Tuesday, November 18, 2008

It's Official, BCS Heads To ESPN

We told you yesterday but now it's official. ESPN has bought the rights for the BCS Bowl Games beginning in 2011 through 2014. The 4 year deal will cost ESPN $125 million per year. Though the Rose Bowl stays on ABC (separate deal) the rest of the BCS including the Championship Game goes to cable marking the first time a title game of a major sport or NCAA football & men's college basketball will be broadcasted on cable.

"You're talking about a situation where we're seeing more and more sporting events go to cable," said BCS coordinator John Swofford, the ACC commissioner. "And certainly I think that the college football community, people who truly follow college football, are extremely well tuned into ESPN and see ESPN as in essence for television the home of college football."

"The BCS will thrive on ESPN," ESPN president George Bodenheimer said. "Our slogan is 'College Football Lives Here' and the BCS will now top college football's best regular-season and studio coverage, the sport's top awards shows, Bowl Week and other national championships all carried on our family of networks. This is a proud day for ESPN and an exceptional day for this great sport and its passionate fans."

Now that ESPN has the BCS you can bet the criticism of that system will stop from this day forward.

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