Fox College Sports on DirecTV - what's the deal?

[tejasclone]

My understanding is that Fox College Sports Central, which will carry the South Dakota State game, is available on DirecTV on channel 617. This channel does appear on their website as part of the Sports Pack, but others on this site have suggested that Fox College Sports will show up on their on-screen guide when "something is on."

Yesterday, I called DirecTV and asked about getting access to Fox College Sports Central down here in Texas. I was told that the channels in the Sports Pack are only available in your region, so if a game is on FCS Central in Iowa and you subscribe to the Sports Pack, the game will be available. I'm thinking that means that FCS Central is not available to me in Central Texas on DirecTV.

FoxSports.com has a feature where you can put in your zip code and it shows you the local providers that carry FCS. All the providers in my area are cable companies... and I moved on from cable last winter (Time Warner is basically Mediacom, just bigger). I'm beginning to think I'm SOL on this one and will have to subscribe to the Clone Zone for a week so I can watch. Pretty lame, too -- I was excited that I'd be able to watch the opener on an actual TV.

Anyone else having this problem?

[timdcy]

Weak. Thanks for saving me some work though. I was just about to do the same investigating. So what DOES the sports pack offer?

[huntt26]

I have DishNetwork.. do i need to pay extra to see this game? Or is it in the list to watch, since it's a local team? I'm in eastern iowa if that helps..

[ia8manfan]

I did the same thing as far as the zip code on the web site thing here in Dallas and looking all over online for information. I was planning on calling DirecTV here in the next week to figure out if I'm going to be able to get the game. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there 3 FCS networks: East, Central, and West? So in Texas we should be able to get FCS Central no problem, one would assume anyway.

[dustinal]

The game is on Fox College Sports Central. Whoever you call, be sure you ask if you can get that channel using those specific words.

[tejasclone]

I did the same thing as far as the zip code on the web site thing here in Dallas and looking all over online for information. I was planning on calling DirecTV here in the next week to figure out if I'm going to be able to get the game. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there 3 FCS networks: East, Central, and West? So in Texas we should be able to get FCS Central no problem, one would assume anyway.

Yeah, there are Atlantic, Central, and Pacific FCS networks. I'm thinking there has to be a way. Last year's CU game was on FCS Central and I was able to watch it a local sports bar, which carries DirecTV.

I am starting to wonder if the person I talked to was confusing FCS with FSN (like almost everyone does). She was telling me I could get FSN Southwest, which I guess includes some other channels like 677 and 678, or something.

There is a phone number, 1-877-2GET-FCS, that you can call. I may try that next.

[tejasclone]

Weak. Thanks for saving me some work though. I was just about to do the same investigating. So what DOES the sports pack offer?

Here is the Sports Pack lineup.

DIRECTV - SPORTS PACK

I think they will adding the Mountain this fall, as well.

[CloneAggie]

Not sure the zip code thing is accurate. I entered in the zip code for College Station, and it said:

GOOD NEWS! Fox College Sports is currently offered by Suddenlink Communications in your area. If you don’t have digital cable or need to upgrade, please contact Suddenlink Communications directly.

But when I wend to Suddenlink's page, it isn't listed as one of the channels, and the game isn't listed on TV Guide for any of Suddenlink's channels. So, don't necessarily trust the zip code thing.

[tejasclone]

So after doing some poking around, it seems that Fox College Sports are channels that are exclusive to digital cable. The Atlantic, Central, and Pacific FCS channels are programmed from different feeds of the regular FSN channels, and intended to serve as a way for cable subscribers to receive all the same programming that satellite subscribers can receive if they purchase the sports pack.

Thus, I have concluded that DirecTV and Dish subscribers SHOULD be able to catch the SDSU game if you subscribe to a Sports Pack, and it should show up on one of those channels somewhere, somehow.

However, I am not at all confident of this conclusion, and I am not sure why this is all so complicated. ISU announced that the game would be on FCS and Clone Zone, and stated that FCS would be available on DirecTV on channel 617. There was never any mention of an FSN feed.

[CycloneErik]

My understanding is that Fox College Sports Central, which will carry the South Dakota State game, is available on DirecTV on channel 617. This channel does appear on their website as part of the Sports Pack, but others on this site have suggested that Fox College Sports will show up on their on-screen guide when "something is on."

Yesterday, I called DirecTV and asked about getting access to Fox College Sports Central down here in Texas. I was told that the channels in the Sports Pack are only available in your region, so if a game is on FCS Central in Iowa and you subscribe to the Sports Pack, the game will be available. I'm thinking that means that FCS Central is not available to me in Central Texas on DirecTV.

FoxSports.com has a feature where you can put in your zip code and it shows you the local providers that carry FCS. All the providers in my area are cable companies... and I moved on from cable last winter (Time Warner is basically Mediacom, just bigger). I'm beginning to think I'm SOL on this one and will have to subscribe to the Clone Zone for a week so I can watch. Pretty lame, too -- I was excited that I'd be able to watch the opener on an actual TV.

Anyone else having this problem?

Are you using a laptop? If so, maybe a VGA connection to your TV. It's not perfect, but at least you get a little bit more screen size (unless you have a huuuuuge laptop computer).

[tejasclone]

Are you using a laptop? If so, maybe a VGA connection to your TV. It's not perfect, but at least you get a little bit more screen size (unless you have a huuuuuge laptop computer).

But doesn't the Clone Zone stream at only one resolution? It's been a year since I watched the Toledo game, but I seem to remember that you couldn't resize the window. If I connect a laptop to a TV, it will blow up a small resolution on a big monitor, and pixelate like hell. But I can't remember for sure.

[yannballer]

I am putting trust into cyclones.com saying that it would be on direct tv channel 617. I really hope its there because I signed up for the sports pack for the SDSU and the UNLV games, and hopefully for a FSN showing down the road! The guy at direct tv told me the channel only shows up when its supposed to, like what has been said before.

[tejasclone]

I am putting trust into cyclones.com saying that it would be on direct tv channel 617. I really hope its there because I signed up for the sports pack for the SDSU and the UNLV games, and hopefully for a FSN showing down the road! The guy at direct tv told me the channel only shows up when its supposed to, like what has been said before.

Thanks, I sure hope you're right. I just want to watch some football!

[yannballer]

Thanks, I sure hope you're right. I just want to watch some football!

Same here, my wife is starting grad school this fall so she let me get ESPN gameplan and I signed up for the sports pack without her knowledge. I am really excited for the clones this year but I am I also ready to watch a ton of football this fall!!!

[Aclone]

I have DishNetwork.. do i need to pay extra to see this game? Or is it in the list to watch, since it's a local team? I'm in eastern iowa if that helps..

After looking at the list online (dishnetwork.com), apparently Dish doesn't get Fox College Sports Central.