Desperate times: Different ways to watch BC's game on the Pac 12 Network

I and most of you won't be able to watch BC's game against USC in our homes. If this were 1978 I'd understand, but inexplicably this is an issue in 2013. We have a million channels and a million ways to watch a game, yet this likely prime time game against a traditional power will be very hard to see. And it is all because of the stupid Pac 12 Network is carrying the game. These conference networks might be cash cows and security for the conferences, but the pissing matches they go through to get carriage is painful to fans like me. I am willing to pay to watch this game, but likely won't have that option. So what is real BC fan to do?

Fly to the game
Although I wanted to see BC in the L.A. Coliseum, I hadn't planned on going. As those of you with young kids understand, time and money is always an issue for indulgent trips. But when the TV schedule came out, I felt differently. Maybe I should go! I don't care if both teams suck, this is a chance to see USC in the Coliseum live. If your schedule and commitments are a little more flexible, I would recommend going. This is a rare opponent and a cool road trip. Use the Pac 12 Network as an excuse and enjoy yourself. As for myself...maybe I can sell some blood or pawn my Spaz memorabilia collection. How much do you think a game used Spaz yellow towel is going for on eBay?

Go to a GameWatch
I am the ultimate hypocrite when it comes to GameWatches. I post the Watch list every week but never go to the Atlanta ones. The kids are my current excuse, but I wasn't all that fun to watch a game with before I had children. I am really bad in sports bars, because I don't want to small talk and I hate not hearing what is going on in the game. I am tense during any BC game (less so during the Spaz years) and often pace. That's harder to pull off in a crowded bar. Walking around in front of fellow BC fans muttering to myself would just confirm to most of you that I am a lunatic. If I have to resort to a bar this fall, I will try to be on my best behavior.

Use someone else's cable/internet login
This game will not be accessible online to just anyone. Instead it will only be available through providers that have a deal with the Pac 12 network. Most of you know someone on the West Coast. Now you just need to lay the groundwork over the next two months so when you pop the "can I use your login" question it doesn't seem weird or out of the blue. My grandmother lives in California and has cable. She doesn't understand the blog or how half of this stuff works. I may be crazy but I think I can conference her in on a call to her cable company and figure out how to get the game online in her name.

Listen to Meter's radio call online
That would be real desperation.*

Kidnapping TV execs or even just your local DirecTV installer
Find someone tied to your TV provider and hold them hostage. Don't demand money. Don't demand leniency. Just ask for the ability to watch the game. Don't hurt anyone and turn yourself in after the game. If you behave in jail, you can probably get out by the time Addazio has the team bowl eligible.

*Meter does call a good game. 

BCS changes and what it means for BC

The BCS meetings start this week and plenty of changes are being reviewed. While the degree of change is unknown, the direction of the meetings is great news for BC.

Semifinals Call it a Plus+1. Call it a playoff. It doesn't matter. It seems like there is finally consensus to have have a mini-postseason. A four team playoff will still be a political nightmare that would nearly always exclude a team like BC, but it is a start. Once Pandora's Box is open, the 4-team playoff will expand to an 8 or 16 team playoff. That format would give BC hope.

Home playoff games The bowls are fighting hard, but it looks like some portion of the playoff would be on campus. That would be huge for a team like BC. Bowls are never really neutral sites for us. We always travel far and don't bring fans. I know a home playoff game will be a rare occurrence at Alumni, but it is still better than playing in an empty pro stadium. I also think that home playoff games will lead to home Conference Championship games. Do you think 2007 and 2008 might have been different if the ACC Championship games were played at BC?

Minimizing the importance of "travel reputation" This movement sounds like it will kill the lower tier bowls. It also sounds like all ADs are tired of buying huge blocks of tickets. That means that the non-playoff bowl games that remain will need good TV. BC -- when playing well -- is a great TV draw. The culling of the smaller bowls, might mean BC plays in fewer bowls, but does anyone really care? I think excitement and travel related to a bowl would improve if it was a true honor.

More shared money The playoffs will mean more money. It will also be more evenly split among the major conferences. That's great news from BC and could allow us to upgrade our facilities.

The ACC sent Georgia Tech's Dan Radakovich as its representative so Gene won't have a seat at the table this week. But I hope he is a strong supporter of playoffs. It is the only solution for BC. And one day we will have a coach who can get us to the playoffs again.

Reading the tea leaves on Big Ten hockey

The BCI crew took note of Penn State adding hockey and how it will impact BC. Their fear is that the money generated by Big Ten hockey via the Big Ten Network would give those six schools a huge advantage over traditional power conferences like the Hockey East. I actually think Big Ten Hockey helps BC. Let me explain:

-- The Big Ten is not done expanding. Despite the relative calm now that they've added Nebraska, I don't believe the Big Ten is done expanding. The Big XII is still in a precarious position as is the Big East and the Big Ten is in the catbird seat because of their TV money. When the next conference shuffle comes, the Big Ten will be influencing much of who goes where.
-- If hockey becomes a focus of the Big Ten Network, hockey programs will be needed too. Football will always drive the conversation and the network's revenue. Basketball is next. But hockey could become a lucrative staple of the cable network. So in looking for expansion candidates, you will be hard to pressed to find someone who does all three better than BC. What candidate, other than Notre Dame, would offer the Big Ten those three elements?
-- BC is still a better TV play than most schools out there.
Our ratings are strong on a local level and on a national level (for a non traditional power). The Big Ten has little market presence in New England or on New England cable systems (as a premium channel). BC would help on that front.

Now, I don't think the Big Ten officials are huddled in Chicago thinking "how can we get BC to defect?." They would never add us as a stand alone 13th team. But the hockey factor makes us that much more attractive as a school that might join with one or three other universities.

Despite our comfort in the ACC and being a founding member of Hockey East, BC would certainly entertain the idea. I know Father Leahy and Gene D dread the idea of going through another conference shuffle, but they also fear the idea of BC being part of a leftover conference. Money is important to the school but so is association. If we can have a financially stable conference and still be associated with Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia, etc, I think BC would gladly stay put. But if BC is left in a conference with the Big East retreads, the school wouldn't think twice about joining the Big Ten.

Coverage maps for FSU

For those of you who have scrambled to see games, this is your weekend. Through ABC and ESPN's mirror coverage system, most of you can see the game without jumping through hoops. The west coast fans are out of luck, but that is just a better reason to attend a Game Watch.

The downside of ESPN360

As most of you know by now, the Wake Forest game will be on ESPN360 at 2 PM. Regardless of the spin, this is a step back. Since joining the ACC, every conference game has been on some form of television. Now ESPN U or Raycom meant many BC fans could not see the games, but those games still received full television production. The last BC conference game not on television was Pitt in 2003! We are in an age of unlimited channels. This shouldn't be happening.

ESPN360 is great advancement for the Kent State or Northeastern type games. I'd much rather watch an internet feed than listen to the radio stream (no offense Meter). The technology, consistency and quality of 360 is greatly improved than past years. The problem is that 360 has limited carriage and the transfer to full screens is not as good as a true TV broadcast.

Why are we relegated to 360? It is all about ESPN. Because of their expanded relationship with other conferences (Pac 10, SEC, and some of the lower levels) there are only so many TV slots to go around. The ACC doesn't have another alternate like the Big 10's network. BC is not the only ones subject to this situation. Clemson and Maryland both have attractive home dates that same Saturday that will also be on 360 too.

At this time the ACC really has no alternatives. I am sure an outlet like NESN would love to produce and broadcast the game, but that won't happen. ESPN won't release the games to anyone else. Since future weekends won't be so crowded, things will improve a bit as the season wears on. Coverage will also improve if BC keeps winning. They better keep winning or BC fans will keep whining.

Talking TV

I have received a few emails from readers who are excited about Comcast adding ESPN U to some basic cable tiers. That's good news for BC fans under any circumstances and this year is even more important with many of our games likely pushed to the U. But a bigger issue is on the horizon -- the ACC TV deal.

As you can read here, the SEC TV has set a precedent. The SEC deal also creates a problem for the ACC. The SEC cut a deal with ESPN first and therefore gobbled up value scheduling real estate and syndication partnerships. Now there is speculation that the ACC will partner with other conferences (perhaps the Pac 10 and/or Big 12) for some sort of network. We'll see if and how that would happen. No one is asking me, but instead of going the Big Ten route with a custom network, I would prefer the ACC leverage its assets and get a ESPN/broadcast/syndication package as close to the SEC's as possible.

It's not outlandish to think this could happen. The ACC has a few things over the SEC:
1. A more populous geography
2. More major TV markets
3. A better basketball product that translates better into national markets. As much as we tire of Duke-Carolina, that game gets huge ratings nationally. More than double any SEC basketball game would get.

As fans of BC and the ACC we shouldn't worry about access. We'll get to see more games on more channels regardless of how the negotiations work. But play attention to the $$$, since we want the conference to get as much money as possible. More money for the ACC means more money for BC and better sports for us.