CSU game not on TV

Just like the AFA game on the road, Wednesday CSU-BYU game will not be televised on the Mountain West’s TV network.

That does not go over well with BYU fans, many of which are losing interest in following the Cougars. “Just when you get involved in the race and how they’re doing, they disappear,” one BYU fan told me today. “I don’t have the Mtn, and I get tired of trying to find out when my daughter is going to be home (she does have The Mtn) so I can see a game only to learn it isn’t televised,” said the discouraged follower. “I’ve about given up on the whole deal.”

Understandable.

BYU folks were a little miffed last week when somebody from the Mnt network, in response to a fan email of why the AFA game in Colorado Springs was not on TV, said BYU had not asked for the rights to put it on KBYU-TV when it was not a chosen game to be aired by the league’s network.

In fact, BYU has had a standing request with the folks at the Mtn to do every Cougar game that is not included in the network coverage including last week’s AFA game.

This week, BYU made a formal request specifically to do the CSU game and put it up on BYU-TV which would reach 60 million TV sets. So far, the Mtn, folks have not responded.

It is understandable the network wants to equally distribute and cover every school. It is also understandable that if they grant BYU rights to do games, it might (and that’s a very big might) distract from the audience of a game that is broadcast by the Mtn.

Anyway, it is an interesting dance. BYU has made it clear, if Cougar games are not broadcast nationally as promised in the contract, they will do something about it in due time.

We shall see.