams in the national collegiate athletic association's football bowl subdivision. This rule does not apply if the game's start time is a tradition between two specific teams that have played each other 50 times with the same start time for at least 95% of those games.</p> <p>If a game starts earlier than allowed, the host team's football athletic conference or the television network broadcasting the game can be fined $10 million. The bill also prohibits state universities from entering into contracts that would require their football teams to start games at times that violate the rule.</p>
| May. 21, 2025 | Referred to committee: General Government |
| May. 20, 2025 | Introduced |
As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session
2025-2026
Representative Fischer
To enact section 3345.89 of the Revised Code with respect to the start times of college football games.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 3345.89 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 3345.89. (A) As used in this section, "state university" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
(B) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, no college football game played in this state shall commence prior to three-thirty p.m. on the day of the competition when both of the following circumstances apply:
(1) One competing team is the football team of a state university.
(2) Both competing teams are ranked among the top ten teams in the associated press poll, or its successor, of the national collegiate athletic association's football bowl subdivision, or its successor.
(C) Division (B) of this section does not apply if an earlier start time of a college football game between two teams is a college football tradition. For this purpose, a "college football tradition" is a start time of a game between the teams of two institutions whose football teams have competed against each other at least fifty times and the start time has been the same for at least ninety-five per cent of those games.
(D) If a game subject to division (B) of this section starts at a time earlier than permitted by that division, the attorney general shall impose a fine of ten million dollars against either the host team's football athletic conference or the television network broadcasting or streaming the game, whichever party scheduled the earlier start time.
(E) No state university shall enter into or renew a contract with the national collegiate athletic association, an athletic conference, or a media entity under which any entity, directly or indirectly, may compel or permit the university's football team to commence a college football game that is subject to division (B) of this section at a time that violates that division.