Report: Big Ten makes game time changes for Heroes Game, Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe

As the Big Ten enters its second year of its media deal – and the first full year with CBS – some major changes are coming to rivalry games. The Heroes Game and Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe are both going to be in new time slots this year.

Minnesota vs. Wisconsin will play for the Axe Noon ET on Black Friday after traditionally being played on Saturday afternoon during Rivalry Week, The Inside Zone’s Matt Fortuna reported. The game will be on CBS and effectively set up the Heroes Game between Iowa and Nebraska, which moves from its 11 a.m. CT kickoff to primetime with a 6:30 p.m. CT start on NBC.

Iowa and Nebraska played their 54th Heroes Game matchup last year and continued the tradition of playing on Black Friday. But this year will mark the first time the two teams square off under the lights, marking a new chapter in the rivalry. The Hawkeyes came away with the 13-10 victory – their eighth in the last 10 showdowns.

Meanwhile, the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe is the most-played rivalry game in history. Minnesota and Wisconsin played their 133rd game against each other last year, and the Badgers came away with the 28-14 victory in Luke Fickell’s first rivalry matchup. Now, the game is preparing to move to Black Friday as the new media deal fully kicks in.

More on the next phase of Big Ten media rights

In 2023, the Big Ten began its landmark media deal with FOX, CBS and NBC – although CBS was still under contract with the SEC. That meant the network aired those games in its 2:30 p.m. CT window, but also carried some notable Big Ten games, including the 2023 Heroes Game on Black Friday.

Now, CBS’ Big Ten partnership is essentially at full strength as the SEC moves its games exclusively to ESPN and ABC.

The conference will now play its three biggest games on three different networks on Saturdays. FOX will still have its Big Noon slot, but CBS will now carry Big Ten matchups in the 2:30 p.m. CT slot. That leaves NBC to enter the second year of its Big Ten Saturday Night package with 6:30 p.m. CT kickoffs rounding out the full day of action.

Now, the picture is becoming clearer about the Big Ten’s Black Friday slate, with two games on the day after Thanksgiving to kick off Rivalry Week.