Well, ESPN’s teaming up with the NFL, sparking College Football RedZone fantasies, but FOX is holding onto key pieces. Look, the NFL’s easy; one league, one set of rights. But college? That’s a totally different chaos, as here, FOX controls major games and won’t give them to ESPN that easily. Now, both networks are battling for Saturday supremacy. And fans crave non-stop action, yet they’re stuck with a network standoff. The excitement’s there, the hurdles are massive, and this fight is escalating.

Now, ESPN has inked a billion-dollar deal with the NFL, gaining key media assets like RedZone in exchange for league equity in ESPN. The agreement also includes access to NFL Network, seven regular-season games, the NFL’s fantasy football operations, and possible integrated betting features. ESPN intends to incorporate these assets into its upcoming $29.99 monthly direct-to-consumer service, “Next Era.” The deal, pending regulatory approval, which could take a year, might launch before ESPN’s first Super Bowl broadcast in the 2026-27 season.

Following this NFL deal, fans are hopeful for a College Football RedZone, but it feels like a dream so far. But why? Unlike the NFL’s centralized broadcast rights, college football is spread across various networks, creating obstacles for ESPN’s whip-around concept. FOX Sports, holding the Big Noon Big Ten game and a large share of Big Ten and Big 12 rights, is a major hurdle. As Front Office Sports reports, FOX is hesitant to license these games to ESPN, fearing a loss of viewership, and would only consider it with substantial ownership in the venture.

The problem occurs as talk grows about taking RedZone beyond just NFL coverage. With the NFL Network deal, ESPN now controls RedZone and can apply its format to other sports. Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is rooting for the same in CFB. “I think that could be an exciting thing for our fans also to see a RedZone, maybe in college football or other sports. That’s something that they now own, and they have the ability to do that,” he said.

Now, here’s the kicker: it’s evident that ESPN’s trying to create a College Football RedZone, and FOX Sports is blocking access to Big Ten and Big 12 games. But on top of that, for this idea to succeed, ESPN requires CBS and NBC’s support for full Big Ten coverage, a partnership that currently invests around $1 billion annually in the conference’s media rights. Without their agreement, ESPN can’t provide the comprehensive viewing experience fans demand.

This standoff is the latest chapter in ESPN and FOX’s intense college football rivalry. FOX’s 2019 launch of Big Noon Kickoff, aimed at competing with ESPN’s College GameDay, led ESPN to strengthen its team with Nick Saban and Pat McAfee. Then FOX responded by bringing in Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports in 2025. Following realignment, both networks now control the SEC and Big Ten—ESPN gained Texas and Oklahoma for the SEC, while FOX supported the Big Ten’s acquisition of USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington.

This rivalry escalated in 2023 when the Big Ten switched from ESPN to CBS and NBC, adding even more fuel to the fire. And the result is that fans are left furious.

ESPN’s RedZone move gets fan support

Fans have a history with FOX: they’ve become accustomed to the network somehow making exciting college football moments end up on a weird note. “Fox Sports only takes Ls when it comes to CFB.” While it might sound harsh, years of frustrating choices, including questionable game times and tough contract negotiations, have solidified this view.

That’s exactly why, when talk of a college football RedZone channel gained momentum, many immediately anticipated FOX would somehow mess it up. Seeing a promising broadcast idea emerge often leads fans to worry about the inevitable negative twist. And this fan echoes that sentiment perfectly: “Fox loves to ruin everything.” It’s clear that by securing those rights, FOX effectively blocked ESPN’s CFB RedZone idea even before it could get rolling. And what makes it worse is that they prioritize control over the fan experience.

For many, this issue isn’t just about the current dispute; it’s about years of bad blood. “All my homies hate Fox.” This fan sentiment has become a common meme in college football circles, but like most memes, it reflects genuine frustration. Fans feel that for FOX, everything is a part of a deal, whether it’s through skipping important games, splitting coverage awkwardly, or overhyping unbalanced matchups. This RedZone situation perfectly aligns with that existing perception.

Even the most critical fans recognize this isn’t simply about being difficult. One IG user admitted, “As sad as it is to not get a full CFB red zone, it wouldn’t make any sense for Fox to do this.” Why would they give ESPN a valuable new product that could steal viewers, especially after the recent fight over conference rights? Fox’s decision may annoy viewers, but from a business perspective, it protects their investment in college football.

Still, knowing the business logic doesn’t ease the blow for fans. And the result? Comments like, “Fox hates to see people happy,” flow around. The optics are brutal, fair or not. ESPN has the rights to shape the entire college football world with this popular format and make Saturdays even more engaging, while FOX is just thinking about their outcomes. The result? Fans feel excluded, and the company’s reputation as the “fun police” of college football gets worse.