Disney/ABC/ESPN has its college football announcing and studio line-ups set. Prepare to weep.
No, not that Mark May is still in studio for the weekends. (I realize he’s not particularly well liked in the CFB blogosphere, but you aren’t going to get negative commentary about the Pitt great and CFB HoFer here. I like him, even if it is at least partially driven by bias for a Pitt guy.) It’s that Lou Holtz remains.
Potentially truly disturbing is that the studio group of Rece Davis, May and Holtz will be put out in the field for some ESPN and ESPN2 mid-week games. I’m just not highly enthused by that group doing play calling and color. John Saunders and Craig James will be the other ESPN/2 midweek game crew.
The hideous Friday crew of Dave Pasch with Rod Gilmore and Trevor Matich returns to inflict incredible amounts of frustration on viewers. The decent eye-candy that is Alex Flanagan will be on the sidelines. It won’t be enough.
Here’s where it gets bad. ESPN Sunday Night NFL Football refugee Paul Maguire returns to college football for the first time in 20 years to call Saturday afternoon ABC CFB games with Brad Nessler and Bob Griese. That will not be good.
With Aaron Taylor going to do charity work, the man who literally spoke out of one side of his face is gone from the ABC studio show. Joining John Saunders and Craig James this year will be Doug Flutie. This could be somewhat entertaining if they do shots from behind to show how much they had to raise Flutie’s seat compared to the others to make it look like they are all at the same size.
Now in other media news that ties into the WWLS.
I’ve written from time to time with some interest in what the Mountain West Conference is doing to improve itself with regards to TV exposure and control over itself. From moving to CSTV to starting its own regional network. In college sports, they have become one of the more forward thinking conferences.
The Big 11 is starting to figure things out. Realizing its power in college football tv markets and desire of the WWLS to retain them, they appear on the verge of making an aggressive move with the help of ESPN.
The concept has worked in other sports for 20 years. The Yankees, Braves, Cubs, Red Sox and Indians all have their own networks in baseball. But in college sports, leaving the Mother Ship is seen in the industry as suicide.
Maybe, except that now the Big Ten is headed in that direction, too. SportsLine.com has learned that the nation’s biggest conference (in terms of demographic reach) is close to announcing a long-term agreement with ESPN that would include a side deal with DirecTV to broadcast the Big Ten Network.
The league has been silent, but the formation of its own network has been the talk of the industry. The Big Ten is the next major conference whose television deal expires (June 2007). What it does with its content to maximize profits might be a template for other major conferences.
Dropping production costs and the success of other “networks” has led the league to this point.
While ESPN will still get top games, the Big Ten Network most likely will broadcast second-tier football and basketball games as well as minor sports.
“It does make sense. … The Big Ten will sell very well in Chicago, in Detroit, in Cleveland, in Pittsburgh, in Milwaukee, the footprint of the Big Ten,” said a high-placed industry source. “They will have a viewing audience. … You’re going to see more of this moving forward.”
Why is the Big Ten forcing its consumers to the more-expensive satellite TV? Basically, because it can. The league has one of the most loyal — and well-heeled — fan bases.
If this happens, how much longer until the other conferences start looking to go this route in one form or another?
