It has been released that five BSC teams have a bye week before playing the Viks this year. This has to be a conscious decision on the part of the league how else can so many teams have bye week opportunities throughout the conference season all before playing PSU? I haven't had a chance to review the whole schedule to see how other teams are affected but five byes relating to PSU opponents stretches common sense.
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Scheduling Conspiracy
- Thread starter VikNut
- Start date
GreenGiant
Active member
interesting.
bigskyconf
Active member
I'd say Sac State, Davis and Weber probably need the extra week. I don't know about Poly and Southern Utah, however.
For 2015 season two teams each faced two opponents coming off bye weeks, Weber State faced NAU and UCDavis and Cal Poly faced EWU and Sac State. Both teams split those games. And PSU gets five this year. Wonder if the three PSU opponents that don't have byes entering the game are all home games for them. Next research project.
CaseyOrourke
Active member
Go Viks just announced that the PSU-Eastern Washington game will be shown on Root-TV, which is good, but when you look at their schedule, the majority of their games still feature either Montana or Montana State, so as far as I'm concerned, they should just change their name to "The Mostly Montana Network" and be done with it.
It has to do with money, of course, though I wonder how. Located in the Rockies, they must sell more advertising there than they can in say Portland or Sacramento. In Montana everyone who can't go to the game turns the TV on. The same can't be said of Portland or Sacramento. The markets look bigger, but the actual audiences aren't. Maybe?
Wow, VikNut, that is unbelievable. I've already posted in the past about how inequitable scheduling is with regards to number of FCS opponents (which I know this is not the fault of the conference), but now this...
I looked at the schedules, and it appears that Montana State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, Weber and Northern Colorado all play one team coming off of a bye week. Northern Arizona plays two teams coming off of a bye week, and you're right, PSU plays FIVE. I agree, this is either a conscious decision on the part of the conference.
I looked at the schedules, and it appears that Montana State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, Weber and Northern Colorado all play one team coming off of a bye week. Northern Arizona plays two teams coming off of a bye week, and you're right, PSU plays FIVE. I agree, this is either a conscious decision on the part of the conference.
bigskyconf
Active member
pdxfan said:
ROOT is actually based in Seattle, but you are right in regards to the fanbases. More people tune in from Montana than anywhere else, and that is where most of their advertising comes in from. More Montana games means more Montana viewers means more Montana advertisers means more money. Montanans (Bobcat and Grizzly fans together) are more inclined to watch any game involving either Bobcats or the Grizzlies play than, say Cal Poly against Northern Arizona.
Same reason why they will show the Dam Cup as long as it doesn't interfere with the Cat-Griz game (Brawl of the Wild). Washington and Oregon is where ROOT's main viewership is located so showing the Dam Cup makes sense, although viewership for the Dam Cup does not even come close to viewership of the Brawl.
The Dam Cup is now set for Friday. Not sure when the game moved from Saturday to Friday but Friday is a killer for attendance, and traditionally a bad night for TV viewership. As far as money from the ROOT sports contract, I maintain that the Non-Montana schools suffer more damage from the increased exposure and the related perks associated with that exposure the Montana schools received than what little money flows to the rest of the conference members. I am not sure, but aren't all the Montana and M State games televised in the local market anyway? Root just piggybacks on those telecasts with "impartial" announcers?
bigskyconf
Active member
VikNut said:
Timbers moved the game as they wanted to make sure the Park is set for possible playoff games. The option was either move the game to Friday or keep it Saturday and play in Hillsboro. Also, having the game on Friday means ROOT can air it without any competition from UM/MSU.
ROOT does have first choice in what Big Sky games to show and once that is decided, the schools can open up any other games for any other networks, provided they set it up themselves. The Montana schools do this. North Dakota does the same with their Midwest Sports Network. The thing is the ROOT games do not cost the schools anything as ROOT has paid the conference for the rights to the games it airs. It would be nice if we could show some PSU games on CSN, especially when they are showing quite a few CAA games, but the costs are probably too high for us. I believe Comcast Sports Philly holds the rights to the CAA and then offers the telecast to the other Comcast Sports outlets across the country. CSN-NW showing PSU games may violate the terms of that agreement, but I don't know for sure.
So far the scheduling has gone 3 for 3, So Utah, Weber and Cal Poly all bagged wins coming off bye weeks. I honestly believe that this is a huge disadvantage facing PSU and at least contributes to or magnifies the Viks weak showing thus far. I predict that only Davis might not overcome the advantage. I fail to see how the conference allowed this to happen.
