2017 B1G TV Primer

[Red Five]

 

Land of 10 breaks down the new B1G TV contract for 2017

 

 

Big Ten prime-time changes

 

Just four years ago the Big Ten’s media rights deals prevented November outdoor night games. In 2011, only 12 Big Ten games aired at night. This year, ABC/ESPN and FOX/FS1 will combine to show at least 15 prime-time games, with BTN broadcasting several more. The moratorium on November night outdoor football was lifted in 2014, and now teams can play night games through the regular-season finale.

 

Networks can flex games without a pre-announced time into any slot through the first weekend in November. That could include a noon, 3:30 pm. or 8 p.m. ET kickoff. It’s a major change for fans who were used to night unveilings announced at least four months in advance.

 

“It’s new, it’s a challenge,” Rudner said. “But ultimately, it has the support of the leadership of the conference. Listen, I think every other peer conference, every other FBS conference, has been doing prime-time selection on a 12-day pick. In fact, most, if not all, of the autonomy conferences allow for prime-time games on a six-day pick. We weren’t willing to go to six days. The 12-day pick exists only in week No. 4 through week No. 10.”

 

Just four years ago the Big Ten’s media rights deals prevented November outdoor night games. In 2011, only 12 Big Ten games aired at night. This year, ABC/ESPN and FOX/FS1 will combine to show at least 15 prime-time games, with BTN broadcasting several more. The moratorium on November night outdoor football was lifted in 2014, and now teams can play night games through the regular-season finale.

 

Networks can flex games without a pre-announced time into any slot through the first weekend in November. That could include a noon, 3:30 pm. or 8 p.m. ET kickoff. It’s a major change for fans who were used to night unveilings announced at least four months in advance.

 

“It’s new, it’s a challenge,” Rudner said. “But ultimately, it has the support of the leadership of the conference. Listen, I think every other peer conference, every other FBS conference, has been doing prime-time selection on a 12-day pick. In fact, most, if not all, of the autonomy conferences allow for prime-time games on a six-day pick. We weren’t willing to go to six days. The 12-day pick exists only in week No. 4 through week No. 10.”

 

In the season’s final three weeks, teams can veto a potential night game with notice.

 

“If both institutions agree to allow that game to be played in prime time, they can be chosen in the 12-day selection process for prime time,” Rudner said. “But at any time up until that 12-day process, either one of those two institutions, for whatever reason, can take themselves off the watch list and that game is no longer available for prime time.”

 

Big Ten schedule changes with FOX

 

The networks have a drafting process for the league’s games. FOX, ABC/ESPN and BTN each have first selection on different weeks. FOX will show the highly coveted Michigan-Ohio State finale this year.

 

“FOX has the No. 1 overall selection of all games for the season every year,” said Mike McComiskey, the Big Ten’s associate commissioner for technology who handles Big Ten football scheduling.

 

“After that, it rotates through the top picks for a while through FOX and ESPN and then into BTN. They do a draft process in the spring where they now have each week of the season. They’re not actually picking games at that point, but they’re taking their slotted draft picks.

 

“There’s 95 games that fall under the Big Ten television contract this year so they have one through 95 plotted out between the three networks. They’ve got the draft and they’ve drafted out each of those weeks as to who has the first, second, third and beyond picks of those weeks.”

 

Additionally, prime-time games can air concurrently on FOX and ABC/ESPN. So, for instance, when FOX broadcasts Notre Dame at Michigan State in prime time on Sept. 23, ABC or ESPN can show Penn State at Iowa at the same time.

 

Big Ten alters Black Friday

 

Nebraska and Iowa have played on Black Friday since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. For the first three seasons, kickoff was set five months in advance. In 2014 and 2015, ABC used the 12-day window for the Nebraska-Iowa time selection. Last year, ABC opted for the six-day window, which irritated fans of both teams. Played the day after Thanksgiving, the game time could alter holiday family plans.

 

This year, the league made the Nov. 24 game a standalone date rather than part of the Week 13 schedule. FOX selected the game for FS1, and kickoff was set for 3 p.m. CT.

 

“That’s mainly because that Friday offers challenges,” McComiskey said. “It’s difficult to get crews with Thanksgiving being around there and not knowing when they’re going to have to air something on Friday or not. That’s why it’s treated as a separate day so there’s some certainty for whichever network is going to be doing that game.”

 

Currently, Nebraska-Iowa is the only game slated for Black Friday. Any of the other rivalry games could shift to that Friday as well — even into prime time — if the schools agreed to do so.