What happened to college football on New Years Day?

[vchimpanzee]

One thing that gets on my nerves is that the ABC Rose Parade coverage always has to include a preview of the bowl game--while the parade is going on! I hope people watching ABC aren't delusional enough to think they're seeing the whole parade. They get behind-the scenes stuff (hey, how about a separate program for that, or perhaps do that instead of music on Dick Clark's special) and interviews too. The past several years at least NBC has been showing everything. Well, maybe not everything. I was surprised to see Western Carolina's band on ABC. They tend to leave out bands, though they had nearly all the bands this year. Horse lovers should definitely avoid ABC at all costs. I don't think the guy who has the lasso that's kept moving for six miles has ever been on ABC.

But the reason I mention Western Carolina is that every year when I go to the mountains, there is a supper at one of my father's former churches. A former pastor had both his daughters with him and one of them said she'd be in the Rose Parade. I almost said they'd better watch NBC if they want to see her, but I don't think NBC had them.

 

[radiolives]

I don't have nothing wrong with the bowl games being on ESPN. Last year 3 of the bowl games where on FOX with the Rose bowl on ABC. Didn't make sense for FOX to have the bowl games as they don't air college football during the season. As for ABC their owned by Disney who also owns ESPN.

ESPN might have most of the college football but CBS has March Maddness with this season starting its first contract with Turner Sports. ESPN wanted to get this deal but the NCAA wanted another broadcaster to have it as they already know ESPN has NCAA football.

 

[radioguy555]

As others have stated, I couldn't help but scratch my head seeing the Outback Bowl on ABC. This game had two 7-5 teams playing (yes it was Urban Meyer's last game, and the Joe Paterno factor is always a little interesting). I wonder if this bowl has a contract to air on ABC for years to come. It really makes no sense. They might as well put the TicketCity Bowl on ABC if they are going to show this one.

 

[rgseark2009]

ahh, for the good old days when Jefferson Pilot or Raycom would syndicate the Tangerine or
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl to my local independents.

I thought it was Mizlou
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Mizlou_Television_Network

They used to do a bunch of the "minor" bowl games when I was growing up (Holiday Bowl, Peach Bowl, Tangerine Bowl, Bluebonnet Bowl, and the Blue-Gray All Star Game in the 1970's)

 

[Poledo]

Apparently viewing has dropped in double-digit numbers this year. Can't be good news for ESPN.

Sounds about right. This year I have every channel carrying bowl games for the first time ever... and all are in HD. This is the first year that I haven't watched multiple bowl games. I haven't even finished watching a single quarter of 1 BCS or other bowl game this year. I am stoked that Auburn should become the national champions next week, but I doubt I'll even watch that game. I know it's for the championship... but for a die-hard, Dixie born and bred, SEC/ACC football fan, Auburn vs. the Ducks is not a compelling match-up. In my minds-eye Auburn has already won by about 50 points. Not to mention it's on a Monday night from 7-11 pm. I'll be tired from work on Monday and 11pm is past my weekday bedtime.

Who came up with this shlep?

 

[anotherguyTN]

I'd like to know how CBS has held on to the Sun Bowl. It's a low to middle grade bowl at best, but they've carried it for decades, and it was the only one they had this year.

 

[landtuna]

Sounds about right. This year I have every channel carrying bowl games for the first time ever... and all are in HD. This is the first year that I haven't watched multiple bowl games. I haven't even finished watching a single quarter of 1 BCS or other bowl game this year. I am stoked that Auburn should become the national champions next week, but I doubt I'll even watch that game. I know it's for the championship... but for a die-hard, Dixie born and bred, SEC/ACC football fan, Auburn vs. the Ducks is not a compelling match-up. In my minds-eye Auburn has already won by about 50 points. Not to mention it's on a Monday night from 7-11 pm. I'll be tired from work on Monday and 11pm is past my weekday bedtime.

Who came up with this shlep?

Well, not everybody cares about college football but if you are a fan of football in general, and especially if you follow the SEC or PAC-10, I can't imagine missing a game between the two top programs in the country. This will be better than any Super Bowl. And if you are serious about that 50 point spread I have some money I'd like to put on the table. ;D

Like every year this year's bowl games have been mixed. A lot of duds with a couple of real thrillers. Most of the matchups, IMHO, were incomprehensible and there were more than a few teams who didn't deserve to be in bowl games at all. But I can't imagine not tuning in and at least checking them out.

And, as far as the ET game time.....consider the PT where people are still driving home after work when the game begins. Stupid. While I personally enjoy weeknight games I think the games should be on the weekend so people from all time zones can watch the whole game. And some earlier bowls began very late for the East Coast as well. I don't imagine those ratings were anything to rave about and may have contributed to the overall decline.

 

[Poledo]

Well, not everybody cares about college football but if you are a fan of football in general, and especially if you follow the SEC or PAC-10, I can't imagine missing a game between the two top programs in the country. This will be better than any Super Bowl. And if you are serious about that 50 point spread I have some money I'd like to put on the table. ;D

I was so close to giving a Bama fanatic a 30 point spread on the 2010 SEC championship game... Man I got smart just in time to save $100, but with Auburn winning by 29 points it turned out I wasn't crazy! That's where I came up with the 50 point spread with the Ducks... if Auburn can do that to Spurrier, they should be able to make Oregon look like a high school team. I didn't even know Oregon had a competitive football team until a year or so back. They must be recruiting from Alabama. ;D
BTW, I've never watched a Super Bowl or more than a few minutes of any pro-sports event except for Boxing and UFC fights. For me, THE game of the year is the Iron Bowl (and I never attended Auburn or Alabama *biggest mistake of my life*)... with the Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party coming in a distant second. Prior to the BCS taking it over I considered the Sugar Bowl the biggest game of the year, now I don't even know who's playing Arkansas tonight.

Like every year this year's bowl games have been mixed. A lot of duds with a couple of real thrillers. Most of the matchups, IMHO, were incomprehensible and there were more than a few teams who didn't deserve to be in bowl games at all. But I can't imagine not tuning in and at least checking them out.

I'm a UGA alumnus so I tuned into the bowl game on New Years Eve. Before the game I didn't even know UCF had a football team (and I live in FL!) By the end of the first quarter I had better things to do and missed the rest of the game. Look how things worked out there... we lost. That's just the way things work with kids playing college ball. That game was held in Memphis and the stadium was half empty... if those teams had played in Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, or even Atlanta the game would have sold out.

And, as far as the ET game time.....consider the PT where people are still driving home after work when the game begins. Stupid. [...] I don't imagine those ratings were anything to rave about and may have contributed to the overall decline.

Great point. I'm complaining about the game based on Central Time. Eastern folks will be up watching at midnight on a workday. I'm sure I'll turn the game on, but unless Cam starts showing off and racking up excessive celebration penalties I doubt I'll watch much of the game. I think all college bowl games should be on weekends or holidays. Who cares if it's going head to head with the NFL, don't they usually have different audiences?

 

[jsu5381m]

I wish ESPN could at least put the BCS bowl games, including the national title game, on a local channel in the university's home TV market. This is similar to what ESPN does for Monday Night Football games.

 

[bpatrick]

Let me make a strictly hypothetical. Let's say that
ESPN puts the Auburn-Oregon game on the ABC affiliate
in each team's home market (WTVM Columbus, GA for
Auburn, KEZI Eugene for Oregon). Next thing happens:
viewers in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, and
Montgomery would want to see Auburn OTA; Portland-
area viewers would want to see Oregon OTA.
Don't you think ESPN would feel it was defeating its purpose
if it offered the game to OTA stations in those markets?

 

[jsu5381m]

Let me make a strictly hypothetical. Let's say that
ESPN puts the Auburn-Oregon game on the ABC affiliate
in each team's home market (WTVM Columbus, GA for
Auburn, KEZI Eugene for Oregon). Next thing happens:
viewers in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, and
Montgomery would want to see Auburn OTA; Portland-
area viewers would want to see Oregon OTA.
Don't you think ESPN would feel it was defeating its purpose
if it offered the game to OTA stations in those markets?

Ok, then put it on markets in the two school's states.

 

[searadiofreak]

Or better yet, put it on the ABC television network where it belongs. Hey, I understand the media world is changing, but the biggest sporting events should be on the biggest media outlets. And, ABC is still bigger than ESPN.

 

[quadraphonic]

"The best way to spread New Year's cheer is to spread the bowls throughout the year."

 

[sandiegoinexile]

Or better yet, put it on the ABC television network where it belongs. Hey, I understand the media world is changing, but the biggest sporting events should be on the biggest media outlets. And, ABC is still bigger than ESPN.

And the game will get better ratings on ESPN than it would on ABC....or so the broadcasting poo-bahs thought when the Great Cable Migration began a few years ago. One major TV revelation from 2010 was the power of football attracting eyeballs to primetime network TV. I still imagine Disney would rather trumpet outstanding ratings in a cable world than coming in second to a CSI rerun or The Biggest Loser.

 

[imhomerjay]

Or better yet, put it on the ABC television network where it belongs. Hey, I understand the media world is changing, but the biggest sporting events should be on the biggest media outlets. And, ABC is still bigger than ESPN.

Or better yet, let the marketplace work. He who ponies up the money gets to do with the product as they please to best serve their business interests.

 

[FreddyE1977]

"The best way to spread New Year's cheer is to spread the bowls throughout the year."

Oh, yeah....Central Michigan vs. Alabama-Birmingham in the Denorex Shampoo Bowl,
live from Macon, Georgia on May 16. That'll really haul 'em in! :

 

[Bengalsfan]

ESPN might have most of the college football but CBS has March Maddness with this season starting its first contract with Turner Sports. ESPN wanted to get this deal but the NCAA wanted another broadcaster to have it as they already know ESPN has NCAA football.

Give 'em time. Eventually ESPN will weasel their way into the March Madness broadcasts. You can only throw so much money at someone before they give in.

 

[Bengalsfan]

Let me make a strictly hypothetical. Let's say that
ESPN puts the Auburn-Oregon game on the ABC affiliate
in each team's home market (WTVM Columbus, GA for
Auburn, KEZI Eugene for Oregon). Next thing happens:
viewers in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, and
Montgomery would want to see Auburn OTA; Portland-
area viewers would want to see Oregon OTA.
Don't you think ESPN would feel it was defeating its purpose
if it offered the game to OTA stations in those markets?

Why not offer a package like NFL Sunday Ticket?

 

[quadraphonic]

"The best way to spread New Year's cheer is to spread the bowls throughout the year."

Oh, yeah....Central Michigan vs. Alabama-Birmingham in the Denorex Shampoo Bowl,
live from Macon, Georgia on May 16. That'll really haul 'em in! :

I was only copying that saying from "The Elf" man. No seriousness intended.
This bowl mess is as bad as it is, a May bowl would kill it.

 

[KERCAlum]

Let me make a strictly hypothetical. Let's say that
ESPN puts the Auburn-Oregon game on the ABC affiliate
in each team's home market (WTVM Columbus, GA for
Auburn, KEZI Eugene for Oregon). Next thing happens:
viewers in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, and
Montgomery would want to see Auburn OTA; Portland-
area viewers would want to see Oregon OTA.
Don't you think ESPN would feel it was defeating its purpose
if it offered the game to OTA stations in those markets?

Why not offer a package like NFL Sunday Ticket?

NFL Network does something similar - when the Cowboys had a game on NFLN earlier this year, it was broadcast (in HD, no less) on KDAF/33 in the Dallas market. I don't think it would hurt overall numbers if ESPN did the same thing for the (mythical) national championship game.

BTW, if Oregon loses, TCU should definitely finish the season number 2.