Big ratings for BC's bowl

The biggest sky is falling BC fan often worry about "the ACC kicking BC out of the conference." Even when BC looks inept, that won't happen. Why? Because of television. Look at what a 6-6 BC and 6-6 Maryland team did on a Monday afternoon after Christmas.

Remember the Quick Lane Bowl with Maryland and BC? It had cable's 4th biggest audience Monday (3.019M viewers) to MFN, MNF pre and MNF post.

— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) December 28, 2016

BC can't take credit for this alone. Maryland has a good TV footprint too (hence why they are in the Big Ten). BC also can't sit on their media market and not try to improve on the field and in marketing within Boston. Imagine what the ratings would be if BC was great and had a rabid following in the Boston area.

TV times for Duke and TV ratings for FSU

Friday night games might not be a hit with season ticket holders, but the concept works on TV. BC's game against Florida State drew a 2.3 overnight rating and was the highest rated Friday night game in three years. For years now BC has been a better TV draw than we are at the ticket counter. While some of it can be attributed to our far-flung alumni base, a lot of it is driven by viewers in Boston. Someone one day will figure out how to get all those local fans watching on TV into Alumni. 

Not surprisingly our good showing enticed Raycom to pick up the Duke game for their 3:30 slot. Like all regional ACC 3:30 games this will be a patchwork of local cable networks. In New England the game will be on NESN. Most everyone else will see it on their regional Fox Sports channel. 

VT gametime and other links

Our game against Virginia Tech will be a noon kickoff with a national TV audience. I think this is again a good confidence boost in our TV appeal. ESPN/ABC have not determined which actual network will carry the game yet. That will be decided after the North Carolina game.

In other encouraging TV news, our game against UNC is getting pretty good pick up on regional sports networks. The Tar Heels are 1-5 and still a regional team in football, so I don't think they can take credit for the game being shown out West or throughout the Midwest.

Surprisingly North Carolina remains a 7-point favorite in our game. I know we have a lot to prove, but I am surprised there remains that much confidence in a one-win team.

ESPN has us bowling but keeps us down in the Power Rankings.

Women's Hockey handled Dartmouth.

Women's Soccer tied Miami.

No assistant announcement coming, TV ratings and other links

Beyond Ryan Day there is still no official word on who will be part of Addazio's BC staff. I reached out to BC for some sort of confirmation on the various rumors and was told everything is still TBD.

If you're a frustrated BC fan and cannot understand why Notre Dame received a partial membership in the ACC, just look at this TV ratings chart. The resurgent Irish proved to be a solid TV draw throughout the season. If you look further into this listing you'll see that even in a very down year, BC held its own on the TV front.

If you want to get a feel for how College Presidents and ADs scramble during this conference shuffling, read what Cincinnati did in an attempt to join the ACC.

Local Atlanta FBS newbie Georgia State hired Jags as their OC. Jags has been through a lot professionally since he left. I hope he succeeds this time around.


Hockey East name Michael Matheson Co-Rockey of the Week.

Several Eagles are trying out for the MLS.

Kickoff time for Wake and other links

The ACC announced that BC's game at Wake Forest will be a 3:30 kickoff and carried on regional networks (probably the same ones that carried the Georgia Tech game). While I would prefer the ESPN channels, I am encouraged that even during a terrible season our games are getting broadcasts. It speaks to the lasting power of our BC's brand. Imagine what things would be like with aggressive Marketing?

Over the weekend Steve Donahue picked up a recruit for the 2013 class. Garland Owens is a wing player but does bring more of a slashing style of play to Donahue's offense. The idea of becoming a better shooter was one of BC's appeals.

 Hockey East voted Johnny Gaudreau its player of the week.

As everyone noted, the point spread for BC-Maryland has already had some funny shifts.

Ratings dissapoint for Kraft Bowl

One often overlooked asset of BC football is that we are a historically good TV draw. We have had high ratings on all ESPN platforms. Raycom usually jumps at the chance to broadcast our games. Up until this year our ability to spike TV ratings was the only silver lining to selecting BC in a bowl game. Maybe that isn't the case anymore. Ratings for the Kraft Bowl were down 65%. That is a huge drop. When you consider that the game was moved to January 9th and to a Sunday night the number should have been much better. Since BC was in both games, logic would point to the opponent as the driving force in the decline. USC is a great TV draw and Nevada, not so much. But if BC is going to take credit for the stellar ratings vs USC, than we have to take some of the blame for the stinker against Nevada.

The lack of Neilsen Eagle fans can be attributed to many things. I think the long layoff, the lack of storylines and the frustrating style of play turned off many casual BC fans. But there is also something to be said for how BC presents itself to its own fans. The constant lowering of expectations and playing up "the little engine that could" narrative grows stale or leaves BC fans wondering when are we ever going to get better. BC is quick to remind people of the turmoil of the Jags firing but like TOB touting the gambling scandal eventually it becomes a tired crutch. And a narrative, while important in selling a program to the media and recruits, doesn't make the product on the field any more exciting.

I think a new offensive coordinator and maturing team will win back some of BC's casual/TV only fans. But it is only a step. I think Gene needs to use his influence on Spaz to be more aggressive in his game management. Why should people watch if we keep playing it safe and not to lose. I also know it is hard for Spaz to be something he is not, but a little more optimism in his interviews would go a long way. His candid assessments at halftime would be charming if we were winning big. When you are barely over .500 they often come off as defeatist.

In the long run BC will always be a big market team that is an attractive TV partner. But I hope Gene works with ESPN and the ACC on how to make BC a better ratings generator. It our only hope to ever get into a decent bowl game.

Why is the Virginia Tech game kickoff time still not decided?

The Virginia Tech game is two weeks away and we still don't know the kickoff time. Complicating matters a little bit is that the game is also Parents Weekend, so you have thousands of people who want to plan their trip to Boston around the matchup. In an ideal world, ESPN and the ACC announce kickoff times two weeks prior to game day. However, the network reserves the right to use a shorter window when the outlook is a little more cloudy. This is where the under-performing ACC becomes an issue. If Virginia Tech had beaten James Madison last weekend, the BC-VT game probably would have been in prime time. Since VT lost, the game becomes less important and worthy of a noon slot on Raycom. But much to the ACC's chagrin, Georgia Tech and Florida State also fell on their faces this weekend. None of these ACC teams are likely to be ranked by September 25. No ranking makes them less desirable to the casual fan. It will all be decided by next Sunday morning, but this is my guess of how it will play out.

If Virginia Tech beats East Carolina... BC vs VT will be a 3:30 regional game on ABC. They can dump it on a few ACC markets and get a decent rating. This is where I predict we will play.

If NC State wins Thursday and Georgia Tech wins Saturday... GT vs NCSU will be in prime time. If one loses prior to the game they are probably still prime time. If both lose, they are probably going to the 3:30 slot and BC is back in prime time.

If Wake or Florida State lose...they will probably be on Raycom at noon. Both have very tough games. Neither will be ranked and neither have any household names that might be casual TV draws.

So final prediction:
ESPN Prime Time: Georgia Tech vs NC State
ABC 3:30: BC vs Virginia Tech
Raycom: Wake Forest vs Florida State

Did the ACC help Notre Dame stay independent?

While ACC noticed, the college football world hasn't really made much of FOX's attempt to land the ACC. It should be a big deal that there is a new player willing to spend money. I am sure the Pac 10 and Big XII are now planning on FOX to open up the checkbook for them. However, I think a different program will benefit...Notre Dame.

One of FOX's objectives was a national Saturday game. Much of their fall Saturday's have afternoon baseball, so a national game would probably have to have a noon ET start time. The ACC could have accommodated that. The Pac 10 could not. The Big XII might but that means a lot of 11:00 am local starts. Notre Dame -- even with South Bend's funky timezone thing -- probably would be willing to play games at noon. It wouldn't be the same exposure they get from NBC, but money talks. If FOX pays the Irish in the neighborhood of the ACC's $17 million I am sure ND will play the early game Saturday.

If the ACC had taken the FOX offer, I doubt ESPN would have broken the bank for the Irish. They have enough content and get enough Notre Dame via their road games against other schools.

With FOX as a free partner with deep pockets, Notre Dame can either move or leverage the interest to get more money out of NBC. A decent contract will placate those around Notre Dame who want the Big Ten's money.

What does this all mean for BC? If Notre Dame joins another conference, we will probably never get back on their schedule. As long as they remain independent, they will have to talk to us...especially if there is pressure from their TV partners to find attractive, and proven ratings grabbing opponents.

Reading too much into the tickets video and other links

Since it won't allow me to embed, go to the BC website to check out the new video promoting ticket sales (I'll wait). Are you back? Good. The video is well done and pretty typical. It features Harris and Castonzo and teases Herzy's return at the very end. Did you notice who was missing? Our returning, starting QB. I am probably reading too much into it, but it is very surprising to ignore your QB in a highlight video...especially when he is returning. In my mind this is just another sign that the QB depth chart is wide open and we may not see Shinskie starting by the time we play an ACC opponent.

The ACC might not sell the most tickets or travel well, but as a conference we drive ratings. Check out this article. It makes me think that even in a down economy the ACC has real bargaining power with the latest round of TV talks.

These are the reasons HD is excited about the new football season.

Brady Heslip will visit Oregon this weekend.

The Pac 10 and the Big XII are considering some sort of TV alliance that would pool their market power and potentially form a network. Where is the ACC when all of this is going on?

Donahue's staff has interest in prep schooler Aaron Cosby.

BC is hoping to hit the St. Xavier (Kentucky) pipeline again with Daylen Hall.

This is an interesting story regarding Mike McLaughlin's decision to sign with Baltimore. Although they didn't draft him, they recruited him hard. Let's hope it proves to be a good fit.

Once again BC tops TV ratings

Per ESPN's tweet, the Emerald Bowl was the highest rated game of the weekend. USC certainly helped, but one thing that is consistent in all of our bowls, is that BC brings in the eyeballs. Now if we can ever convert that into tickets...

Pete Carroll rebuilding other links

Pete Carroll is hoping to use the Emerald Bowl as a new spring practice and hoping to reenergize his team. I don't know if that is good news or bad news for BC.

Chris Crane is part of the new Arena Football League. His former teammate Jolonn Dunbar's season is over now that he has been put on injured reserve.

The Band/Bowl controversy is now getting mainstream media attention (LA Times, Globe).

BC grad Joe Joe Tessitore will be the play-by-play man for our bowl. Joe does a great job and I am sure he won't let his alumni status impact his calls.

BC might not be the best at selling bowl tickets, but look what happens to the TV ratings when we are not around. This has to be a major disappointment to ABC/ESPN and the ACC as the game was moved to prime time to help ratings.

Finally, here is a better version of Jackson's dunk.

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.

Raycom, ESPN U, and ESPN: what's the story?

In the comments section on my prior post LA Eagle voiced a gripe that many BC fans have had this year: "what's with all the Raycom and ESPN U games this year?"

It is really not BC's fault. It is more a product of how things work.

Who holds the rights?
As part of the ACC's deal with ESPN, ABC/ESPN get the first two selections of any ACC home games. One is for ESPN. One is for the 3:30 regional game on ABC. Raycom gets the third choice. After they select, the rights revert back to ESPN. They can put it on ESPN U, Classic, 360, whatever. Road games are subject to the home team's TV deal. For example, all Notre Dame home games are on NBC. The SEC has a deal similar to the ACC where CBS, ESPN and Raycom are all involved. The MAC has a deal with ESPN, so the Kent State game was their property.

How are games selected?
Outside of the first two weeks of the season and non-Saturday matchups, most games are selected two weeks prior to kickoff. Even with that window, there is a tentative schedule produced in advance with built in contigencies ("if X beats Y, then the X-Z game will be on ESPN at noon"). These schedules are built around ratings, not records or rankings. However, records and rankings influence ratings. For example, BC and Clemson both bring certain fans to the table regardless of record. That baseline assures some TV coverage. If both teams are playing well you can draw in casual college football fans. If one team is in the dumps it drags ratings.

What happened this year?
BC's relegation to the mid and lower levels of the ACC TV package is more a product of perception, Raycom's love of BC, and the condition of the conference. Look at the case by case example:

• Kent State -- ESPN U: When BC agreed to play Kent State, the game was probably going to be the Thursday before Labor Day at Kent State on ESPN 2. Then the Browns/Cleveland got involved and wanted the game played in Cleveland on Saturday night. ESPN/ESPN 2 had better options so we were moved to ESPN U. If not for BC's involvement, this game is not even carried on TV.
• Georgia Tech -- Raycom. Decided before the season. Both teams were likely to be unranked so ESPN passed. Raycom jumped at the chance to have BC back on their schedule after two seasons without Eagles football.
• Central Florida -- ESPN U. Decided after the Georgia Tech loss. This is where momentum and perception come into play. If BC beats Georgia Tech and enters the polls earlier in the season, this game might have been on ESPN or ESPN 2.
• Rhode Island -- ESPN 360. This is the one game where the ESPN deal hurts fans. If ESPN doesn't hold on to the rights, NESN or another New England broadcaster could have picked this up. It occasionally happened when we played the "good for New England" game as members of the Big East.
• NC State -- Raycom. This is where the Raycom love and the underperforming opponent come into play. If NC State had a better record ESPN would have grabbed this for the "TOB vs. BC" angle. Raycom gladly took it and the game performed well for them.
• Virginia Tech -- ESPN 2. When we are good and facing a good team we get primetime spots on national networks.
• North Carolina -- Raycom. This is where the two weeks scheduling hurts. I bet that ESPN/ABC selected the Virginia Tech-Florida State game assuming the Hokies would beat us. And even with our win, it could be argued that VT-FSU is a matchup with broader appeal. Raycom is happy...they get BC again.
• Clemson -- ESPN U. Clemson is in a nose dive now. If they were ranked this game would be on one of the bigger networks.

As for the rest of the schedule. Notre Dame and Florida State will get good coverage. Maryland and Wake depend on how we play. If we remain ranked and at the top of the division those games will be on ESPN/ABC.

When you step back, the whole system seems overly complicated. But diehards should be happy. We are in an age where every game is accessible from anywhere in the country. That is an improvement over just five years ago when I'd often be stuck listening to the radio stream online and periodically getting dropped or buffered during the broadcast.

The key for all BC fans is to get ESPN U. ESPN just signed the SEC to a deal that froze out Raycom. I predict they will do the same with the ACC. Once that happens everything will stay within the ESPN family.

Kent State game will be televised!

Fear not those who cannot get to Cleveland for Labor Day weekend, the Kent State game will be on TV. The game is set for prime time on ESPN U.

I know some die hard sports fans hoped to create their own baseball/football double header by going to the Indians game too. The Tribe plays Seattle at 3:55 PM. You could probably catch seven innings before having to walk over to the Browns stadium in time for kickoff.

One more observation...with all the talk of conferences creating their own networks, there hasn't been much speculation about the ACC. At this point I don't think it is needed. We have the ACC network -- it's called ESPN U. They seemingly pick up any ACC football or basketball game they can get their hands on.

BC continues to dominate TV ratings

BC fans are constantly reminded about our travel woes, but no one ever mentions our great TV ratings. We consistently break ratings records in our bowl games. When we were on the Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot package in 2005 the ACC syndicator had its best season ever (things were so good that ESPN hasn't allowed us to slip down to the JP game since). Further documentation:

Boston College's 14-10 win at Virginia Tech on Oct. 25 was the highest-rated Thursday night game ever on ESPN.

And that game went head to head with a Red Sox World Series game. If the Red Sox hadn't been playing we would have put up an even bigger number.

A few other notes from the article...
-- The nine game ACC football season was tabled for now
-- The GMAC Bowl in Mobile will be in the mix for future ACC teams