TV Time: How much is it worth?

7 comments so far June 2, 2009 by Brandon Vogel

True to the cliffhanging medium, the Big 12 announced only a portion of their television schedule yesterday leaving Huskers fans looking at three games slated for the tube: at Missouri on Thursday October 8, at Colorado on Friday November 27, and, one that wasn't announced yesterday but we all assume will be picked up, at Virginia Tech on September 19.

Want to see the Huskers play at home in the comfort of your own home? That's going to take either some wins out of Pelini & Co. or some dollars out of your wallet as it looks like the Zac Lee era is set to begin on pay per view.

The rest of the Big 12 television schedule is formed as the season progresses, benefiting both the networks and the conference as each seek the best match-ups for the best slots week to week. Win games, get on TV, it's really that simple and four months out from what's supposed to be "another step forward" season for Nebraska, three games feels about right. The big non-conference game is on there, the traditional turkey leftovers game is there and the game that was moved for TV is on TV.

Beyond that, barring a complete collapse out of the Huskers (or OU, I suppose), you can be safe in assuming the Oklahoma game will be televised, the Texas Tech game seems like a Versus of FSN type game, and if Kansas and Nebraska are still on a North title crash course come mid-November, you have to think that game is almost certainly televised as well. That's six televised games that you can feel pretty good about seeing and after that it's up to the football gods, programming directors and, well, the Nebraska athletic department.

Last season, the Huskers played four games on pay per view pulling in nearly $2 million from the broadcasts according to the athletic department. While fans ponying up the $30 per game can take some solace in the fact that the money is going back into the University, pay per view isn't without it's own set of problems.

First, for purely selfish reasons, pay per view isn't nearly the swell proposition for fans out of state that it is for those in or near Nebraska. Buying the game in my major media market from my major media conglomerate simply wasn't an option. There's no impetus for my cable provider to carry it like there is in Nebraska so I, and fellow displaced Nebraskans, turn to watch sites and groups and make do. Of course, getting together with fellow fans and seeing the game is never a bad thing, but the effort required points to the second, and bigger, problem with pay per view: It serves the fans quite well and it serves the university well from a financial point of view, but it means next to nothing for the football program in terms of exposure.

The real value of being on television--particularly for an area sparsely populated with 5-star recruits--is getting your name out there for potential players. Do you think Jason Ankrah bought the San Jose State game while sitting in his Maryland home (assuming he was even able to)? Doesn't seem likely.

Now, no network probably should televise games against FAU or Arkansas State. Nebraska's not a big enough draw on it's own yet. Oklahoma is, and that's why you'll be able to watch them play Tulsa on September 19th. Pay per view provides flexibility in this respect, a way to see games that would otherwise go only heard outside of Memorial Stadium. That's fine, but ultimately Nebraska will want to earn their keep.

It's interesting to note that of the two games we're 100 percent certain will be televised right now, neither fall on Saturday. The Friday CU game has become something of a tradition, even if nobody wants to admit it or like it, and it does provide Nebraska some guaranteed exposure year to year. This year the Missouri game was moved to Thursday so that's another shot at the prime time spotlight for NU, a showcase game, TV time all to their own. It's also a road game.

When it comes to the home schedule, Nebraska has always been very careful to avoid too many night games if possible and the notion of moving a home game to a Thursday or Friday night for some TV coverage is nearly verboten. Simply put, football Saturdays are too profitable for the athletic department and the city of Lincoln to give them up for a weeknight game. That's also the reason it's fiscally irresponsible for the Huskers to schedule more than one non-conference road game in any given season.

This leaves the onus on Nebraska and Bo Pelini to win their way onto the tube, right? Maybe. Colorado got their game against Toledo on ESPN by moving to Friday night, but we already know Nebraska isn't going to go that route. What they do have, however, are some potentially unconventional television match-ups coming up over the next five or six years. With road games scheduled against Fresno State, Wyoming and Southern Mississippi--all teams who have played at least one Thursday or Friday game over the past two seasons--there are some opportunities out there for "free TV." Nebraska would do well to be flexible when it comes to scheduling those games when they come up.

They'd also do well to get on TV the old-fashioned way: by winning. I'd take either option.

Actually, I'll take both.

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