JimBob
12-09-2007, 01:13 PM
Insight Bowl may not be shown locally
By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer
12/9/2007
Last season's Insight Bowl matchup between Texas Tech and Minnesota was one of the most exciting bowl games of the season.
Unfortunately, most of the country was unable to watch it.
The Red Raiders' 44-41 overtime victory, after they trailed 38-7, was televised on the NFL Network. The channel owned and operated by the National Football League has limited availability to cable televisions systems nationwide. But it is available to subscribers of DirecTV and Dish Network satellite systems.
Many Oklahoma State football fans could face the same problem this year. The Cowboys play Indiana in this year's Insight Bowl on Dec. 31.
The cable systems in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Cox Communications, offer the NFL Network to its digital cable subscribers as part of its sports and information package.
But subscribers to Suddenlink Cable System in Stillwater and other smaller Oklahoma towns are out of luck. They do not carry the channel.
OSU athletic director Mike Holder said it is an issue for fans who will not be attending the game in Arizona.
"I've had some e-mails. Not an inordinate number, but I've had some who are concerned about it," Holder said.
Insight Bowl officials are negotiating with the NFL Network to allow over-the-air television stations in Oklahoma and Indiana to show the game. The officials hope a resolution can be reached sometime this week. A similar arrangement was reached for the Lubbock, Texas, and Minneapolis Minn., market for last year's game.
Jay Fields, Insight Bowl director of marketing, said it is a high priority to ensure the game reaches the biggest audience possible.
"That's very important to us," said.
The Insight Bowl is in its second year of an eight-year contract with the NFL Network to televise its game. Prior to last year's game, ESPN had televised the bowl for 14 straight years.
"It was a tough decision for us to leave ESPN. We had a great run with ESPN, and we have a lot of respect what ESPN does for college football," Fields said. "But at the end of the day, we've got to run our business. The NFL Network came to us with an offer we could not refuse."
The NFL Network shows just two college games, the Insight Bowl and the Texas Bowl.
Like the Insight Bowl, the Houston-based Texas Bowl also has the opportunity to select a Big 12 Conference team each year.
Fields said while its current television partner is heavily devoted to professional football, the promotion NFL Network provides the Insight Bowl is considerably greater than it was on ESPN.
The ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC) will televise 23 of this year's 32 bowl games.
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By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer
12/9/2007
Last season's Insight Bowl matchup between Texas Tech and Minnesota was one of the most exciting bowl games of the season.
Unfortunately, most of the country was unable to watch it.
The Red Raiders' 44-41 overtime victory, after they trailed 38-7, was televised on the NFL Network. The channel owned and operated by the National Football League has limited availability to cable televisions systems nationwide. But it is available to subscribers of DirecTV and Dish Network satellite systems.
Many Oklahoma State football fans could face the same problem this year. The Cowboys play Indiana in this year's Insight Bowl on Dec. 31.
The cable systems in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Cox Communications, offer the NFL Network to its digital cable subscribers as part of its sports and information package.
But subscribers to Suddenlink Cable System in Stillwater and other smaller Oklahoma towns are out of luck. They do not carry the channel.
OSU athletic director Mike Holder said it is an issue for fans who will not be attending the game in Arizona.
"I've had some e-mails. Not an inordinate number, but I've had some who are concerned about it," Holder said.
Insight Bowl officials are negotiating with the NFL Network to allow over-the-air television stations in Oklahoma and Indiana to show the game. The officials hope a resolution can be reached sometime this week. A similar arrangement was reached for the Lubbock, Texas, and Minneapolis Minn., market for last year's game.
Jay Fields, Insight Bowl director of marketing, said it is a high priority to ensure the game reaches the biggest audience possible.
"That's very important to us," said.
The Insight Bowl is in its second year of an eight-year contract with the NFL Network to televise its game. Prior to last year's game, ESPN had televised the bowl for 14 straight years.
"It was a tough decision for us to leave ESPN. We had a great run with ESPN, and we have a lot of respect what ESPN does for college football," Fields said. "But at the end of the day, we've got to run our business. The NFL Network came to us with an offer we could not refuse."
The NFL Network shows just two college games, the Insight Bowl and the Texas Bowl.
Like the Insight Bowl, the Houston-based Texas Bowl also has the opportunity to select a Big 12 Conference team each year.
Fields said while its current television partner is heavily devoted to professional football, the promotion NFL Network provides the Insight Bowl is considerably greater than it was on ESPN.
The ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC) will televise 23 of this year's 32 bowl games.
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