The Detroit Free Press has an article on how the Big Ten Network is failing by limiting exposure to games. This explains how teams such as Indiana and Purdue have evaded national rankings despite only losing one game each.
It’s primarily because voters don’t have as much access to those games as previously under the conference’s old cable arrangement with ESPN. The Big Ten had the exclusive national window noon-3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN or ESPN2. … That’s valuable exposure that the Big Ten willingly — and foolishly — sacrificed for the sake of exerting more control over product distribution.
I’ve been opposed to the Big ten network from the beginning, as it limits the number of available to those without cable. Many Big Ten games were available on network television before the advent of the network. This will be even more obvious when the college basketball season starts. During the season last year, it was easy to find about five games during the Big 10 regular season. Most of these will now only be aired on cable. Anything that reduces my choice and limits my options, I strongly appose.
The Big 10 made its choice, and now it needs to live with the consequences.