ESPN Big Ten Prime-Time TV Schedule Discussion

[knapplc]

Screw Texas.

[jaws]

Or maybe Tennessee @ Oregon on fox. They love to do night games at Oregon.

[LouisianaHuskerFan]

Again....FOX owns The Big Ten Network, don't they? I feel like there shouldn't be an issue there but I don't actually know anything so.

 

Yes, they own 51% of BTN but why does that matter? ESPN and ABC are owned by the same company but ABC can't take SEC games that ESPN can get. The only networks that any Big Ten home game can air on are ABC, ESPN or BTN. Period. No other network can air home B1G games.

[jaws]

Again....FOX owns The Big Ten Network, don't they? I feel like there shouldn't be an issue there but I don't actually know anything so.

 

Yes, they own 51% of BTN but why does that matter? ESPN and ABC are owned by the same company but ABC can't take SEC games that ESPN can get. The only networks that any Big Ten home game can air on are ABC, ESPN or BTN. Period. No other network can air home B1G games.

 

LouisianaHuskerFan, I think you are right about Fox.

[LouisianaHuskerFan]

Again....FOX owns The Big Ten Network, don't they? I feel like there shouldn't be an issue there but I don't actually know anything so.

 

Yes, they own 51% of BTN but why does that matter? ESPN and ABC are owned by the same company but ABC can't take SEC games that ESPN can get. The only networks that any Big Ten home game can air on are ABC, ESPN or BTN. Period. No other network can air home B1G games.

 

LouisianaHuskerFan, I think you are right about Fox.

 

 

Of course I am. I know it all.

[KJ.]

Again....FOX owns The Big Ten Network, don't they? I feel like there shouldn't be an issue there but I don't actually know anything so.

 

Yes, they own 51% of BTN but why does that matter? ESPN and ABC are owned by the same company but ABC can't take SEC games that ESPN can get. The only networks that any Big Ten home game can air on are ABC, ESPN or BTN. Period. No other network can air home B1G games.

 

LouisianaHuskerFan, I think you are right about Fox.

He is.

[ColoradoHusk]

Here are my guesses for the game times for the NU non-conference schedule.

 

8/31 vs. Wyoming -- 6 pm on BTN -- since it was so hot during last year's home opener, I can see NU push the BTN to have this game on at night. With Labor Day weekend, I think this would be a no-brainer for everyone involved.

9/7 vs. So Miss -- 11 AM or 2:30 on ESPN/ESPN2 -- I know that the time slots on ESPN change, but with ND-Michigan being a night game on ABC, it would be natural that ESPN would choose this game for the early or mid-afternoon time slot

9/14 vs. UCLA -- 2:30 on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 -- This game is a lock for regional coverage on ABC, and the reverse mirror on ESPN/ESPN2. See discussion above.

9/21 vs. South Dakota State -- 11 AM on BTN -- The BTN will just want to get this game out of the way early in the day.

[teachercd]

Well shoot, I have a buddy coming in from LA for this game, we were kind of hoping on a 7pm game.

[huskeraddict]

Again....FOX owns The Big Ten Network, don't they? I feel like there shouldn't be an issue there but I don't actually know anything so.

Yes but FOX/FX only carries the broadcast rights to Big 12/Pac-12 games and the home team's conference is the one that designates where the TV rights go. That's why we were on FOX last year when we were at UCLA.

 

This game's probably too high-profile to fall to a BTN primetime spot. More likely a 2:30 kick on ABC.

[strigori]

BTN could put the UCLA game on at 7pm. They have some prime time slots as well.

But BTN trumped in pecking order. If ABC/ESPN wants it at 2:30...

 

What really stinks is this means at best we get one night game this season, on BTN. And nothing the second half, unless the B1G rescinds the night game BS for Nov. They talked bout it a bit, it was something like "If Nebraska wanted to try it, and the opponent agreed.."

 

And of the second half games, odds are the conference remains stuck in the past before lights were invented... but if they shock us all...

 

Northwestern - not exactly a huge draw for TV, maybe if both teams are undefeated. If its a better tv exposure, I could see NW being willing.

@ Mich - No chance. They don't like to play at night at home. The after dark kicks at Mich you can count on one hand. Michicken fans must be afraid of the dark.

Mich state - unlikely. This game has 11am written all over it...

@ Penn State - probably the best chance. They actually like night games.

Iowa - Black Friday game. 11am or 2:30, count on 11am as Iowa looks to be a dumpster fire again.

[knapplc]

The "no night games in November" policy appears to be changing.

Big Ten open to November night games

 

Delany said Penn State, Nebraska and Ohio State are among the schools that have been pushing for more games under the lights.

 

"We've been very supportive of night games," Delany said. "We've gone from zero to 15, and our television partners like them if it's the right game. ...

 

"So there seems to be more of an openness to open that window on the game-day experience, whether it's in November or October. We won't stand in the way. We just have to figure out the best way to do it, but I think there's value there."

 

Though the Big Ten doesn't have a specific policy against November night games, it hasn't exactly been encouraged, either. The last Big Ten night game in November was in 2008 when Iowa went to Minnesota. And that was played in the Metrodome.

 

This is from February of this year.

 

 

 

EDIT - also, we have a very weak schedule this year, so it's a bit of a self-inflicted wound on the night games.

 

If we want a night game there's one scheduled on December 7th. The higher-ranked we are when we get there, the more likely it is that it'll be at night. Of course, it's a neutral-site game...

[HuskerShark]

I don't care what time we play, as long as we win. People have been complaining for 2 years now about this team having embarrassing losses in primetime. Well, here's the fix.

[Landlord]

Don't forget that 2:30 kickoffs in the second half of the season work sort of as night games, because it gets dark well before the game is over.

[teachercd]

Don't forget that 2:30 kickoffs in the second half of the season work sort of as night games, because it gets dark well before the game is over.

 

Yeah, that is true but it really beats up the amount of time in Lincoln for partying! 7pm game, it is really easy to leave at noon for Lincoln from Omaha and still have a great day partying.

[strigori]

Don't forget that 2:30 kickoffs in the second half of the season work sort of as night games, because it gets dark well before the game is over.

Unless your bedtime is like 8, its still not a night game.