Copied from BeatWestern! post on the main MAC forum ...

Wetzel: ESPN and MAC likely to rotate rivalry games out of weeknight MACtion
Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reports. Great news for the MAC!

https://twitter.com/DanWetzel/status/175...6532004328

(Thanks BW.)

An even easier fix would be to significantly reduce the amount of MACtion games on weekdays. Move to a model like SBC with only one game per week and rest of games on Saturdays.

I could care less about playing on Tuesday for crappy ESPNU coverage.

(01-31-2024 07:44 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Copied from BeatWestern! post on the main MAC forum ...

Wetzel: ESPN and MAC likely to rotate rivalry games out of weeknight MACtion
Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reports. Great news for the MAC!

https://twitter.com/DanWetzel/status/175...6532004328

(Thanks BW.)

Great news. A step in the right direction.

Midweek MACtion needs to go away and the conference needs to figure out a better direction centered around weekend games. Announcing this all but confirms midweek games are costing the schools money and ruining the fan bases. It is not worth the coverage.

I always thought key MAC matchups on a weekday made sense. And all the other games should be held on Saturday, streaming only. Let's make these games for our fans again. The ESPN weekday coverage was of high school quality at best. Wasn't there a game where they literally used the scoreboard for the on screen score?

I love the MacTion midweek games and hope they stay, but definitely be limited to two games per season. Also, if the mid week game is not going to be on ESPN or ESPN2 there is no reason for it to be played.

(02-01-2024 11:31 AM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  I love the MacTion midweek games and hope they stay, but definitely be limited to two games per season. Also, if the mid week game is not going to be on ESPN or ESPN2 there is no reason for it to be played.

Yeah. I know I'm in the minority here but I prefer the weeknight games because I rarely am able to watch the Saturday games.

But I get the desire to have more on the weekend.

This is a welcome change, since the only way the MAC can adjust the way things are done is within the parameters of a contract that doesn't expire until mid-2027.

ESPN is not going to tear up the deal and start over because some fans don't like mid-week games. It doesn't give a rat's petootie about home live attendance. It's business, in a phrase, is "eyeballs for advertisers." It also needs live content to fill some gaps in other events, which means mid-week. Gotta keep the advertisers (and gamblers) happy.

But apparently the pressure from below (i.e., local) has grown to the point that something had to be done. Mid-week attendance around 5,000 is barely tolerable, but when Saturday drops to around 11,000, "Houston we have a problem." And ESPN, after all, has to prep for contract negotiations.

Consider this: right now what ESPN pays the MAC is among the lowest (read, cheapest) deals it can get. It also got mid-week out of the equally low-end CUSA, and a bit from the not-quite-lowest SBC. The MWC, as I understand it, told ESPN to visit the weep locker. (That may change now that the PAC-Something is going bye-bye.) Since mid-week isn't going anywhere, exactly what does this cost ESPN? Leverage ("hey, we gave you something") for negotiations?

So ESPN agrees to put "big games" in primetime. That also means that if a local attendance rebuild doesn't happen, ESPN is off the hook. (ESPN is not on the hook anyway, but this looks better.)

Reason? Before anyone gets too excited over this change, remember that local A.Dept.s are notoriously weak in the local event marketing department. That's part of how the ongoing attendance slide happened in the first place. Ad's (and other university officials) got TV stars in their eyes and looked up, not down where the fans are.

Fans are still not going to freeze their a's off in the dark on Tues-Weds night for 3 1/2-4 hours, and next-day work puts a cramp on that time slot. Where something local can be done is where I/we/others opined repeatedly for years: the remaining four Saturday games that have gotten a dribble of attention have to become special events in some way(s).

So what's the plan? Don't hold your breath for too long.

I have no issue with MACtion games if they are on ESPN or ESPN2. If they are not on those networks, they need to be flexed back to the weekends. The schools also need to be able to find local broadcast partners to simulcast the ESPN+ broadcasts or have the local network do their own broadcast for any games not broadcast nationally.

(02-01-2024 12:13 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  I have no issue with MACtion games if they are on ESPN or ESPN2. If they are not on those networks, they need to be flexed back to the weekends. The schools also need to be able to find local broadcast partners to simulcast the ESPN+ broadcasts or have the local network do their own broadcast for any games not broadcast nationally.

Agree. A better platform within ESPN is another booster, if it happens. Btw, I was editing more into the above when you posted. Oops.

I think an analysis needs to be done. Does potential increase in attendance to Novembet games generate more revenue than a national TV contract. If getting more money for espn2 etc. Then have mid week games but if no real financial difference than stop.

(02-01-2024 12:55 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  I think an analysis needs to be done. Does potential increase in attendance to Novembet games generate more revenue than a national TV contract. If getting more money for espn2 etc. Then have mid week games but if no real financial difference than stop.

I would assume financially it would be a loss (Saturday attendance) but I think people are looking at the bigger picture and what may or may not be better for attendance down the road.

(02-01-2024 01:23 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(02-01-2024 12:55 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  I think an analysis needs to be done. Does potential increase in attendance to Novembet games generate more revenue than a national TV contract. If getting more money for espn2 etc. Then have mid week games but if no real financial difference than stop.

I would assume financially it would be a loss (Saturday attendance) but I think people are looking at the bigger picture and what may or may not be better for attendance down the road.

Good assessment. Nobody is saying cut down on TV but adjust to improve eyeball counts. At the same time, the revision cited on BW's link may make it more likely to get off their A.Dept. butts and at least make an effort to build those games with the potential to draw better. Anybody NOT want the TV we have PLUS 16-18-20k home on Saturdays? Key is effort. We need some ... badly.