Espn

[cu3x]

I was a little surprised when the U announced we would be playing in Hawaii next year, rather then reading we'd been invited and Tad and Co were looking into it. This seemed instantaneous. But then I read this info at the bottom of the CUBuffs.com piece:

"ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN Regional Television (ERT), owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes two Labor Day weekend college football games; 11 college bowl games and eight college basketball events, which accounts for approximately 200 hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over a half a million attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans."

and there is more, including conference ties, that I didn't include.

It is pretty clear that a school's relationship with ESPN will be a factor in their ability to maintain or build a big-time program. I had wondered how Duke became a football "power" - how has their relationship with ESPN been these last 10 - 15 years?

 

[wyobuff]

See this article in the new York times about Louisville football.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...gQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNFaADhpkH-3yovJv8jBQCWOKsMbhQ

 

[DBT]

**** espn.

 

[SuperiorBuff]

I'll keep saying it, ESPN is what is wrong with college athletics. ESPN not the NCAA. The NCAA has its fair share of faults, but ESPN is the poison in the well.

 

[Buffnik]

I'll keep saying it, ESPN is what is wrong with college athletics. ESPN not the NCAA. The NCAA has its fair share of faults, but ESPN is the poison in the well.

It's going to be interesting how it shakes out with the new competition. Before, it was other cable start-ups and regional providers. They dominated them and became what they are.

But now they've got CBS, NBC and FOX going directly after them with new sports networks and deals. It's pretty much impossible for ESPN to outbid them all for all of the premium sports programming.