It's Time For The Mountain West and ESPN to Kiss and Make Up

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

As I sit here listening to the BYU game on the internet I can't help but think about the mess that is the Mountain West Conference TV deal. The confusion and mess of this deal has been well documented so I will try and avoid too much of that. 

However, there is no time like the present to fix it.

Everyone knows how important a solid TV deal is when it comes to being a successful conference. The SEC is consistently one of the best conferences in the country, and it signed a record deal last year to televise their games. 

This means more recruits see them play, and more importantly, more reporters that vote on who the best teams are see them play. Personally I am sick and tired of hearing about the SEC, but you can't argue with the advantage it gives them.

USC is often held back by the fact that a lot of their games are televised late and do not get seen by a lot of people on the east coast. Not to mention the fact that the PAC-10 as a whole does not get much coverage or credit. 

Their new commissioner has talked extensively about improving that coverage and how that will help the image of the conference as a whole.

With all of the early season non-conference games the Mountain West has been playing it has been apparent how badly ESPN wants to televise their games. Unfortunately, they can only do that when it is not a home game for the Mountain West. 

Of the 12 non-home games in the MWC this season, ESPN has broadcast six of them.  Now obviously they don't have a lot of interest in the lower tier teams, but what station wants to broadcast lower tier teams in any conference.  They are even broadcasting the CSU vs. Idaho game tomorrow.

So why don't they just kiss and make up?

The answer—pride!

There may also be a small issue of a contract, but I would guess that if they wanted to bad enough the MWC could show that the Mtn. or whoever is actually in charge of the networks, hasn't fulfilled their end of the bargain. 

There will also come a time when that contract will be up, and the MWC should not renew it, unless they can include ESPN on the deal. 

I know this won't happen, because the powers that be don't want to just admit they were wrong. The sad thing is that it is the fans that get screwed. 

I loved seeing the early season games this year, and I hate being stuck listening on the radio. I don't even have the option of paying more to get the games. 

I guess I should be grateful though because in the past we only got to see one or two games a year, maybe three or four if you live in the area of your favorite team. 

There also used to be no way I could even listen to the radio over the Internet, and now I can get radio and real time stats.

So while I am grateful for the advances that have been made, I would love for the MWC to kiss and make up with ESPN so we can reach the status our conference deserves.

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