Sunday, March 25, 2012

First 3 Week TV Predictions for CFB

Not expecting any major changes in the CFB schedule as we wait for the Big East and MAC to finalize their schedules.


Each week has a brief explanation of some of the choices.  Feel free to question or point out errors.  

6 comments:

bigddan11 said...

This is just a wild guess, but since Longhorn Network broadcast all but the 1st UTSA home game last season, then you can probably add Texas A&M-Commerce at UTSA on 9/8 to your list of games on TV with Longhorn Network broadcasting it. The game starts at 2 PM EDT.

Matt Sarzyniak said...

Not sure about that. UTSA is now a WAC member. Part of their TV deal. Granted that the WAC won't have many games on ESPN Networks, but UTSA may elect to be part of the WAC Sports Network and ESPN Plus packages.

bigddan11 said...

True, but the WAC Sports Network only broadcasts in-conference games (though there is a rumor that they might do some of the BYU road WAC games since BYU is a former WAC school & they'd probably allow BYUtv to broadcast those WSN BYU games). ESPN Regional TV only does something like 4 or 5 games a year, and the ESPN Networks are likely to only feature the bigger universities (Utah State, San Jose State, Idaho, etc) until WAC season begins, which is when Texas State and UTSA will probably not make their FBS ESPN debuts until conference season (unless they get some ESPN3 games beforehand). Since A&M-Commerce isn't a WAC team, and since they aren't even a D2 team (they are an NAIA team, and I only recall seeing NAIA teams on ESPN3 when they've had to broadcast them with ACC or Big East Contracts), then I believe it would be the #1 game likely to end up on Longhorn Network. It's also important to remember that since LHN is owned by ESPN, they could technically classify UTSA games on LHN as being part of the WAC ESPN contract.

Either way all games not picked up by ESPN or WSN go back to the team to arrange broadcasts for, and it is likely that Longhorn Network will broadcast all the UTSA home games that aren't on WSN or ESPN. They might even be able to get some conference road games (like the game at New Mexico State that is probably going to be an Aggie vision broadcast). WAC Sports Network games will be on KCWX in San Antonio as KCWX got the contract with WSN started this past basketball season.

Matt Sarzyniak said...

WAC Sports Network has done a non-conference game previously. 2010 they did Idaho's road game vs. Western Michigan on 10/2

Matt Sarzyniak said...

WSN also did the Toledo-Boise St. game that year.

bigddan11 said...

I stand corrected then. However they did only conference games in 2011 for both football and basketball. We honestly can't say what Learfield is thinking with the network, but they may have changed their goal to focus only on WAC teams, and usually the better known WAC teams will get those first exposures. With UTSA and Texas State being the newcomers, they will probably get the least number of broadcasts (outside of maybe San Jose State). UTSA certainly will if Longhorn Network doesn't pick up their games again.