Weird. National TV for RU, MD, and IU 1-Aa openers

[Sean Miller Fan]

I follow the TV side of college football fairly closely and I dont think I've ever seen ESPN pick such bad matchups for national TV.

Maryland hosts Richmond at noon on ESPNU while ESPNews has a scintillating double header Rutgers vs Norfolk State followed by Indiana against Southern Illinois.

I mean I get that there are not a lot of good options for week 1 but even right here in the ACC there are two better games than the big 10 games that I just listed.

Pitt vs YSU is a better game than any of those three. First of all it is a better program than those three Big Ten teams in Youngstown State is a respectable 1-AA program. Not only that but you have the highly anticipated debuts of Narduzzi and Pelini. You could bring Tressel up to the press box and interview him about his time coaching YSU, Pelini, and Youngstown football in general. They could play up the whole Youngstown angle which could keep some folks interested. I dont know how anyone will watch RU/Norfolk or Ind/SIU. There's nothing to those games, no reason to watch.

Also. Miami playing Bethune-Cookman is better than any of those games simply because the casual football fan would rather watch The U instead of Rutgers or Indiana. I mean, come on now.

Actually, the best game that ESPN didnt pick for TV is NC State hosting a real live 1-A team, Troy. How can you tell me that Rutgers/Norfolk is better than that?

I dont like it but ESPN is really pandering to the Big Ten here.

 

[ThePanthers]

Or in the agreements there are X amount of games that need to be shown for each conference, and with the BTN maybe some other games are going to be shown on there later in the season, so they are saving the ACC (or insert other conference) for later.

I don't think they are pandering to anyone.

 

[irncty]

I don't think anyone outside of Youngstown is highly anticipating Pelini's debut...just sayin

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Or in the agreements there are X amount of games that need to be shown for each conference, and with the BTN maybe some other games are going to be shown on there later in the season, so they are saving the ACC (or insert other conference) for later.

I don't think they are pandering to anyone.

I think I figured it out. Perhaps the BT does not allow ESPN3-only games so ESPN felt that even though the BT games were worse than the ACC ones, they could at least throw the ACC games on the Internet.

 

[pittdan77]

Going to guess that they had to evenly distribute air time and are working under the assumption that nobody is really going to sit down and watch a football game on TV the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. If you're watching a game, you're probably going to actually show up. Therefore, throw out three duds that nobody will want to watch a month from now and be done with it.

They'll be running wire to wire Tom Brady coverage anyway.

 

[Pitt79]

Maryland hosts Richmond at noon on ESPNU while ESPNews has a scintillating double header Rutgers vs Norfolk State followed by Indiana against Southern Illinois.

I was also glancing at the schedule, seeing these games and wondering "why not Pitt vs. YSU?" if you're showing these crappy games.

 

[Pitt79]

I might have to pull out a recording of a Pitt game from last year to get myself fired up for some Pitt football, I have the BC, VT and Miami 2015 games on DVR.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I don't think anyone outside of Youngstown is highly anticipating Pelini's debut...just sayin

Bo Pelini is a well-known coach who is highly entertaining. Factor in the way he left Nebraska and for those that actually know he is coaching YSU, the casual observer might stop by for a few minutes. Pitt/YSU has storylines, at least. YOu cant say that for the Big Ten 1-AA games.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Going to guess that they had to evenly distribute air time and are working under the assumption that nobody is really going to sit down and watch a football game on TV the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. If you're watching a game, you're probably going to actually show up. Therefore, throw out three duds that nobody will want to watch a month from now and be done with it.

They'll be running wire to wire Tom Brady coverage anyway.

I dont think this is the case because ESPN will be salivating to show these teams when they play OSU, PSU, Mich, and MSU. They'll be on ESPN plenty of times because of the East's "Big 4."

 

[JHud986]

But now they will have something to talk about with 8-9 butgers players in jail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HailToPitt71]

I don't think anyone outside of Youngstown is highly anticipating Pelini's debut...just sayin

Welcome to the board. I will have to warn you, the "Just Saying" catchphrase is already spoken for.

 

[PSU_Nut]

I think I figured it out. Perhaps the BT does not allow ESPN3-only games so ESPN felt that even though the BT games were worse than the ACC ones, they could at least throw the ACC games on the Internet.

Your are correct. All B1G games are required to be shown nationally on ABC/ESPN or Big Ten Network. They do not allow for ESPN3 or internet only games. This is a huge advantage for the B1G. Let say they only have 3 slots for ESPNU and ESPN News to fill. The have Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana, Pitt, Miami and NC State games to choose from. If they pick the RU, Maryland and Indiana games they still have the NC State, Miami and Pitt games to be show on ESPN3. If they were to pass on the B1G games they lose those games completely as the B1G just moves them to BTN. So while the three B1G games individually aren't better games the ability to show all six games is more lucrative to ESPN then showing only 4 or 5 games.

So bottom line because none of those games are head and shoulder draws over the others quantity is better for EPN's bottom line then quality.

 

[Pghfan]

ACC needs to do what the big 10 does in regards to networking. Having these games on internet only is democratic, beaurocratic, liberal BS.. Actually is sucks, I just wanted to use that line today, it's from some movie but I cant recall which one... Get away from the ESPN 3 nonsense..