Big Ten Network Still Causing Big Headache

By Adam Kiefaber

With the college football season close to being a month away, the Big Ten Network situation still hasn’t been resolved with cable companies.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany recently created a national cable network that is devoted exclusively to Big Ten sports.

The Big Ten Network will launch in August. In its first year, the network features 35 football games and 105 men’s basketball games. Most of the games would have been broadcasted on ESPN Plus or gone un-televised.

The network agreed with one carrier in DirecTV, which has 16 million subscribers, but hasn’t reached an agreement with any of the major cable carriers.

Currently, the Big Ten is asking for $1.10 per cable subscriber in the conference’s eight states. Compare that to the NFL Network last year, which was asking for 70 cents. If you live outside of ‘Big Ten Country’ that cost will be 10 cents per cable subscriber.

Many argued the Big Ten Network’s astonishing $1.10 charge is ridiculous considering the network broadcasts “second-tier and third-tier” events. For example, one sport the channel will cover would be the Iowa women’s volleyball team.

Delany recently released a statement on the Big Ten Network’s website ( Big Ten Network - where you can actually check if your area by zip code gets the Big Ten Network: Here’s a hint- you don’t get it unless you have dish).

“Comcast recently has characterized events that will be on the Big Ten Network as ’second and third tier.’ I believe Comcast owes every Big Ten university an apology. The comments are an insult to Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin: To the universities, their students, their fans and alumni and their communities. There are no second-rate contests in the Big Ten.”

The network’s opening-weekend schedule includes the home openers for three of the most popular Big Ten schools. The Ohio State opener versus Youngstown State, Michigan’s versus Appalachian State and Penn State’s versus Florida International all will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.

“Games at Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State – I don’t care who the opponents are, those are not second-tier games,” said Delany.

During the first three weeks of the season, the Big Ten Network will air 17 games.

Saturday, September 1 Appalachian State at Michigan, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Youngstown State at Ohio State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Florida International at Penn State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Northeastern at Northwestern, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Bowling Green at Minnesota, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT
Indiana State at Indiana, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Saturday, September 8
Akron at Ohio State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Nevada at Northwestern, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Bowling Green at Michigan State, Noon EDT/11a.m. CDT
Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Eastern Illinois at Purdue, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Western Illinois at Illinois, 7 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. CDT
Syracuse at Iowa, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Saturday, September 15
The Citadel at Wisconsin, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Buffalo at Penn State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Akron at Indiana, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Duke at Northwestern, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Delany has to admit that most of those games will not be close. However, Buckeye fans will want to watch the Youngstown State and Akron games.

Something needs to done soon or there will be many angry Big Ten fans and many happy bar owners.

On Thursday, the Big Ten Network announced that play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman and analyst Charles Davis would lead its football broadcast team. Brennaman and Davis announced the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship game.

The prime-time games that I’m guessing Brennaman and Davis will broadcast include:

2007 Big Ten Network Prime-time Football Schedule:
Sept. 1 — Indiana State at Indiana, 8 p.m. EDT
Sept. 8 — Syracuse at Iowa, 7 p.m. CDT
Sept. 15 — Duke at Northwestern, 7 p.m. CDT
Oct. 13 — Indiana at Michigan State, 7 p.m. EDT
Nov. 3 — Illinois at Minnesota, 7 p.m. CDT

As a Buckeye fan I could care less about any those games.