Longhorn sports network???

[Left Seater]

[Rumor from a good source]Just talked to a fellow pilot friend who flew a charter for IMG College division. Sounds like Texas is in talks to create their own sports channel for cable and sat delivery. Since the Big XII declined to create their own network like the Big 11 did, the member schools have a ton of available programing. Further Texas has a huge state in which to distribute this too as it would only likely be available on cable in Texas. Dude also said that there were maybe 5 other schools where this could possibly work, with none of them being Big 11 schools due to the Big 11 network.[/Rumor from a good source]

I will try to find more and a link after flying this morning and before the game tonight.

[TheJON]

The Big-12 television programming is an absolute joke. They are the only conference still stuck in 1983. I know Iowa State sucks, but there's no reason why they're only on TV maybe 6-7 times a year. Every D-1 game should be televised.

I didn't even know the Big-12 had Pay-Per-View until I saw an ad for a PPV game on FSN Kansas City last night. $29.95 to watch a CFB game? Really?

I know this might piss off Iowa State fans (oh well, they don't read this board anyways), but I think they're a big part of the problem with Big-12 programming. Small state that has a fan base twice the size of them in that state. They don't sell out their stadium unless they're playing Iowa. They're a traditional doormat. As much as it seems like I'm being a homer here, I'd have to say that the Big-12 would be better off without Iowa State and they'd be better off joining the MAC.

[Left Seater]

Does the Big XII TV package suck? Yes. Is it the fault of the Big XII? Only partially. The Big XII is blessed with having some great college towns, but not large population centers. This hurts them in discussions with TV networks who think that large markets dictate more viewers. For some reason TV networks think that Dallas isn't a Big XII city, because no teams are located there. However, what they don't take into consideration is that Dallas is home to a ton of Texas, OU and ATM alumns and fans. Add in the smaller schools like Taco Tech, OSU and Baylor and Dallas is a huge Big XII market.

This is why it could work for Texas to take this into their own hands.

[TheJON]

But even if they got their own network, wouldn't they have to get permission from Fox Sports to televise the games? There's no point in having your own network if you're not televising at least some of the games. The Big-10 network is shitty except for the games they have.

Here in Des Moines we have a cable network called "Mediacomm Connections" that televises local sports from HS to College. They can't get Iowa games (new or old) anymore because of the Big-10 Network. They don't have the rights to it. They did televise the Iowa State-South Dakota State game last week because they somehow got the rights to do it. But I do know there have been ISU games in the past where Mediacomm tried to set something up but were unable to get the rights even though Fox Sports and ABC didn't pick up the game. Or at least that's what their excuse was!

Regardless, it's a joke of a TV package the Big-12 has. I don't get why they seem to think they aren't in big enough markets. Denver is not a small market. Oklahoma City has 1 million people. The entire state of Texas has 20 million. You've also got the Kansas City metro that covers 3 teams within a couple of hours. St. Louis is half Big-10, half Big-12. Between Omaha and Lincoln you have about 750,000. I'm not trying to say that outside of Texas it's comparable to Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and the state of Ohio. But the Big-12 isn't exactly the northwest either. I just don't buy that excuse they give for not having a better deal.

[King Crimson]

the Denver market brings almost nothing to the Big XII as a media market. Denver is 99% a pro market. and the networks know it. OU is on twice as much as CU here. it was only last year you started seeing the Big North "matchup" in hoops on the weekends....before that it was OU or Texas.

no one cares and the local sports media are all pro sycophants who see the college game as the "minor leagues" for the big boy game...and thereby associate their critical journalistic acumen as such (and make no mistake NEVER lose their place at the free Bronco buffet by uttering a negative word about Shanny). real bag of shit hammers writing for the Denver papers.

i don't see why the horns couldn't do it, particularly since the 05 NC. the casual fan in Texas has mos def jumped off the UT/ATM fence since.

[King Crimson]

the Big XII deal does kind of suck...back in the 90's, all of CU's games were on some UHF station/local cable. now, that's not the case. the other thing is FOX buys up the rights to a lot of games they don't televise just to concentrate viewership for selling ad space/$$$.