(11-21-2021 08:30 AM)schmolik Wrote:  Final Season Count:

Big 10: 30 (FOX 15, ABC 15)
Big 12: 21 (FOX 12, ABC 9)
SEC: 14 (All CBS)
Pac 12: 14 (FOX 10, ABC 4)
ACC: 8 (All ABC)
Notre Dame: 6 (All NBC)
AAC: 5 (ABC 4, CBS 1-Navy)
MWC: 3 (CBS)
BYU: 1 (ABC)

FOX: Big Ten 15, Big 12 12, Pac 12 10
ABC: Big Ten 15, Big 12 9, ACC 8, AAC 4, Pac 12 4, BYU 1

Stats from Matt Sarznyiak:

https://twitter.com/mattsarz/status/1462251975257509892

Of the 8 ACC games on ABC, only one (Georgia Tech-Clemson) was an official conference game and only two (Wake Forest-North Carolina the other) had two ACC teams.

https://mattsarzsports.com/Contract/Game...ZpKS07MKM8

Unofficial early count but I believe Notre Dame and Oklahoma will have 10 OTA games this year. Michigan and Ohio State will have nine each while Penn State will have eight. SEC teams are limited to five CBS games but can get non conference games on ABC/FOX and I remember Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Texas A&M all doing so at least once. Having six OTA games vs. even 8 for Big Ten teams has to be a bit of a disadvantage so the SEC probably can't wait until they are allowed to be on ABC.

Maybe the SEC, CBS, and ABC can strike some deals to allow SEC schools to air on ABC before the end of the current CBS and ESPN contracts. CBS allows ABC to air two (or a set number) of SEC games on SNF and gives them the first pick of games that week while CBS would retain the second pick those weeks and they will air in the usual SEC on CBS slot. Then two other weeks, CBS gets an additional prime time game and gets the first two picks those weeks (ESPN then can't air the SEC in prime time or 3:30pm those weeks). In the end, the SEC gets five prime time appearances on network TV (three on CBS, two on ABC) as opposed to one now. ESPN trades away two SEC on ESPN games for two SEC on ABC games. CBS gets two extra games (they can give back the noon doubleheader game that no one watches to compensate). The big winners are the SEC, especially the big names. Even if CBS is willing to give ABC one SNF game in exchange for an additional prime time game, that's still two extra SEC network prime time games.

Its worth noting that of the 21 FOX/ABC OTA nationally televised Big12 games, only 6 did not include either Texas or Oklahoma (not including the CCG). Additionally, of the 4 ABC OTA games in the AAC (not including the CCG)---2 involved teams moving to the Big12. BYU also had an ABC game this year (vs Boise). Thus, over the course of the regular 12 game season, the "new Big12" had 9 ABC/FOX OTA quality games in 2021 (along with numerous ESPN level games). Add to that arguably the best basketball league in FBS---and I suspect the Big12 can expect solid interest from the networks when it comes up for renewal. The idea that the Big12 is not a viable option to take over the CBS 2:30 Saturday slot is simply incorrect. I'd agree that the Big12 is likely not the CBS #1 option----but I suspect its the only option CBS would actually have a chance to win the bidding for. CBS is simply too frugal to win the Big10 or Pac12.

Frankly, I think the idea of a CBS-ESPN split makes a lot of sense for both ESPN and CBS. CBS gets a 16 game package where they get the number one pick each week----ESPN gets everything else spread out over ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN+. ESPN now has a 16 team SEC, a 14 team AAC, and a 14 team Sunbelt. They have more total inventory on 2023 than they do today. ESPN currently splits a 10 team Big12 with FOX. Under the CBS/ESPN split I propose, ESPN would end up with substantially more Big12 inventory than they have today. If the 5+1+6 playoff goes through---those Big12 conference race broadcasts will aways be meaningful games.