Monday, November 16, 2015

CFB TV Selections for 11/27/15 & 11/28/15 (Week Thirteen)

Last one for 2015.  Not going to do one for the bowls or Championship Saturday.

This post will be updated as announcements come out for start times for 11/27 & 11/28 from the twelve day selection process that most TV networks adhere to.  Please understand that games can be held until next Sunday if a broadcaster wants to wait on the results of the 11/21 games.  Most conferences have the possibility of having all or part of their games held for a six day hold of the start time.

The list of available TV windows are based on media websites, TV listings and press releases.  They can change based on the needs of the broadcaster or the conference.

Here's what I guessed, which will prove to be incorrect, and the schedule for week thirteen.  Games that have already been set for TV are listed on the schedule page and not listed here (see the link in the last sentence).  I'll update the schedule page when all / nearly all decisions are made.

Friday 11/27
12am ABC/ESPN2: Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh
12pm ABC/ESPN2: Navy at Houston
12pm CBSSN: Western Michigan at Toledo
12pm ASN: Kent St. at Akron

1pm ESPN3: Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan
2pm ESPN3: Troy at Georgia St.
3:30pm ABC: Iowa at Nebraska
3:30pm FOX: Washington St. at Washington
4pm FS1: Oregon St. at Oregon
4:30pm ESPNU: Massachusetts at Buffalo
8pm ESPNU: Tulsa at Tulane

Saturday 11/28


Oklahoma at Oklahoma St. will air on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 at either 12pm or 3:30pm or ABC at 8pm ET.

Notre Dame at Stanford & UCLA at USC will air on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 at 3:30pm, FOX at 7:30pm or ABC at 8pm.  FOX will get one game & the other will air on ABC or ESPN Networks.

Three ACC games are being held & will air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU at either 12pm or 3:30pm ET.  They are Georgia at Georgia Tech, North Carolina at NC State and Virginia Tech at Virginia.

12pm ABC/ESPN: Ohio St. at Michigan
12pm ESPN/ESPN2: Clemson at South Carolina

12pm FS1: Iowa St. at West Virginia
12pm ESPNEWS: SMU at Memphis
12pm SEC: Louisville at Kentucky
12pm CBSSN: Cincinnati at East Carolina
12pm BTN: Indiana at Purdue
12pm BTN: Maryland at Rutgers

12:30pm ACC Network: Duke at Wake Forest
12:30pm ACC RSNs: Boston College at Syracuse

2pm ESPN3: UL-Lafayette at Appalachian St.
2pm ESPN3: South Alabama at Georgia Southern
2:30pm Pac-12: Colorado at Utah
3:30pm CBS: Alabama at Auburn
3:30pm ABC/ESPN/ESPN2: Penn St. at Michigan St.
3:30pm ESPN2/ESPNU: Northwestern vs. Illinois

3:30pm BTN: Wisconsin at Minnesota
4pm FS1: Kansas St. at Kansas
4pm SEC: Vanderbilt at Tennessee

5pm ESPN3: Texas St. at Idaho
7pm ESPNU: Connecticut at Temple
7:15pm ESPN2: Ole Miss at Mississippi St.

7:30pm ESPN: Florida St. at Florida
7:30pm SEC: Texas A&M at LSU

10pm FS1: Arizona St. at California
10:15pm ESPNU: Air Force at New Mexico

10:45pm ESPN2: Nevada at San Diego St.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

CFB TV Guesses for 2015 Week Thirteen (11/27/15 & 11/28/15)

Here is what is already set for television.  Unfortunately for many of you, I believe each Power 5 conference plus the American could still have a six day hold available to use on 11/27-11/28.  I know the Pac-12 does.  I believe everyone else does too.

* A second appearance on Pac-12 Networks is required of Utah.  A Pac-12 school cannot have more that nine Pac-12 controlled appearances total in the ESPN and FOX packages.  The UCLA game on FOX on 11/21 will be the Utes' ninth appearance.

* ESPN has used up 21 of its 22 Pac-12 selections (2 on ABC, 19 on ESPN/ESPN2).  For 11/28, they'll have one selection to use, FOX will have two remaining of their 22 (nine already scheduled for the broadcast network and 11 on FS1), and the Pac-12 Networks will have one game.  I believe ESPN will get top choice, if they haven't already locked in Notre Dame at Stanford.
* Oklahoma will make its sixth Big 12 controlled appearance on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.  This should lock Bedlam (Oklahoma at Oklahoma St.) into a FOX platform provided, as I've mentioned earlier, it appears that ESPN cannot select a Big 12 school more than six times for their Big 12 package.
* If ESPN hasn't locked in Notre Dame at Stanford and FOX takes it, ESPN could take UCLA at USC (maybe for 8pm ET ABC?) as it could decide the Pac-12 South since both schools hold tiebreakers over Utah in the event of a two or three way tie.  Notre Dame at Stanford or Bedlam could air on either FS1 at 4pm ET or FOX at 7:30pm, moving Arizona St. at California to the 10pm ET FS1 slot.  Just an alternate scenario.
* Because FOX has four windows total over both FS1 and FOX broadcast network on 11/28 and two games are to be Pac-12 games, a couple of the Big 12 games will air on ESPN Networks.  This would get the Big 12 to their max of 19 Big 12 controlled games. Remember that the Texas at Kansas game counts in the 19 for ESPN since it was on Longhorn Network and it wasn't Texas's institutionally controlled game.
* It looks like the MAC will also have an opening on ESPN Networks in addition to the CBSSN and ASN telecast windows on 11/27.  It would appear that ASN's MAC window on Black Friday is a 12pm ET window per advance listing from CSN Chicago.
* I gave Navy at Houston preference over Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh because it could decide the American's Western Division champion.
* Ohio St. at Michigan is already locked into a 12pm start.
* Both C-USA games for 11/28 have already been slotted for FSN.
* Unless CBS elects to use a special provision to get a sixth regular season appearance for a SEC school, Alabama in this case, the Iron Bowl will air on ESPN.
* Air Force at New Mexico, I believe, will have bearing on the winner of the MW Mountain Division.  Gave it preference over Nevada at San Diego St. as SDSU could clinch the MW West if they win at UNLV on 11/21.

All times Eastern.


Friday 11/27

11:30am ESPN2: Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh
12pm ABC: Navy at Houston
12pm CBSSN: Massachusetts at Buffalo
12pm ASN: Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan
3:30pm ABC: Iowa at Nebraska
3:30pm FOX: Oregon St. at Oregon
4pm FS1: Washington St. at Washington
4:30pm ESPNU: Western Michigan at Toledo
8pm ESPNU: Tulsa at Tulane

Saturday 11/28

12pm ABC: Ohio St. at Michigan
12pm ESPN: Ole Miss at Mississippi St.
12pm ESPN2: Georgia at Georgia Tech
12pm FS1: Iowa St. at West Virginia
12pm ESPNU: Kansas St. at Kansas
12pm ESPNEWS: Connecticut at Temple
12pm SEC: Clemson at South Carolina 
12pm CBSSN: Cincinnati at East Carolina
12pm BTN: Indiana at Purdue
12:30pm ACC Network: Duke at Wake Forest
12:30pm ACC RSNs: Boston College at Syracuse
3:30pm ABC: Penn St. at Michigan St.
3:30pm CBS: Florida St. at Florida
3:30pm ESPN: North Carolina at NC State
3:30pm ESPN2: Virginia Tech at Virginia
3:30pm ESPNU: Northwestern vs. Illinois
3:30pm BTN: Maryland at Rutgers
3:30pm BTN: Wisconsin at Minnesota
4pm FS1: Arizona St. at California
4pm SEC: Louisville at Kentucky
4pm Pac-12: Colorado at Utah
7pm ESPN2: Texas A&M at LSU
7pm ESPNU: SMU at Memphis
7:30pm FOX: Oklahoma at Oklahoma St.
7:30pm SEC: Vanderbilt at Tennessee
7:45pm ESPN: Alabama at Auburn
8pm ABC: Notre Dame at Stanford
10pm FS1: UCLA at USC
10:15pm ESPN2: Air Force at New Mexico
10:30pm ESPNU: Nevada at San Diego St.

Six Day Guesses for 11/21

* I added in the few games that were set with respect to start time but waiting on a TV network, such as Memphis at Temple, North Carolina at Virginia Tech and Wake Forest at Clemson.
* Should be noted that 11/21 selections could end up affecting 11/28 selections:
  • For example, it appears that ESPN will use three total Pac-12 selections for 11/21 with Colorado at Washington St. already selected.  What that means is that ESPN will have used 21 of their 22 selections, leaving them with a single choice on 11/28.  FOX will have two on 11/28, in addition to the games they'll carry on Black Friday, and Pac-12 Networks have a single choice as well.
  • As I've probably beaten into the ground, if TCU at Oklahoma airs on ABC, it may signal that FOX has Bedlam on 11/28 (Oklahoma at Oklahoma St.).  This might have been why ESPN was able to select Texas at Baylor on 12/5 early.
  • By placing both Memphis at Temple & Navy at Tulsa on one of the primary television outlets for the American's television contract (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU), this puts them at 24 games scheduled to air on those networks.  The 2014 media guide said that a minimum of 28 games would have to air on those networks.  Two Black Friday games should air those outlets as well, which should lead to either one or two games on 11/28 as I do not know if the conference's championship game, scheduled to air on ABC or ESPN on 12/5, can be included in the count.
The rest of the FBS selections for 11/21 have been announced.

12pm ABC: TCU at Oklahoma
12pm ESPN: Michigan at Penn St.
12pm ESPN2: North Carolina at Virginia Tech
12pm ESPNU: Memphis at Temple
12pm ESPNEWS: Illinois at Minnesota
12pm BTN: Northwestern at Wisconsin
3:30pm ABC: Michigan St. at Ohio St.
3:30pm FOX: UCLA at Utah
3:30pm ESPN: Wake Forest at Clemson
3:30pm ESPN2: Purdue at Iowa
3:30pm ESPNU: Navy at Tulsa
3:30pm BTN: Indiana at Maryland
3:45pm ESPNEWS: Louisville at Pittsburgh
7pm CBSSN: Houston at Connecticut
7:30pm FOX: Baylor at Oklahoma St.
8pm ABC: California at Stanford
10:30pm ESPN: USC at Oregon

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Notable Men's Basketball Television & Webcast Changes

2015-16 Schedule
Week 1

* With the focus on more webcasts, I'm listing as many free webcasts as possible.  This was the impetus for changing the navigation at the top of the schedule pages, which I've made as many modifications for to keep the page loading time normal, to allow you to change time zone or remove web exclusive games in the middle of the page, and to account for increasing mobile traffic.

Some items to help you when viewing the pages:
  • If you're just looking for your favorite school's game(s), use the browser's Find command
  • Consider clicking on the "Hide Web Exclusive Games".  It will cut down your scroll.
  • Any game listed with the ESPN College Extra logo in the Coverage Notes area is also available on ESPN3.
  • To cut down on the load times of the pages, I'm not listing WatchESPN, FOX Sports Go or NBC Sports Live Extra on games that they would apply to.  For example, I'm going to trust you are aware that a game on FS1 or FS2 is on FSGo.  Same with an ESPN game on WatchESPN.
  • I fear that compiling the additional free streams will take up a lot of time.  I have tried to get as much of a head start on them as possible.  I will do my best to have these ready a few days before a week would start.
Thank you for your patience.

* To view these free online webcasts, Chromecast, Roku and Apple TV are a must.  Apps like LiveStream (WCC, Patriot League, MW), Youtube and ESPN3.  Conferences like the OVC have launched Roku channels while ESPN maintains Roku portals for several other conferences.

* Multiple conferences and individual schools have joined in with ESPN's University Production Initiative.  UNC Greensboro invested in a production trailer.  Canisius, my alma mater, put together a studio & new major for ESPN3 productions.  The SoCon & MVC will have many self produced games outside of those being nationally & regionally televised and the Sun Belt is going to ramp up.  Nine MAC schools will self produce the majority of their home basketball games.

* CBS Sports Network is deepening its sublicensing ties with ESPN, picking up games from the MAC and Missouri Valley Conference.  For 2015-16, the MAC package is a bit limited (seven games) but will expand next year (up to twelve games).  For the MVC it includes the semifinals of the conference tournament and lines up with CBS taking on the championship game from ESPN.  The two conferences join the American as a sublicense partner from ESPN.

* In addition to the CBSSN sublicenses, Sinclair's American Sports Network is also picking up MAC & American content from ESPN.  Similar to other ASN sublicenses from ESPN, the games will be webcast on ESPN3.  ASN has also picked up the rights to the Barclays Center Classic, previously carried by NBCSN, along with the Music City Challenge event.  They'll also have a pair of games at the beginning of the Atlantic 10 tournament in addition to their C-USA tournament coverage.  

* As previously announced, FOX has elevated the Big East championship game to the broadcast network with an early evening start time.  FS1 has also picked up a few Ivy League telecasts.

* For conference tournaments, the Horizon League's move to a neutral site tournament in Detroit has allowed the semifinal round to move to a Monday night, with both games airing live on ESPNU. And while it isn't a tournament, FS1 has landed the rights to a potential Ivy League playoff if it is needed.

* Pac-12 Networks will again do whiparound coverage of the opening night of games on their networks through their national feed starting at 7pm ET.  If you want to see individual games in full, use your online access or go to the RSN channels.  It also appears that men's basketball games will be shown on the national feed (if there are not multiple games going on at the same time) & the corresponding RSN feed where a school resides only, so a game involving Arizona will not be shown on the Rocky Mountain RSN for example, unless they are facing Utah or Colorado.

* Similar to last season, ESPN is going with wildcards for the basketball version of College Gameday.  The setup looks like this for potential games, but it is always subject to change based on in-season results:

1/24: Arizona at California, Vanderbilt at Kentucky or Maryland at Michigan St.
1/31: Iowa St. at Texas A&M, Oklahoma at LSU or Kentucky at Kansas
2/6: NC State at Duke or North Carolina at Notre Dame
2/13: Virginia at Duke or Texas at Iowa St.
2/20: Kentucky at Tennessee, Purdue at Indiana or Connecticut at Cincinnati

On the final two Saturdays of the regular season (2/27 & 3/5), all games scheduled for ESPN or ESPN2 will remain without tip times until about two weeks until before game date, which is the same as last year.

Monday, November 9, 2015

CFB TV Selections for 11/21/15 (Week Twelve)

This post will be updated as announcements come out for start times for 11/21 from the twelve day selection process that most TV networks adhere to.  Please understand that games can be held until next Sunday if a broadcaster wants to wait on the results of the 11/14 games.  Most conferences have the possibility of having all or part of their games held for a six day hold of the start time.

The list of available TV windows are based on media websites, TV listings and press releases.  They can change based on the needs of the broadcaster or the conference.

Here's what I guessed, which will prove to be incorrect, and the schedule for week twelve.  Games that have already been set for TV are listed on the schedule page and not listed here (see the link in the last sentence).  I'll update the schedule page when all / nearly all decisions are made.

Six Day Holds

Baylor at Oklahoma St. & TCU at Oklahoma - 12pm ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, 3:30pm ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, 7:30pm FOX or 8pm ABC

Michigan St. at Ohio St. & Michigan at Penn St. - 12pm ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 or 3:30pm ABC/ESPN/ESPN2


All other Big Ten games - 12pm (ABC, BTN and all ESPN channels) or 3:30pm (same as 12pm

except ESPNEWS)

Houston at Connecticut & Navy at Tulsa - 7pm CBSSN or a multitude of places.


Louisville at Pittsburgh - 3:30pm ESPN2 or ESPNU or 3:45pm ESPNEWS

UCLA at Utah, USC at Oregon & California at Stanford - 3:30pm ABC/ESPN, 3:30pm FOX, 8pm ABC or 10:30pm ESPN.

12pm ABC/ESPN/2/U: North Carolina at Virginia Tech 
12pm ESPN/2/U/NEWS: Memphis at Temple
12pm FS1: Iowa St. at Kansas St.
12pm FSN: West Virginia at Kansas
12pm SEC: FAU at Florida
12pm SEC Alt: The Citadel at South Carolina
12:30pm ACC Network: Georgia Tech at Miami (FL)
12:30pm ACC Network: Syracuse at NC State
1pm ESPN3: Miami (OH) at Massachusetts
3pm BYUtv & ESPN3: Fresno St. at BYU
3pm ACC RSNs: Chattanooga at Florida St.
3:30pm CBS: LSU at Ole Miss
3:30pm ABC/ESPN/2/U: Wake Forest at Clemson
3:30pm FS1: Arizona at Arizona St.
3:30pm CBSSN: Buffalo at Akron
3:30pm ESPN3: Nevada at Utah St.
3:30pm ESPN3: Duke at Virginia
4pm SEC: Charleston Southern at Alabama
4pm SEC Alt: Idaho at Auburn
6pm Pac-12: Washington at Oregon St.
7pm ESPN: Mississippi St. at Arkansas
7pm ESPNU: Georgia Southern at Georgia
7:15pm ESPN2: Tennessee at Missouri
7:30pm SEC: Texas A&M at Vanderbilt
7:30pm SEC Alt: Charlotte at Kentucky
8pm ESPNEWS: Tulane at SMU
10:45pm ESPN2: Colorado at Washington St.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

CFB TV Guesses for 2015 Week Twelve (11/21/15)

Here is what is already set for television.  

* Each SEC Network window is scheduled to have two games concurrently.
* The 3:30pm CBSSN window is set aside for the MAC.  The American will be slotted at 7pm.
* Both FOX and ESPN come into this week with four remaining Saturday selections to use on the Pac-12.  Since there is only one Pac-12 Network window scheduled each of the next two weeks, expect one of the two sides to choose three games this week of the six available and only choose one on 11/28 of the five games on offer (the other would take two each week).  And I can absolutely see the possibility of a six day hold for 11/21 being used here with the possibility of Stanford wrapping up the Pac-12 North.
* The Big 12 has a real possibility of a six day hold, pending the outcome of Oklahoma at Baylor.  I'm assuming both Baylor & Oklahoma St. wins on 11/14 in this scenario below.  Taking Baylor at Oklahoma St. also gives ESPN maximum flexibility with their remaining Big 12 selections.  They would not be locked out of any games of potential importance in the final two weeks (ie. Oklahoma at Oklahoma St. aka Bedlam & Texas at Baylor), though FOX could be selecting ahead of them.  Especially since they pre-selected Baylor at TCU on Black Friday.
* It is my understanding that the Big Ten is currently not flexible with respect to allowing in-season night game selections, which is why Michigan St. at Ohio St. is at 3:30pm.  Not sure I'd play it at night right now either if both Baylor and Oklahoma St are undefeated.
* To shoehorn everything in, I put the ACC Network in a split window at 12:30pm along with two BTN games at 12pm.  Also moved up the ESPN2 10:30pm window to 10:15pm.
* Chattanooga at Florida St. isn't missing.  I believe its going to be on ESPN3 like anything else not listed from the FBS conferences.
* I gave Virginia a reprieve from the ACC RSN package.  They've been selected for the package five straight weeks (10/17 - 11/14) and on 10/10 were on the ACC Network vs. Pittsburgh.  To do a split ACC window with a NC State game eliminated the possibility of Duke at Virginia being the other half since Duke & NC State are in the same local market (yes, I know that Duke's following isn't as big in the Triangle, etc.).

All times Eastern.

12pm ABC/ESPN2: Michigan at Penn St.
12pm ABC/ESPN2: Wake Forest at Clemson
12pm ESPN: North Carolina at Virginia Tech
12pm FS1: Iowa St. at Kansas St.
12pm ESPNU: FAU at Florida
12pm ESPNEWS: Houston at Connecticut
12pm FSN: West Virginia at Kansas
12pm SEC: Charlotte at Kentucky
12pm SEC: The Citadel at South Carolina
12pm BTN: Purdue at Iowa
12pm BTN: Indiana at Maryland
12:30pm ACC Network: Syracuse at NC State
12:30pm ACC Network: Louisville at Pittsburgh
3pm ACC RSNs: Georgia Tech at Miami (FL)
3:30pm CBS: LSU at Ole Miss
3:30pm FOX: TCU at Oklahoma
3:30pm ABC: Michigan St. at Ohio St.
3:30pm ESPN: California at Stanford
3:30pm ESPN2: Northwestern at Wisconsin
3:30pm FS1: USC at Oregon
3:30pm ESPNU: Duke at Virginia
3:30pm CBSSN: Buffalo at Akron
3:30pm BTN: Illinois at Minnesota
4pm ESPNEWS: Tulane at SMU
4pm SEC: Texas A&M at Vanderbilt
4pm SEC: Idaho at Auburn
4pm Pac-12: Arizona at Arizona St.
7pm ESPN: Memphis at Temple
7pm ESPN2: Mississippi St. at Arkansas
7pm ESPNU: Georgia Southern at Georgia
7pm CBSSN: Navy at Tulsa
7:30pm FOX: UCLA at Utah
7:30pm SEC: Tennessee at Missouri
7:30pm SEC: Charleston Southern at Alabama
8pm ABC: Baylor at Oklahoma St.
8pm ESPNEWS: Nevada at Utah St.
10:15pm ESPN2: Fresno St. at BYU
10:15pm ESPNU: Washington at Oregon St.


10:30pm ESPN: California at Washington St.

Friday, November 6, 2015

Appearance Count Notes, C-USA Rights Update, Plus a New Bowl Game Outlet

* Regarding appearance counts for the final few weeks of the 2015 college football season:

  • FOX will meet all of its requirements for the broadcast network portion of its Pac-12 agreement with their scheduled Black Friday game.  They will televise four Pac-12 games in east coast primetime of the seven games they've selected already.
  • One of Utah's final two games must air on Pac-12 Networks.  Decent chance it is the Colorado game, but we'll see.  Could be the UCLA game depending on selection order.  Since the Utes are still in the driver's seat in the Pac-12 South, networks may look to see if the Colorado game will matter going into the final week of the season.
  • LSU at Alabama has a lot of implications towards the remaining selections CBS can make.  If LSU wins, you might see their final three games on CBS...if they beat Ole Miss on 11/21.  An Alabama win could provide CBS a conundrum.  Do you take Alabama at Mississippi St., knowing that you could be locked out of the Iron Bowl, where Alabama could still be playing for the SEC West title if Alabama beats LSU and LSU beats Ole Miss.  Or is Egg Bowl more of a priority?  Fascinating stuff.
  • Chris Fowler did tweet that he'll be calling Baylor at Oklahoma on 11/14, which would seem to place the Sooners on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU five times.  This would mean that either the TCU or Oklahoma St. game would be on a FOX platform, provided that ESPN still has a six appearance maximum for Big 12 schools.
  • 21 American games have appeared on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, with the potential for at least one more once 11/14 games have been finalized.  Should be relatively easy to get to 28 over the final few weeks when considering they should have two games on those networks on Black Friday.
  • The MAC will have a game on ASN on Black Friday in addition to a CBS Sports Network window at 12pm ET.

* A new men's basketball event to be held in the Cayman Islands will start in November 2017.  No rightsholder was announced nor was a date specified for the event.

* Conference USA is still in process of negotiating with rightholders for their next agreement, which would start in about eight months.  FOX and CBS are still in active discussions.   A while back, I tried handicapping the potential future rightsholders.  New C-USA commissioner Judy MacLeod wants to raise the profile of the conference in men's basketball and to get the conference to have multiple schools in the NCAA tournament.  To do that, she may need to convince FOX and/or CBS to take on more games on their national platforms.  That might be tougher to do for CBS since they've added MAC and MVC games to their network.  FOX, on the other hand, could offer FS2 as a place for games in addition to FS1 and FSN if she desires more national telecasts.

I suppose we can't discount Sinclair's American Sports Network either, especially due to the next item.

* The Arizona Bowl seems to be a bit of a test lab.  The game initially announced that Campus Insiders would provide a national digital platform for the game and this week Sinclair's American Sports Network was announced as the television rightsholder.  Of note is that both entities are rightsholders of the two primary tie-in conferences (C-USA: ASN, MW: Campus Insiders).

This will be the first bowl game shown through a syndication outlet in nearly two decades+.  Through the early 90s, syndicators like Mizlou, Katz, Metrosports, Raycom and others often carried secondary bowl games with ESPN, in some cases, providing supplemental coverage or outright simulcasting the syndicator's coverage.

The last syndicated bowl game, from what I've been able to find over at 506Sports.com, is the 1994 Freedom Bowl which was syndicated by Raycom Sports.

+If you consider FSN a syndication outlet, and it has become one of sorts, you might consider the first two Silicon Valley Football Classics as the last syndicated bowl games.  That's your opinion, though FSN was more of a national platform back then.


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Six day guesses for 11/14

* If Florida beats Vanderbilt on 11/7, it renders the South Carolina game meaningless with respect to the SEC East race.  So I devalue the South Carolina game a little bit and have that on ESPN2 at 12pm (not pictured).
* I have FS1 getting the 2nd best Big 12 game available, or at least the 2nd best team available.
* Alabama at Mississippi St. would be Alabama's final appearance on CBS provided CBS doesn't try to get a sixth appearance for the Tide. Granted, there are a lot of different scenarios out there for the SEC West.
* EDIT: I'm pretty terrible at this and forgot NC State at Florida St. originally.  I shoehorned it in at 12pm in a split national scenario with Ohio St. at Illinois because I don't believe the Big Ten requries a reverse mirror at 12pm, just 3:30pm ET.  If they require a reverse mirror or full national telecast, swap Oklahoma St. at Iowa St. with Ohio St. at Illinois as I know both the ACC & Big 12 allow for games to be televised on ABC regionally without a reverse mirror.

12pm ABC: Ohio St. at Illinois
12pm ABC: NC State at Florida St.
12pm ESPN: Michigan at Indiana
12pm FS1: Kansas at TCU
12pm ESPNU: Oklahoma St. at Iowa St.
12:30pm ACC Network: Pittsburgh at Duke
3:30pm CBS: Alabama at Mississippi St.
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2: Maryland at Michigan St.
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2: Clemson at Syracuse
3:30pm ESPN: Memphis at Houston
3:30pm ESPNU: Texas at West Virginia
7pm ESPN2: Miami (FL) at North Carolina
7:15pm ESPN: Arkansas at LSU
7:30pm CBSSN: Temple at USF
8pm ABC: Oklahoma at Baylor

Monday, November 2, 2015

CFB TV Selections for 11/10/15 - 11/14/15 (Week Eleven)

This post will be updated as announcements come out for start times from 11/10 - 11/14 from the twelve day selection process that most TV networks adhere to.  Please understand that games can be held until next Sunday if a broadcaster wants to wait on the results of the 11/7 games.  I'm also not sure if they'll announce anything for the Tuesday & Wednesday MAC slots until after this week's midweek games are played.

The list of available TV windows are based on media websites, TV listings and press releases.  They can change based on the needs of the broadcaster or the conference.

Here's what I guessed, which will prove to be incorrect, and the schedule for week eleven.  Games that have already been set for TV are listed on the schedule page and not listed here (see the link in the last sentence).  I'll update the schedule page when all / nearly all decisions are made.

Six day holds
All Big 12 except Kansas St. at Texas Tech
Three Big Ten 
Four ACC 
Two American
Two SEC

Saturday
12pm CBS: Georgia at Auburn
12pm ESPN/ESPN2: Florida at South Carolina
12pm FSN: UTEP at Old Dominion
12pm SEC: North Texas at Tennessee
12pm BTN: Purdue at Northwestern 
12pm ASN: Akron at Miami (OH)
12:30pm ACC RSNs: Virginia at Louisville
2pm ESPN3: Utah St. at Air Force
3pm Pac-12: Washington at Arizona St.
3pm ESPN3: Massachusetts at Eastern Michigan
3:30pm FS1: Kansas St. at Texas Tech
3:30pm FSN: FIU at Marshall
3:30pm BTN: Nebraska at Rutgers
4pm SEC: Kentucky at Vanderbilt
7pm ESPNU: Western Carolina at Texas A&M
7:30pm FOX: Stanford at Oregon
7:30pm SEC: BYU vs. Missouri
7:30pm ESPNEWS: Tulsa at Cincinnati
10pm FS1: Utah at Arizona
10:15pm ESPNU: New Mexico at Boise St.
10:30pm Pac-12: Oregon St. at California
10:45pm ESPN: Washington St. at UCLA

Sunday, November 1, 2015

CFB TV Guesses for 2015 Week Eleven (11/10/15 - 11/14/15)

Here is what is already set for television.  

* CBS has a doubleheader including a 12pm game.  CBS will take their 3:30pm game first, ESPN will select two games, then CBS will come back for their 12pm game.
* If CBS were to select Alabama at Mississippi St., it would lock them out of taking the Iron Bowl as Alabama would have reached their maximum of five appearances on CBS, unless they were to play one of their exceptions to get Alabama on six times.  CBS may elect to wait until after the result of LSU at Alabama on 11/7 to make their choice.
* As we've seen for several weeks, the Pac-12 Networks windows are not set in stone.  They could move around.
* I dropped the ESPN2 10:30pm window.  Part of that is due to placing Memphis at Houston on ABC.  I thought a game between two ranked teams was worth being shown on network TV, plus the Big Ten games do not require 100% national coverage outside of the 3:30pm ABC window.
* If Baylor at Oklahoma airs on ABC, it would be the Sooners' fifth ABC/ESPN appearance.  It is my understanding that a Big 12 school cannot appear more that six times on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU as part of the Big 12 TV deals, so FOX should end up with either the TCU or Oklahoma St. game in coming weeks.
* I tossed in several weeknight games.
* EDIT: I guess Syracuse has some festivities planned that would affect parking areas for season ticket holders.  You could flip the places of NC State at Florida & Clemson at Syracuse if this is an issue.

All times Eastern.

Tuesday
8pm ESPN2: Toledo at Central Michigan
8pm ESPNU: Kent St. at Ohio

Wednesday
8pm ESPN2: Bowling Green at Western Michigan
8pm ESPNU: Northern Illinois at Buffalo

Saturday
12pm CBS: Georgia at Auburn
12pm ABC: Michigan at Indiana
12pm ABC: Memphis at Houston
12pm ESPN: Clemson at Syracuse
12pm ESPN2: Maryland at Michigan St.
12pm FS1: Oklahoma St. at Iowa St.
12pm ESPNU: Pittsburgh at Duke
12pm ESPNEWS: Temple at USF
12pm FSN: FIU at Marshall
12pm SEC: BYU vs. Missouri
12pm BTN: Nebraska at Rutgers
12:30pm ACC Network: Miami (FL) at North Carolina
12:30pm ACC RSNs: Virginia at Louisville
3pm Pac-12: Washington at Arizona St.
3:30pm CBS: Arkansas at LSU
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2: Ohio St. at Illinois
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2: NC State at Florida St.
3:30pm ESPN: Texas at West Virginia
3:30pm FS1: Kansas at TCU
3:30pm ESPNU: Kansas St. at Texas Tech
3:30pm FSN: UTEP at Old Dominion
3:30pm BTN: Purdue at Northwestern
4pm ESPNEWS: Utah St. at Air Force
4pm SEC: Western Carolina at Texas A&M
7pm ESPN: Alabama at Mississippi St.
7pm ESPN2: Florida at South Carolina
7pm ESPNU: Kentucky at Vanderbilt
7pm CBSSN: Tulsa at Cincinnati
7:30pm FOX: Oregon at Stanford
7:30pm SEC: North Texas at Tennessee
8pm ABC: Oklahoma at Baylor
10pm FS1: Utah at Arizona
10:15pm ESPNU: New Mexico at Boise St.
10:30pm ESPN: Washington St. at UCLA
10:30pm Pac-12: Oregon St. at California
TBA ASN: Akron at Miami (OH)