CFB TV Selections for 10/12

Games already set aside for 10/12
My guesses for 10/12

These are approximate TV windows.  Expect things to be determined either today or next Sunday re: some network determinations from 5pm and after, along with the network carrying the 3:30pm reverse mirror if there is one.

12pm ABC & WatchABC: Oklahoma vs. Texas
12pm ESPN & WatchESPN: Missouri at Georgia
12pm ESPN2 & WatchESPN: Indiana at Michigan St.
12pm FOX Sports 1: Iowa St. at Texas Tech
12pm ESPNEWS & WatchESPN: Memphis at Houston
12pm ESPNU & WatchESPN: Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech
12pm FSN: Kansas at TCU
12pm BTN & BTN2Go: Nebraska at Purdue
12pm American & ESPN3: USF at Connecticut
12:21 SEC TV & ESPN3: South Carolina at Arkansas
12:30pm ACC Network & ESPN3: Navy at Duke
2pm Time Warner Sports: Central Michigan at Ohio
2pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Buffalo at Western Michigan
3pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Miami (OH) at Massachusetts
3:30pm CBS & CBSSports.com: Florida at LSU
3:30pm FOX: Baylor at Kansas St.
3:30pm ABC with ESPN2 Reverse Mirror: Northwestern at Wisconsin
3:30pm ABC with ESPN2 Reverse Mirror or ESPNU: Boston College at Clemson
3:30pm ABC with ESPN2 Reverse Mirror or ESPNU: Virginia at Maryland
3:30pm ACC RSNs & ESPN3: Syracuse at NC State
4pm FOX Sports 1: Oregon at Washington
5pm ESPN & WatchESPN: Michigan at Penn St.
5pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Akron at Northern Illinois
6pm Pac-12 & Pac-12.com: Stanford at Utah
7pm ESPN2 & WatchESPN: Alabama at Kentucky
7pm ESPNU & WatchESPN: Georgia Tech at BYU
7pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Idaho at Arkansas St.
7:30pm SEC/FSN Regional & ESPN3: Bowling Green at Mississippi St.
8pm FOX Sports 1: Tulsa at UTEP
8:30pm ESPN & WatchESPN: Texas A&M at Ole Miss

10pm Pac-12 Pac-12.com: Colorado at Arizona St.
10:30pm ESPN2/ESPNU & WatchESPN: Oregon St. at Washington St.
10:30pm ESPN2/ESPNU & WatchESPN: California at UCLA

CFB TV Guesses for 10/12

Games already set aside for 10/12

* ABC does not have an 8pm window due to NASCAR
* I'm assuming there will again be an ESPNEWS window.  Put it on the Akron-Northern Illinois game.  USF-UConn would be the easy way out but neither team has won a game.  Did not change the kickoff time for Akron-NIU.
* FOX's broadcast window is at 3:30pm due to the MLB playoffs.  First of a three week stretch where their window is not in prime time on the east coast.
* I put Tulsa-UTEP on FOX Sports 1 at 4pm.  Don't see it on FSN at 12pm, but FOX has shown a willingness to move their telecast windows around, such as the move of the 12pm FSN window to 4pm  on 9/28 and reordering the windows on FS1 on 10/5.  If they move the FSN window to a later time, like 4pm ET, move the Iowa St.-Texas Tech game to FS1 at 4pm and Tulsa-UTEP to FSN.  I guess they could, if they really wanted to, play the game at 10am local time in El Paso (they are the corner of Texas on Mountain Time).  Some Mountain West schools, up until about 10 years ago, would schedule a 10am kickoff to stay out of the ESPN Plus regional window to show a game on TV.
* I placed the Michigan-Penn St. game, set for a 5pm kickoff as it is a Big Ten homecoming game, on ESPN and slid their evening telecast window to 8:15pm.
* In addition to Michigan-Penn St., Northwestern-Wisconsin and Indiana-Michigan St. are set in terms of their kickoff times as homecoming games.
* I've flip-flopped on Missouri-Georgia & Florida-LSU on CBS afternoon & ESPN primetime three times.  I don't think CBS will use another six day option right away though.
* Gave strong consideration to Bowling Green-Mississippi St. being PPV since the Bulldogs have not used that option yet.  Could have eliminated one 10:15pm window, moved Georgia Tech-BYU to 7pm ESPNU and South Carolina-Arkansas to FSN.

12pm ABC: Oklahoma vs. Texas
12pm ESPN: Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech
12pm ESPN2: Nebraska at Purdue
12pm FOX Sports 1: Baylor at Kansas St.
12pm ESPNU: Virginia at Maryland
12pm FSN: Iowa St. at Texas Tech
12pm BTN: Michigan St. at Indiana
12pm American: Memphis at Houston
12:21 SEC: Alabama at Kentucky
12:30pm ACC Network: Syracuse at NC State
3pm Pac-12: Oregon St. at Washington St.
3:30pm CBS: Missouri at Georgia
3:30pm FOX: Oregon at Washington
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2: Northwestern at Wisconsin
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2: Boston College at Clemson
3:30pm ESPNU: Kansas at TCU
3:30pm ACC RSNs: Navy at Duke
4pm FOX Sports 1: Tulsa at UTEP
5pm ESPN: Michigan at Penn St.
5pm ESPNEWS: Akron at Northern Illinois
7pm ESPN2: Texas A&M at Ole Miss
7pm ESPNU: South Carolina at Arkansas
7:30pm SEC/FSN Regional: Bowling Green at Mississippi St.
8pm FOX Sports 1: California at UCLA
8:15pm ESPN: Florida at LSU

10:15pm ESPN2: Stanford at Utah
10:15pm ESPNU: Georgia Tech at BYU

10:30pm Pac-12: Colorado at Arizona St.

ESPN3 Exclusives
USF at Connecticut
Central Michigan at Ohio
Buffalo at Western Michigan
Miami (OH) at Massachusetts
Kent St. at Ball St.
UL-Monroe at Texas St.
Idaho at Arkansas St.

CFB TV Selections for 10/5

Games already placed for 10/5
My guesses for the 10/5 telecast windows

CBS has elected to use a six day option for their 3:30pm game.  Choices are Ole Miss-Auburn, Arkansas-Florida & Georgia-Tennessee.  Whichever games they don't select will be on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU at 7pm ET.

ESPN is using a six day selection on three ACC games: Clemson-Syracuse, Maryland-Florida St. & Georgia Tech-Miami (FL).  Looks like one game will be on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU at 12pm.  Another game at 3:30pm on either ABC/ESPN2 reverse mirror or ESPNU.  They could also do a three way split on ABC at 3:30pm.  No other window seems open, so I think its possible that the 8pm window will be split with Ohio St.-Northwestern too.

12pm ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU & WatchESPN: Illinois at Nebraska
12pm ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU & WatchESPN: Michigan St. at Iowa

12pm FOX Sports 1: Texas Tech at Kansas
12pm ESPNEWS: Rutgers at SMU
12pm BTN & BTN2Go: Penn St. at Indiana

12pm ACC RSNs & ESPN3: Ball St. at Virginia

12pm American & ESPN3: Louisville at Temple

12:21pm SEC TV & ESPN3: Georgia St. at Alabama

12:30pm ACC Network & ESPN3: North Carolina at Virginia Tech
1pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Army at Boston College

1pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Central Michigan at Miami (OH)
2pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Ohio at Akron

3:30pm ABC/ESPN2 RM: Minnesota at Michigan
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2 RM or ESPNU: Kansas St. at Oklahoma St.

3:30pm FSN: East Carolina at Middle Tennessee
3:30pm ACC RSNs & ESPN3: NC State at Wake Forest

4pm FOX Sports 1: Washington St. at California
4:30pm ESPN3 Exclusive: UCF at Memphis

6pm Pac-12 & Pac-12.com: Oregon at Colorado
7pm FOX: TCU at Oklahoma
7pm ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU & WatchESPN: LSU at Mississippi St.

7:30pm SEC/FSN & ESPN3: Kentucky at South Carolina

7:30pm SEC/CSS & ESPN3: Missouri at Vanderbilt

8pm ABC: Ohio St. at Northwestern
8pm FOX Sports 1: West Virginia at Baylor
10:30pm ESPN & WatchESPN: Washington at Stanford

10/5 TV Guesses

* Would not be surprised to see ESPN continue their trend of grouping games into time slots and determine network selection six days in advance. Pretty sure it allows networks to stay away from using a six day pick when kickoff time is determined. My guesses, for now, will continue to slot games into a specific network.
* ACC RSNs will have a doubleheader
* Pac-12 Network only has one game window scheduled and selected Oregon-Colorado before the season started.  Just matching them up.
* Illinois-Nebraska, Michigan St.-Iowa, Minnesota-Michigan and Ohio St.-Northwestern are all Big Ten homecoming games that had their kickoff times set before the season started.
* Of the ESPN3 games that could get kicked up to ESPNEWS, I think Rutgers-SMU has the best chance.

12pm ESPN: Clemson at Syracuse
12pm ESPN2: Illinois at Nebraska
12pm FS1: West Virginia at Baylor
12pm ESPNU: UCF at Memphis
12pm ACC RSNs: NC State at Wake Forest
12pm American: Louisville at Temple
12pm BTN: Penn St. at Indiana
12:21pm SEC TV: Ole Miss at Auburn
12:30pm ACC Network: North Carolina at Virginia Tech
3:30pm CBS: LSU at Mississippi St.
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2 RM: Minnesota at Michigan
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2 RM: Maryland at Florida St.
3:30pm ESPNU: TCU at Oklahoma
3:30pm FSN: East Carolina at Middle Tennessee
3:30pm ACC RSNs: Ball St. at Virginia
3:30pm BTN: Penn St. at Indiana
5pm Pac-12: Oregon at Colorado
6:30pm FS1: Texas Tech at Kansas
7pm FOX: Oklahoma St. at Kansas St.
7pm ESPN: Georgia at Tennessee
7pm ESPN2: South Carolina at Kentucky
7pm ESPNU: Arkansas at Florida
7:30pm SEC/FSN: Missouri at Vanderbilt
7:30pm SEC/CSS: Georgia St. at Alabama
8pm ABC: Ohio St. at Northwestern
8pm ABC: Georgia Tech at Miami (FL)
10:30pm ESPN: Washington St. at California
10:30pm FS1: Washington at Stanford

ESPN3 Exclusives (possibility of one ESPNEWS game from this bunch)
Cincinnati at USF
Rutgers at SMU
Army at Boston College
Ohio at Akron
Central Michigan at Miami (OH)
Western Michigan at Toledo

TV Windows and Why They Aren't As Restrictive

If you've asked this year about any game and where it might be slotted over 12 days in advance, you've probably received a reply that had something to the effect of "its too far in advance to guess", "let's wait a few weeks", etc. I realize that more folks are following this site and not everyone reads everything on the site, but I want to get this out there.  Maybe it will save you from writing a tweet or email and me from losing sanity, my patience or anything else.

When this site started in 2005 and really up through the last couple years, TV windows were quite restrictive in nature.  The Pac-12 would publish a list of telecast windows on ABC, FSN and the partners that FSN would sublicense games to for the entire season.  The Big 12 often laid out their cable windows before the season started.  Things about the SEC windows would inadvertently leak from CBS or ESPN either from interviews with conference personnel or from writers.  The ACC and Big East were the only ones that seemed to not be locked down.  Coincidentally, they were also the two conferences who had all of their eggs in one basket, at least for national telecasts, with a single rightsholder.  But it was often easier to pick which games a network would air.  More of a process of elimination.

Fast forward over the past few seasons and we've seen conferences change in size and/or renegotiate rights agreements.  Even had a lawsuit over a rights agreement.  To keep things moving forward, TV partners have become less restrictive in regards to telecast windows & exclusivity.  We still live in a 24 hour a day world.  The conferences have changed where their telecast models don't fit like they used to.  There is some exclusivity in the Pac-12 windows, but not much.  There's none in the Big 12.  The exclusivity for CBS games that has held in the SEC goes away next year.  The Big Ten negotiated to allow BTN and ABC to share the same telecast window.  The Mountain West, who left ESPN in 2005 to pursue a more restrictive environment with CSTV and the mtn., completely changed their model to be more flexible, get paid a few more dollars and in turn get more games shown on TV to everyone.

It is darn near impossible to guess beyond twelve days in advance.  Games need to be played.  That's why TV doesn't do it for the most part.  Heck, they can wait to as little as six days in advance.  I don't have any inside knowledge beyond press releases and media sites.  The predictions are for fun only.  Just educated guesses.  Not to be used when figuring out travel plans or hosting a party.  I'd bet my batting average on these things is not good.

Each week has a link labeled Flex Schedule in the top left.  It is an Excel spreadsheet with the TV windows as they have been announced by each media partner.  I try to update it as frequently as possible.  They do change.  Please use it as a guide.

Thanks.

9/28 CFB TV selections

Maybe we see another handful of network or kickoff time six day holds.  Either way, I'll add what is confirmed by conferences and networks

What I thought would happen and will be proven incorrect
Kickoff times currently set for 9/28

12pm ABC/ESPN/ESPNU:  Oklahoma St. at West Virginia
12pm ABC/ESPN/ESPNU:  South Carolina at UCF
12pm ABC/ESPN/ESPNU:  Miami (FL) at USF
12pm ESPN2 & WatchESPN: Northern Illinois at Purdue
12pm FOX Sports 1: SMU at TCU
12pm ESPNEWS: Navy at Western Kentucky
12pm BTN & BTN2Go: Miami (OH) at Illinois
12:21pm SEC TV & ESPN3: South Alabama at Tennessee
12:30pm ACC Network & ESPN3: East Carolina at North Carolina
12:30pm ACC RSNs & ESPN3: Virginia at Pittsburgh
2:30pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Akron at Bowling Green
3pm Pac-12 & Pac-12.com: Colorado at Oregon St.
3pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Troy at Duke
3pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Toledo at Ball St.
3:30pm CBS & CBSSports.com: LSU at Georgia
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2: Iowa at Minnesota
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2 RM or ESPNU: Florida St. at Boston College
3:30pm ABC/ESPN2 RM or ESPNU: Wake Forest at Clemson
3:30pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Connecticut at Buffalo
3:30pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Central Michigan at NC State
4pm FOX Sports 1: Army vs. Louisiana Tech
4pm FSN: Houston at UTSA
6:30pm ESPN & WatchESPN: Ole Miss at Alabama
7pm FOX: Arizona at Washington
7pm ESPN2/ESPNU & WatchESPN: Texas A&M at Arkansas
7pm ESPN2/ESPNU & WatchESPN: Florida at Kentucky
7pm ESPN3 Exclusive: Kent St. at Western Michigan
7:30pm SEC/FSN Regional & ESPN3: UAB at Vanderbilt
7:30pm SEC/CSS & ESPN3: Arkansas St. at Missouri
8pm ABC & WatchABC: Wisconsin at Ohio St.
10pm ESPN & WatchESPN: USC at Arizona St.or Stanford at Washington St.

10:15pm ESPNU & WatchESPN: Southern Miss at Boise St.
10:30pm ESPN2 & WatchESPN: USC at Arizona St.or Stanford at Washington St.

10:30pm Pac-12 & Pac-12.com: California at Oregon

Analysis on 9/21 CFB TV selections

Had some time on my hands last night.  These are just guesses as to how the network designations could be made on 9/15 and what could influence those decisions.

* Where Michigan-UConn ends up determines how the slotting goes at 12pm.  If that game is split at 8pm with Kansas St.-Texas, it locks UNC-Georgia Tech and San Jose St.-Minnesota into ESPN or ESPN2 and pushes up either Vanderbilt-UMass or Marshall-Virginia Tech into ESPNU with the other on ESPNEWS.

If Michigan-UConn stays at 12pm, it should go to ESPN, locking San Jose St.-Minnesota on ESPN2 and UNC-Georgia Tech into the ESPNU slot.  Vanderbilt-UMass or Marshall-Virginia Tech goes to ESPNEWS and the other to ESPN3.

* To me, the winners of Boston College-USC & Maryland-UConn have the most influence over the network decisions at 3:30pm.  Arkansas, Utah St., West Virginia & Rutgers should be favored.  Maryland & WVU winning might give it the nod over Arkansas-Rutgers & Utah St.-USC, in that order.  Otherwise, Arkansas-Rutgers could be a solid choice.

* Simple as this at 7pm, at least in my mind: Winner of Alabama-Texas A&M gets the ESPN2 slot.

* Found it interesting that Kent St.-Penn St. was put in the 3:30pm BTN mix while Western Michigan-Iowa is at 12pm.  Does make some sense that they are in different time slots are the two matchups between FBS teams available to BTN.  Maybe there was concern about placing Nebraska & Iowa in the same time slot, along w/Ohio St. & Penn St. in another.  Just a guess.

* If the Big 12 and Pac-12 selections are pooled at the top, I believe FOX had the top choice this week.

* Yeah, it would have been nice to see Utah-BYU in the mix at 3:30pm instead of Utah St.-USC.  Especially since the series will be taking a two year break.  At least they gave this game a 15 minute head start of sorts with it being a 8:15pm local start time.

* Was surprised they went with the Wyoming-Air Force game on ESPNU.  Didn't expect it to be available for TV.  By slotting two Pac-12 games at 10:30pm on Pac-12 Networks, the slot opened for the Mountain West.