Crosstown Shootout to be on ESPNU

[SeeinRed]

UC/XU Crosstown Shootout To Be Only On ESPN-U

Reported by: 9News
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
Photographed by: 9News
First posted: 9/28/2006 12:42:18 PM
If you're planning on watching the UC/XU Crosstown Shootout on TV this year, you might find yourself shut out of the game.

The annual UC-Xavier matchup will be broadcast this year on ESPN-U, a channel not offered by Time Warner Cable.

Digital cable customers in Northern Kentucky and Lebanon, Ohio, can watch the game, but most of the Tri-state will be shut out.

The shootout is set for December 13 at UC.

This means that most of the Tri-State will not be able to see it becaus Time Warner Cable Does not carry ESPNU. A true Cincinnati event that cannot be seen by most Cincinnatians. It will be a sad day for me. I haven't missed one since I can remember watching College Basketball.

[Reds4Life]

Even sadder is the fact this might be the last one. If the Big East moves to an 18 game conference schedule for the 2007-2008 season the game with Xavier is likely to be on the chopping block.

Time Warner in Cincinnati is useless though, I'm sure they won't bother to add ESPNU. I hope they keep losing customers hand over fist to Dish and DirectTV.

[SeeinRed]

Originally Posted by Reds4Life

Even sadder is the fact this might be the last one. If the Big East moves to an 18 game conference schedule for the 2007-2008 season the game with Xavier is likely to be on the chopping block.

Time Warner in Cincinnati is useless though, I'm sure they won't bother to add ESPNU. I hope they keep losing customers hand over fist to Dish and DirectTV.

Remember when the Crosstown Shootout was the game that everyone in Cincinnati looked forward to every year? The hype was amazing. I don't think its there anymore. Thats also sad to me. Its always a great game. No matter who is considered a better team, it is always a well fought basketball game. There are many memorable moments from them. I didn't think it was a bad thing when ESPN picked up the game because it was always on ESPN or ESPN2. The game was that big. It has definately lost a lot of it's luster. The loss of Bob Huggins probably contributed, but I'm at a loss to come up for other reasons. People just don't seem to care anymore.

[Reds4Life]

Originally Posted by SeeinRed

Remember when the Crosstown Shootout was the game that everyone in Cincinnati looked forward to every year? The hype was amazing. I don't think its there anymore. Thats also sad to me. Its always a great game. No matter who is considered a better team, it is always a well fought basketball game. There are many memorable moments from them. I didn't think it was a bad thing when ESPN picked up the game because it was always on ESPN or ESPN2. The game was that big. It has definately lost a lot of it's luster. The loss of Bob Huggins probably contributed, but I'm at a loss to come up for other reasons. People just don't seem to care anymore.

The loss of Huggins didin't help, and the fact UC moved into the Big East doesn't help either. Big East is a power conference and they look down upon schools playing "lower" conference teams. A10 is just considered a major, and after their remake not a very good one. X is about the only team in that league that's even worth watching. I wouldn't be suprised to see them move out of the A10 in the next few years, it really is that horrible.

[Chip R]

The bars will definitely do great business.

[dsmith421]

Originally Posted by Reds4Life

The loss of Huggins didin't help, and the fact UC moved into the Big East doesn't help either. Big East is a power conference and they look down upon schools playing "lower" conference teams.

That's not entirely correct. The BE has a very unified and effective scheduling philosophy, and I can assure you it has nothing to do with avoiding scheduling 'lower' conference teams. In fact, many members of the BE play abysmal out-of-conference schedules. The key is you play 'lower' conference teams that a) you are going to beat, and b) will run up a good winning percentage to help the team and conference RPI. The BE has been masterful from the beginning at "playing the RPI game" and ensuring that even the mediocre teams in the conference provide value.

Xavier, incidentally, has been one of those mid-major teams for the vast majority of the last 20 years. They have consistently made either NCAA or NIT play, and have had, what, two losing seasons in the past quarter century?

With the exception of the last two seasons, no big school that schedules Xavier is going to take an RPI hit. Assuming they win. Which is perhaps UC's biggest problem here.

[Reds4Life]

Originally Posted by dsmith421

That's not entirely correct. The BE has a very unified and effective scheduling philosophy, and I can assure you it has nothing to do with avoiding scheduling 'lower' conference teams. In fact, many members of the BE play abysmal out-of-conference schedules. The key is you play 'lower' conference teams that a) you are going to beat, and b) will run up a good winning percentage to help the team and conference RPI. The BE has been masterful from the beginning at "playing the RPI game" and ensuring that even the mediocre teams in the conference provide value.

Xavier, incidentally, has been one of those mid-major teams for the vast majority of the last 20 years. They have consistently made either NCAA or NIT play, and have had, what, two losing seasons in the past quarter century?

With the exception of the last two seasons, no big school that schedules Xavier is going to take an RPI hit. Assuming they win. Which is perhaps UC's biggest problem here.

UC has nothing to gain by playing them and everything to lose. A couple friends of mine are involved in the whole UCATS thing, the BE isn't a big fan of the Crosstown for whatever reason. If they go to the 18 game conference schedule the game with X is over.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by dsmith421

That's not entirely correct. The BE has a very unified and effective scheduling philosophy, and I can assure you it has nothing to do with avoiding scheduling 'lower' conference teams. In fact, many members of the BE play abysmal out-of-conference schedules.

Georgetown and Syracuse say hi.

[Benny-Distefano]

Isn't it a rule that in cases like this, a local channel gets to carry it?

I bet it will be on 19.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Benny-Distefano

Isn't it a rule that in cases like this, a local channel gets to carry it?

I bet it will be on 19.

Nope. They were talking about it last night on 19 and they said they have tried to persuade ESPN to let them show the game but so far ESPN has refused. It's a power play by them to get T-W to add ESPNU to their lineup.

[Roy Tucker]

More info. It's a power play between ESPN and Time Warner...

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...609280360/1078

A Crosstown TV shootout
UC-Xavier game set for ESPNU, but few viewers have access
BY BILL KOCH | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

A ticket to the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, always a prized possession in Cincinnati, may be even more valuable this year.

The annual college basketball showdown between the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University, scheduled for Dec. 13 at UC's Fifth Third Arena, has been televised on either ESPN or ESPN2 since the 1998-99 season.

But this year the game will be available only on ESPNU, a cable channel devoted to college sports which most Greater Cincinnati households can't access.

Time Warner, the largest cable system in Southwest Ohio, does not carry the channel, which was launched in March 2005.

In Northern Kentucky, customers of Insight Communications can get ESPNU as part of its digital service.

And in Lebanon, Ohio, Lebanon Communications also offers ESPNU as part of its digital service.

Everyone else will need access to a satellite hookup - and a higher-tier programming package - to see the game.

John Long, general manager at WXIX-TV (Channel 19), which owns the local television rights to UC's basketball games, said Wednesday that ESPN has shifted the game to ESPNU in an attempt to force Time Warner Cable to include ESPNU in its basic cable package.

"It's all about ESPN and power plays and trying to get as many UC games on ESPNU so it will force the cable systems to put ESPNU on their cable system," Long said. "That's what this is all about."

According to Long, ESPN officials are counting on UC and Xavier fans contacting Time Warner to protest the absence of ESPNU on its basic system.

But Tilea Coleman, from ESPN Communications, said that's not the case.

"Absolutely not," Coleman said. "The point of ESPNU is to be a 24-hour cable service devoted to college sports. We are within our rights to televise this game. The intent of ESPNU is to enable fans to see match-ups such as this."

Coleman said that ESPN remains in discussions with Time Warner.

"We haven't reached an agreement," she said. "But we're hopeful."

ESPN's contract with the Big East Conference gives the sports channel the right to pick any 12 conference games or nonconference home games from UC's schedule. At this point, Coleman said, there are no plans to allow a local affiliate to pick up the ESPNU telecast.

"That's something that we'll have to discuss with our programming department," she said. "We still haven't finalized our entire schedule."

But Channel 19's Long said it's unlikely that ESPN would allow the game to be shown anywhere except on ESPNU.

"They're not going to let you do that," Long said. "They want everybody realizing the only way I'm going to be able to see this thing is if one of the cable guys picks it up.

"I kept telling the guys at ESPN that you're insulting people's intelligence. You think a cable operation is going to succumb to pressure because of one night? It isn't going to happen."

Karen Baxter, director of public affairs for Time Warner Cable, said Time Warner "would love to carry ESPNU" on its sports tier, a package available for an additional $2.95 per month.

"ESPN insists on (ESPNU) being carried on our standard lineup, which means all of our customers would have to pay for it," Baxter said. "That would impact the price everyone pays for cable. We don't think it's fair to pass that price along to all of our customers."

Baxter said the price a cable system must pay for the programming of a provider such as ESPNU is based on how many customers would receive the channel. She said Time Warner has 640,000 customers in Southwest Ohio, which includes Cincinnati and Dayton.

This is not the only UC game that local fans will have trouble seeing. UC athletic director Mike Thomas said that seven other games have been placed on ESPNU and that the Bearcats are not scheduled to make any appearances on the Big East's Big Monday package with ESPN.

Thomas, who said he voiced his displeasure with the Big East office about the television schedule, said he knows that UC fans won't like the Crosstown Shootout television arrangement, but the school is virtually helpless to do anything about it except to join forces with Xavier, Miami and Dayton to lobby Time Warner to reach an agreement with ESPN.

Thomas said he expects that UC fans will have "the reaction that the ESPN folks want them to have."

"They're trying to select games in certain markets where there's real interest," Thomas said, "so that local fans will voice their displeasure and ESPNU will be added to their local (cable) system."

Said Mike Waddell, UC's senior associate athletic director: "We've lobbied as much as we can lobby. It comes down to the bottom line is that ESPN is in a battle with Time Warner. We're held over a barrel here and WXIX is held over a barrel."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.

[Chip R]

"They're trying to select games in certain markets where there's real interest," Thomas said, "so that local fans will voice their displeasure and ESPNU will be added to their local (cable) system."

I bet that would go over well in Chapel Hill and Durham if they ever pulled that for a UNC Duke game.

[LoganBuck]

If UC and X were known quantities heading into the season perhaps they get put on ESPN or ESPN2. Neither team is generating national buzz right now.

[SeeinRed]

Why don't UC and Xavier fans contact ESPN with displeasure instead of Time Warner. The fact is that ESPN knows that Cincinnati will be in an uproar over this, thats why they did it. They think we will contact time warner. Why not complain to ESPN instead. Make them the bad guys. I just wish we could get an organized effort to get other people to do that. I've always wanted to take on ESPN.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by SeeinRed

Why don't UC and Xavier fans contact ESPN with displeasure instead of Time Warner. The fact is that ESPN knows that Cincinnati will be in an uproar over this, thats why they did it. They think we will contact time warner. Why not complain to ESPN instead. Make them the bad guys. I just wish we could get an organized effort to get other people to do that. I've always wanted to take on ESPN.

ESPN has that night reserved for the 2004 World Series of Poker.