ISU's National Perception

**cayin** · 06-14-2010, 06:43 AM

Everyone keeps talking about ISU basically being an afterthought or invisible as far as the national attention through all of this. I think most assume it is a remote outpost with 25,000 fans a game that never wins ect....Most have no idea of the game day atmosphere around the stadium and the passionate fan base. The reason? The tv contract. For example when would someone in say, Delaware, ever be flipping channels and find an ISU game? They wouldn't. Fact is ISU and a lot of Big 12 schools never ever play on national tv. The Big 12 plays on ABC REGIONAL (not national) 2:30 spot on saturdays. Other than that, it has been on more obscure places for college football like TBS, Versus, and FoxSportsnet. For years the Foxsports.net was a terrible situation. This network offered the game national, but the local regions had the options to not show the game and many never did. For example I have been in Minnesota, just one state north, and you could never ever find the Big 12 6 pm game on FoxSportsNorth. Instead they choose to show womens soccer, truck racing, baseball ect.. By comparisons lessor programs like Cinn, Miami of Ohio, South Florida, Boise State,..ect.. are playing in true national games on ESPN and ESPN two. ISU was really invisible. When the Big 10 network got going, it freed up some spots on ESPN and some Big 12 schools were able to play on that national network, but ISU was not one of them. So when a sports writer from Providence or an east coast talking head says ISU is nothing, well now you know why.

**brianhos** · 06-14-2010, 06:54 AM

I watched more Minnesota Gopher games than ISU games last year. That is sad.

**Stormin** · 06-14-2010, 06:56 AM

I agree. Our last TV contract was absolutely awful.

ISU has more to offer than most think. A stadium that holds 50,000 and is almost full all the time. A basketball venue that holds 14,000 and gets great crowds for BOTH Men and Women's BB.

Our problem is TV sets. And that perception thing.

**simply1** · 06-14-2010, 07:06 AM

We need caseys to throw out $10 mill per year for us!

**simply1** · 06-14-2010, 07:08 AM

Tv deal got the big 4 on a lot which is what was cared about, certainly isn't helping us at this point.

**cyclonenum1** · 06-14-2010, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by cayin

Everyone keeps talking about ISU basically being an afterthought or invisible as far as the national attention through all of this. I think most assume it is a remote outpost with 25,000 fans a game that never wins ect....Most have no idea of the game day atmosphere around the stadium and the passionate fan base. The reason? The tv contract. For example when would someone in say, Delaware, ever be flipping channels and find an ISU game? They wouldn't. Fact is ISU and a lot of Big 12 schools never ever play on national tv. The Big 12 plays on ABC REGIONAL (not national) 2:30 spot on saturdays. Other than that, it has been on more obscure places for college football like TBS, Versus, and FoxSportsnet. For years the Foxsports.net was a terrible situation. This network offered the game national, but the local regions had the options to not show the game and many never did. For example I have been in Minnesota, just one state north, and you could never ever find the Big 12 6 pm game on FoxSportsNorth. Instead they choose to show womens soccer, truck racing, baseball ect.. By comparisons lessor programs like Cinn, Miami of Ohio, South Florida, Boise State,..ect.. are playing in true national games on ESPN and ESPN two. ISU was really invisible. When the Big 10 network got going, it freed up some spots on ESPN and some Big 12 schools were able to play on that national network, but ISU was not one of them. So when a sports writer from Providence or an east coast talking head says ISU is nothing, well now you know why.

The bottom line is that when you win you become relevant. That is why winning is so very, very important. Winning = more television exposure.

Additionally, you need to play some good teams...especially in the non-conference season if you want on TV...TV is looking for marquee matchups.

Lastly, I have not lived in Iowa for over 20 years. Most of the past 20 years I have lived in the southeastern part of the country. In June, July, and August the local cable sports channels in our area show 'classic' college FB games. Florida State (with Charlie Ward) vs. Georgia Tech was on this weekend at the same time as the USA vs. England yawner of a World Cup game. I will bet that in our area that the replay of the FB game probably got better viewership than the soccer game. Football is truly a passion down here. Do they show replays of old college FB games on the local cable sports in Iowa for 3 months leading up to the college FB season now? Maybe they do?

**CarolinaCy** · 06-14-2010, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

The bottom line is that when you win you become relevant. That is why winning is so very, very important. Winning = more television exposure.

Additionally, you need to play some good teams...especially in the non-conference season if you want on TV...TV is looking for marquee matchups.

I would agree, to a point, but don't underestimate the power of a good TV contract. For years before the Big Ten Network came along, I could proabably watch at least 4 or 5 games of every Big Ten school during a FB season, including Indiana, Purdue, NW, Illinois, and Minny. I would argue that those schools haven't really won very much in the past decade (save a couple miraculous years), yet there they were, every Saturday on ESPN or the ESPN2.

**Madclone1** · 06-14-2010, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by CarolinaCy

I would agree, to a point, but don't underestimate the power of a good TV contract. For years before the Big Ten Network came along, I could proabably watch at least 4 or 5 games of every Big Ten school during a FB season, including Indiana, Purdue, NW, Illinois, and Minny. I would argue that those schools haven't really won very much in the past decade (save a couple miraculous years), yet there they were, every Saturday on ESPN or the ESPN2.

ISU's problem starts first with local drone media. They have a cultural bias against ISU. Iowa is a very wierd state . . kind of like that dysfunctional family that pampers one child and punishes the other. Unfortunately, Iowa State is the "target" child throughout this state. I would like to see a sociological study done on this strange ritual in this state.

It will never change unless ISU consistantly starts beating Iowa is almost every sport . . year in and out.

BTW, You will never see this "drone mentality" in Oklahoma or Texas (even with Tehjas as number 1). But again, this state is really wierd in its cultural distinctiveness.

**cyclonenum1** · 06-14-2010, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by CarolinaCy

I would agree, to a point, but don't underestimate the power of a good TV contract. For years before the Big Ten Network came along, I could proabably watch at least 4 or 5 games of every Big Ten school during a FB season, including Indiana, Purdue, NW, Illinois, and Minny. I would argue that those schools haven't really won very much in the past decade (save a couple miraculous years), yet there they were, every Saturday on ESPN or the ESPN2.

I agree. But, for example, in the SEC there is a pecking order. CBS gets first pick of the game it wants to show. Then ESPN gets to pick what they want to show. Then the Lincoln Financial Network gets to pick the game they want to show. So it does matter for your exposure how much you are winning and who you are playing.

I would bet that most of those NW, IU, etc. games you got to watch were more to do with who they were playing.

**CarolinaCy** · 06-14-2010, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

I would bet that most of those NW, IU, etc. games you got to watch were more to do with who they were playing.

Actually, it seemed like most of those games were when they were playing each other. Nothing gets you fired up for a full day of college football like watching Indiana and Minnesota go at it for 3 hours.

**Wesley** · 06-14-2010, 08:11 AM

It is bad when the most exciting team in Big ten is underdog Northwestern.

**CyCy** · 06-14-2010, 08:12 AM

I remember LE talking about how difficult it was to schedule top teams on a home-and-home basis. Coaches would tell him that they didn't want to play at Iowa State because their fans didn't realize how tough it was to win here. If they lost their fans would consider it to be a "bad" loss. Goes back to the perception thing.

**cyclonenum1** · 06-14-2010, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by CarolinaCy

Actually, it seemed like most of those games were when they were playing each other. Nothing gets you fired up for a full day of college football like watching Indiana and Minnesota go at it for 3 hours.

I guess with so many games on I never pay any attention to the Big 10 games because the quality of play has been so inferior as of late.

Plenty of other options on TV...use your remote and find a good SEC game.