CSNbbs

Between ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Plus/ESPNU/ESPN Classic there are 34 appearances by MAC teams currently scheduled for this upcoming season. More games are expected to be announced.

<a href='http://www.macreportonline.com/espn_national_telecast_schedule_.htm' target='_blank'>Official Press Release and Listing of Games</a>

<a href='http://mac-sports.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061605aaa.html' target='_blank'>http://mac-sports.collegesports.com/sports.../061605aaa.html</a>


CLEVELAND - The Mid-American Conference will expand its national exposure for its 13 member football programs this year as ESPN today announced its inaugural lineup for the 2005 season.

A total of 24 games involving a MAC institution will be televised by either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Plus or ESPN Classic according to the release from ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, Conn. The 24 games add up to 34 appearances by MAC institutions on the ESPN branded networks.

Additional MAC contests on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU are expected to be announced at a later date, as is the schedule for the MAC Game of the Week.

Of the 24 contests, 21 are regular season meetings and three are post season - the MAC Championship game (Dec. 1), the GMAC Bowl (Dec. 21) and the Motor City Bowl (Dec. 26). Nine of the 21 regular season telecasts involve conference games, including long standing MAC rivalries such as Miami at Ohio (82nd meeting), Toledo at Bowling Green (70th meeting) and Kent State at Akron (48th meeting).

The non-conference match ups feature eight games between MAC and Big Ten opponents. The top five teams in the 2004 Big Ten standings all host MAC schools the first three weeks in the season.

Four games have MAC schools battling defending league champions with Ball State at co-Big Ten Champion Iowa (Sep. 3, ESPN Plus), Ohio at defending ACC Champion Virginia Tech (Sept. 17, ESPNU), Eastern Michigan at co-Big Ten title holder Michigan (Sep. 17, ESPNU/ESPN Plus) and Bowling Green at WAC Champion Boise State (Sep. 21, ESPN2).

The opening weekend features four games in addition to the previously announced ESPN telecast of the Bowling Green at Wisconsin contest.

The season will kickoff on Friday, Sept. 2, when Central Michigan will host Indiana in the Hoosiers' debut under former Miami head coach Terry Hoeppner. It will be the first-ever nationally televised game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

MAC schools will face two Big Ten foes on back-to-back weekends as Bowling Green (Sept. 3, ESPN) and Temple (Sept. 10, ESPNU) are at Wisconsin; and Ohio (Sept. 3, ESPNU) and Northern Illinois (Sept. 10, ESPN Classic) are at Northwestern. The opening weekend also features two ESPN Plus games with Ball State at Iowa and Kent State at Michigan State on Sept. 3.

Date Game Network Time (ET)
Sep. 2 Indiana at Central Michigan ESPNU 7:30 pm
Sep. 3 Bowling Green at Wisconsin ESPN Noon
Sep. 3 Ball State at Iowa ESPN Plus Noon
Sep. 3 Kent State at Michigan State ESPN Plus Noon
Sep. 3 Ohio at Northwestern ESPNU Noon
Sep. 10 Temple at Wisconsin ESPNU/ESPN Plus Noon
Sep. 10 Northern Illinois at Northwestern ESPN Classic 4:00 pm
Sep. 17 Eastern Michigan at Michigan ESPNU/ESPN Plus Noon
Sep. 17 Ohio at Virginia Tech ESPNU 3:30 pm
Sep. 21 Bowling Green at Boise State ESPN2 8:00 pm
Sep. 27 Toledo at Fresno State ESPN2 9:00 pm
Sep. 28 Cincinnati at Miami ESPN2 7:00 pm
Oct. 5 Miami at Northern Illinois ESPN2 7:30 pm
Nov. 4 Toledo at Ohio ESPN2 8:00 pm
Nov. 15 Bowling Green at Miami ESPN2 7:00 pm
Nov. 15 Ohio at Akron ESPNU 7:30 pm
Nov. 16 Northern Illinois at Toledo ESPN2 7:30 pm
Nov. 21 Miami at Ohio ESPNU 7:30 pm
Nov. 22 Toledo at Bowling Green ESPN2 7:00 pm
Nov. 23 Western Michigan at Northern Illinois ESPN2 1:30 pm
Nov. 24 Kent State at Akron ESPN2 or ESPNU 10:00 am
Dec. 1 MAC Championship Game ESPN 7:30 pm
Dec. 21 GMAC Bowl ESPN 8:00 pm
Dec. 26 Motor City Bowl ESPN 4:00 pm

Ok It is settled.......I have to get The U. - Is that 5 and perhaps 6(Pittsburgh) games on national tv for the Ohio Bobcats football team. This will be the most exciting college football season ever. I'm loving this tv package....And to think that FSN Ohio might want us for a game or two and ONN usually shows a couple Ohio games a year. I'm thinking 8-9 games perhaps of tv overall for Ohio. Thank you thank you thank you very much. :) :) :) :)

Ohio gets 5 games.....are you kidding me? Nothing against you guys but c'mon. I guess they had to pull the September 1st UB/Connecticut game off the air in order to make room on the schedule for one more Ohio game. That ain't right.

zrb2 Wrote:Ohio gets 5 games.....are you kidding me? Nothing against you guys but c'mon. I guess they had to pull the September 1st UB/Connecticut game off the air in order to make room on the schedule for one more Ohio game. That ain't right.

Circle your calenders. October 29. Ohio will lose at Buffalo!

We got six games because we may have a competitive team and play a very tough schedule that merits tv. The opponets we play helped us get that schedule. And the fact that Ohio is a big draw. We haven't had a winner, but Ohio University is one of the more bankable names in the MAC just by the numbers of alumni. This is tv folks. Espn knows that Ohio has a huge alumni base that is very excited about this coming season. Northwestern, Pitt, and Va Tech will be on tv every week. Toledo and Miami are MAC powers and earned tv spots. Akron is improving and just had Charlie Frey become QB of the Browns. These are all very good or competitive football programs. Ohio has a scenic campus that tv people like. Plus the fact that just about every tv station in the country has an Ohio grad at the controls helps. Matt Lauer(NBC), Leon Harris(CNN) are just a start big names that are Ohio alumni in tv. We spent some cash on Solich and scheduled like an elite team would. UB spends little on sports and plays a weaker OOC schedule. I see Miami, Toledo, or BGSU, or NIU also getting 5-6 games or more too. We are lifting the MAC up to the next level by hiring Solich and playing this kind of schedule. Va Tech instead of VMI. This is progress for the MAC. If UB is in envy of other the MAC schools getting more tv time, then perhaps the A-10 should be your destination. You won't see the A-10 on espn, espn 2, or the U. This is a major football conference now and UB needs to step it up if they want what the other MAC programs got. Remember, even Ohio has five MAC football titles, 9 regular season basketball titles, 4 Mac tourneyment titles. UB has none. We are a charter member of the MAC with Miami. We put in our time and have a long tradition. Our game with Miami is an historic MAC rivalry. 82nd meeting this year. Its only natural that this game be televised. College football is about tradition and rivalries. We've been in the MAC almost 60 years now. Buffalo has been here 7 years and still no rings or banners. We beat UB 34-0 on the football field this past season and three times in hoops. And we own UB more than any other school in MAC hoops.

OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:We got six games because we may have a competitive team and play a very tough schedule that merits tv. The opponets we play helped us get that schedule. And the fact that Ohio is a big draw. We haven't had a winner, but Ohio University is one of the more bankable names in the MAC just by the numbers of alumni. This is tv folks. Espn knows that Ohio has a huge alumni base that is very excited about this coming season. Northwestern, Pitt, and Va Tech will be on tv every week. Toledo and Miami are MAC powers and earned tv spots. Akron is improving and just had Charlie Frey become QB of the Browns. These are all very good or competitive football programs. Ohio has a scenic campus that tv people like. Plus the fact that just about every tv station in the country has an Ohio grad at the controls helps. Matt Lauer(NBC), Leon Harris(CNN) are just a start big names that are Ohio alumni in tv. We spent some cash on Solich and scheduled like an elite team would. UB spends little on sports and plays a weaker OOC schedule. I see Miami, Toledo, or BGSU, or NIU also getting 5-6 games or more too. We are lifting the MAC up to the next level by hiring Solich and playing this kind of schedule. Va Tech instead of VMI. This is progress for the MAC. If UB is in envy of other the MAC schools getting more tv time, then perhaps the A-10 should be your destination. You won't see the A-10 on espn, espn 2, or the U. This is a major football conference now and UB needs to step it up if they want what the other MAC programs got. Remember, even Ohio has five MAC football titles, 9 regular season basketball titles, 4 Mac tourneyment titles. UB has none. We are a charter member of the MAC with Miami. We put in our time and have a long tradition. Our game with Miami is an historic MAC rivalry. 82nd meeting this year. Its only natural that this game be televised. College football is about tradition and rivalries. We've been in the MAC almost 60 years now. Buffalo has been here 7 years and still no rings or banners. We beat UB 34-0 on the football field this past season and three times in hoops. And we own UB more than any other school in MAC hoops.

To summarize:

Ohio is the savior of the MAC and should be treated like so.

OU is on TV for one reason. Frank Solich. Too bad you will realize what UCF did. A big-name coach means squat.

KStud Wrote:OU is on TV for one reason. Frank Solich. Too bad you will realize what UCF did. A big-name coach means squat.

That's pretty stupid.

Solich will win at Ohio. Coaches don't develop "big names" by being lousy coaches.

O'Leary didn't do squat last year because he had "squat" to work with. That will be much different in the future.

We take a back seat to no one in this league as far as facilities and the $$$ we spend on our head coaches. We are top 4 in the MAC year in and year out in football attendance despite limited recent sucess on the field. Solich is a big reason; however, Miami, Toledo, and BGSU are the only schools with more MAC football titles than Ohio all-time. As for UCF, you couldn't cut it here and now you are going to stink it up in CUSA. As far a Kent. When was the last time you clowns averaged 20k for a season. Espn wants a filled stadium and Ohio University has a strong track record in terms of attendance reguardless of the performance on the field. The fans will sell out Peden this year. All ready 5,500 season tickets sold compared to 2,200 at this point last year. This program is in excellent shape going forward. The team, the coaches, the students, and alumni are very excited about are program. Having three home games on national tv shows the direction the tv people think we are going. We shall be a great story in the MAC this year and the years to come.

Thanks KT for proving my point. Solich has squat to work with. 30-point blowouts always look great on TV.

Even the OU Web site headlines is ESPNU to televise Frank Solich's first game. It doesn't say anything about the football team playing Northwestern. It's nothing to be ashamed of. But do not think Matt Lauer or any other stuffy OU alum has anything to do with national recognition.

I thought OUBCJ put together some very good points and a good post overall. I have NO IDEA why Knight Time felt it necessary to toss his (other conference) 2 cents in, disparaging the post and OU. John NEVER claimed to be the savior of the MAC. He wasn't boasting.

I haven't seen OU win anything in a while, but they have been competitive in recent memory at least. They gave UT a scare at the Glass Bowl early in the game last year. Crazier things have happened than the Bobcats eventually winning their division. Maybe not THIS year, but then, who knows?

The Knight Time Wrote:Solich will win at Ohio. Coaches don't develop "big names" by being lousy coaches.

Well, Gerry Faust did.

(That's for starters. We can start a discussion of Wayne Fontes if you like)

best fact in this post that Ohio has sold 5,500 season tixs vs. 2,200 last year.

Now THAT makes this thread worth reading...

P.S. what did happen to the UB/UConn game - no conspiracy theories though...

P.S. II - are all the Ohio season tixs on the same side (e.g., press box side)? (I assume at most MAC schools that season tixs are sold only along the home/press box side and the opposite grandstand is for students, visitors or general admission).

If so, that would represent a good share of one side of stands.

emu steve Wrote:(I assume at most MAC schools that season tixs are sold only along the home/press box side and the opposite grandstand is for students, visitors or general admission).

At Bowling Green, the students are on the home/press box/west side, toward the north end zone.

Visitors are seated on the east side toward the south end zone.

Season tickets are sold on both sides.

SF:

I thought I remembered BG having an unusual seating scheme.

I assume it is atypical of the MAC. Correct?

EMU is a classic case where the season tixs are on the press box side. There are no season tixs or reserved seats, for that matter, on the opposite (East) side.

Unless Toledo has changed their seating, theirs is similar to EMUs.

I assume a school like Miami only sells season tixs on the press box side.

emu steve Wrote:Unless Toledo has changed their seating, theirs is similar to EMUs.

Except used.


Sorry, it was just hanging there... :D

OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:We got six games because we may have a competitive team and play a very tough schedule that merits tv. The opponets we play helped us get that schedule. And the fact that Ohio is a big draw. We haven't had a winner, but Ohio University is one of the more bankable names in the MAC just by the numbers of alumni. This is tv folks. Espn knows that Ohio has a huge alumni base that is very excited about this coming season. Northwestern, Pitt, and Va Tech will be on tv every week. Toledo and Miami are MAC powers and earned tv spots. Akron is improving and just had Charlie Frey become QB of the Browns. These are all very good or competitive football programs. Ohio has a scenic campus that tv people like. Plus the fact that just about every tv station in the country has an Ohio grad at the controls helps. Matt Lauer(NBC), Leon Harris(CNN) are just a start big names that are Ohio alumni in tv. We spent some cash on Solich and scheduled like an elite team would. UB spends little on sports and plays a weaker OOC schedule. I see Miami, Toledo, or BGSU, or NIU also getting 5-6 games or more too. We are lifting the MAC up to the next level by hiring Solich and playing this kind of schedule. Va Tech instead of VMI. This is progress for the MAC. If UB is in envy of other the MAC schools getting more tv time, then perhaps the A-10 should be your destination. You won't see the A-10 on espn, espn 2, or the U. This is a major football conference now and UB needs to step it up if they want what the other MAC programs got. Remember, even Ohio has five MAC football titles, 9 regular season basketball titles, 4 Mac tourneyment titles. UB has none. We are a charter member of the MAC with Miami. We put in our time and have a long tradition. Our game with Miami is an historic MAC rivalry. 82nd meeting this year. Its only natural that this game be televised. College football is about tradition and rivalries. We've been in the MAC almost 60 years now. Buffalo has been here 7 years and still no rings or banners. We beat UB 34-0 on the football field this past season and three times in hoops. And we own UB more than any other school in MAC hoops.

Hey, no argument on tradition here. I'm simply stating that OU has not earned that many appearances based on the last few years records...

2001 - 1-10
2002- 4-8
2003- 2-10
2004- 4-7 (losing 5 of the last 6)

UB has not earned much of anything, that i agree on....however they will continue to be bottom feeders since tv appearances are a HUGE recruiting tool and they haven't earned the right to be on. I happen to get ESPNU and have the college package so i was at least looking forward to that UConn opener but apparently that was either taken off the ESPNU schedule or it's still up in the air?
Solich is a nice hire but i seriously doubt anyone is tuning in to see Frank Solich. He's a pretty bland guy and will not have Nebraska talent to work with.
You may have Matt Lauer but UB can claim Wolf Blitzer (CNN) and Tim Russert being from Buffalo is a huge sports fan for local teams.

OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:We take a back seat to no one in this league as far as facilities and the $$$ we spend on our head coaches. We are top 4 in the MAC year in and year out in football attendance despite limited recent sucess on the field. Solich is a big reason; however, Miami, Toledo, and BGSU are the only schools with more MAC football titles than Ohio all-time. As for UCF, you couldn't cut it here and now you are going to stink it up in CUSA. As far a Kent. When was the last time you clowns averaged 20k for a season. Espn wants a filled stadium and Ohio University has a strong track record in terms of attendance reguardless of the performance on the field. The fans will sell out Peden this year. All ready 5,500 season tickets sold compared to 2,200 at this point last year. This program is in excellent shape going forward. The team, the coaches, the students, and alumni are very excited about are program. Having three home games on national tv shows the direction the tv people think we are going. We shall be a great story in the MAC this year and the years to come.

When it all comes down to it, the only numbers that matters are 42-16. See you September 24. :chair:

emu steve Wrote:SF:

I thought I remembered BG having an unusual seating scheme.

I assume it is atypical of the MAC.  Correct?

No idea.

What's might be a little unusual about our stadium (at least in terms of the MAC) is that seating along both sidelines are mirror images of each other. We don't have a good side and a bad side.

Here's a chart. The top (West) is the home side.

I'm pretty sure it's a little out of date. I'm not sure students can sit all the way to the 50 any more -- at least above the chairbacks -- and if it weren't for this chart, I wouldn't have known there was a designated "parent" section:



My impression is that the yellow chairback sections are fairly heavy with season ticketholders on both sides. Also, I think season ticketholders claim spots between the 40s on both sides (despite how it is marked on the chart for the West side).

I could be wrong about the West side, though. I'm an East (lower) sider, and I'm not all too sure what happens on the other side any more.