One of the major topics in recent weeks for Big 12 fans has been the frustration with the coverage of the league from ESPN, one of the two major TV partners of the Big 12 Conference.
Heartland College Sports has learned from sources that Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark called ESPN personally and “put a lot of pressure on the network to fix the way they spoke and showcased the Big 12 Conference”.
Coverage of the Big 12 by ESPN, most notably its flagship program College GameDay, has been sparse for most of the season. And then came Desmond Howard’s egregious mistake in early November, when he acted surprised as to why the panel was picking the K-State vs. Arizona State game, which had clear Big 12 implications two weeks ago.
Howard and the entire College GameDay show took a lot of flack from Big 12 diehards, who already felt like their league was getting overlooked by the show. The show has also not attended a single Big 12 Conference game this season, as the show has opted for a heavy SEC schedule this season.
Granted, ESPN does own all of the SEC football rights starting this season, it’s important to note it still has a huge involvement in the Big 12, despite the recent lack of coverage.
Week 14 Shift in Big 12 Coverage
There was a noticeable shift in tenor and tone during the Week 14 broadcast from College Station. There was Nick Saban talking extensively about Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, saying, “That’s gotta be my favorite player in college football, man. This guy is rugged and tough, and I just love a great competitor, and he’s all that.”
It’s been quite a 14-day turnaround for the show’s coverage of the conference. And considering Arizona State has the best odds in the Big 12 to make the College Football Playoff, it’s nice to see the program get some attention.
In the meantime, the Big 12 gets set for a huge Saturday with several teams still in contention for a Big 12 Championship Game appearance.
