A Big 12 Cable Network in the Works?

**HFCS** · 08-22-2010, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by cykadelic2

If by chance a future KU-ISU FB game is not being carried by ABC, ESPN, FSN, Versus, FCS, etc, you will likely being able to pick up the game live online on Clone Zone via your PC/Laptop that is plugged into your HDTV. That is the wave of the future.

The B12 will likely go the same route as the SEC, without a branded dedicated conference network. What happened with the SEC is that ESPN and CBS paid the SEC big bucks NOT to have a conference network like the BTN. SEC schools (like Florida with the SUN Network) are then free to pursue their own TV deals beyond the primary deals. The B12 will likely go down the same path as they renegotiate their TV deals.

Is it really likely that the future deal keeps our games on things like FSN, FCS and Versus? To me the rumor mill sounded like if it missed ABC and ESPN it would be down to the B12 network or the individual school networks.

Streaming online is better than nothing, the ridiculous thing is just the current ban how there can be no local or internet broadcast of any kind. It's short sited to not realize how this KILLS the Big 12 schools national fan followings. I have about 12 friends in Chicago who went to ISU the same time as me and graduated ten years ago, only myself and 2 others remain fans over the years, it's mainly because of lack of consistent TV coverage for football. Not just games with no tv, but games on something like FSN/FCS where who knows if you can find it or if our local FSN has a replay of a 1984 Cubs game on instead. When I still lived in Sioux City, a Cyclone game on FSN might end up being Bass Fishing on our local Minnesota FSN option. Ridiculous, because it's true.

**CyForPresident** · 08-22-2010, 03:44 PM

FSN, Versus, and FCS contracts will most certainly be kept. Those contracts bring in more money than any individual school or conference network ever can.

**Rogue52** · 08-22-2010, 03:54 PM

It'd be nice if all the conference schools as a whole just took a chance like the Big Ten did with a conference network.

The Big Ten Network was a joke before it became the monster that it is. Everyone kept telling them it wasn't going to work either. Yeah, yeah, a Big XII network probably has even less reason to work...

**im4isu** · 08-22-2010, 05:06 PM

If Learfield did it right, not doubt it would be a success. Think seven individual schools under same umbrella. All states of the big 12 conf. represented so all TV markets are represented. I don't know how well the individual schools channels are going to go over, but if there was one channel that had all of the Learfield schools on I would subscribe. I'm down for watching some other conf. team stuff when we are not on. Heck, I watch the stupid big 10 network for S&G's because it is still sort of like major college atheletics. My gut tells me even the mighty Texas may want to join and get subscribers outside of Texas for their channel. Who knows, but I think it would be a good idea.

**drednot57** · 08-22-2010, 11:08 PM

You know, as I re-read the article from the Tulsa World, it sounds like aTm, and perhaps OU, wants to get the jump on big brother UT on cable TV revenue. Who knows, both schools may provide the impetus to get this network going, eh? (Sorry for the Canadian cliche.) As Randy Petersen said in the blog, the network should have been started a few years ago.