(06-16-2011 06:20 PM)T_Won1 Wrote: The "potential" is there... and the TV networks love "potential" when you're talking little schools.
No, television has great stacks of data that reveal the interest in such schools. Decades of data on Houston, Rice, SMU, TCU, Cincinnati, Louisville, UCF, USF, FIU, FAU, UNLV, San Diego State, Tulane, Memphis, UAB, Pitt, Georgia Tech, San Jose, Washington, USC, UCLA, Cal, Arizona State, etc.
The only blockbusters in large market teams have been USC, UCLA, and arguably Arizona State. Pitt, Louisville, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech are good draws but of them only Louisville has any hope of out-drawing a telecast of their less urbane in-state neighbor and if it is conference play UK is out-drawing them unless they are playing Ole Miss, Miss St, or Vandy.
ESPN does not go to the WAC, MAC, Sun Belt because of the drawing power of the schools, they go to them based on a willingness to play on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, or to take ESPNU telecasts on Thursday, Friday, or here and there on Saturday.
There are a certain number of slots to fill on those dates and ESPN will fill them and pay for them based on the slight ratings differences the schools offer and the level of cooperation the schools offer in taking those undesired dates. ESPN would be more interested in Montana than UTSA or Texas State that shows the level of brand awareness and audience.