Big Ten Network not showing track and field

Gentleman Savage wrote:

89 steps wrote:

I’m watching a replay of the the Big Ten lacrosse final on the Big Ten Network, so I looked at their schedule and see that they are not planning to show the Big Ten track and field meet this year, not live or in the week following. They do have a blank spot one day, so maybe they have it penciled in.

After watching several college track meets this year, I’m thinking that every competitor in the Big Ten track meet is a better athlete than everyone in this lacrosse game. The track meet deserves to be on TV just based on the high level of athletes in the competition.
Lacrosse is a cool game and I am glad they are putting it on TV, but why are they ignoring better athletes in their own conference?

It isn't about the "quality" of the athletes, it's about the quantity of the potential audience. BTN has subscriber profiles, they know with confidence that more will watch LAX than will watch T&F. LAX is a concise and coherent competition. T&F is bloated and disjointed, in comparison. Heck, more would probably watch '01 UM-OSU football replay over T&F. A full conference meet just isn't great or even good tv, believe it or not. I loved being there for all events at the conference meet when I was in college. Now, I just find more compelling options though I'd check out the relays. Maybe there are a lot of alumni who still have a strong interest, though I can't imagine anyone without a major rooting interest would care, like the average sports fan.

Monte Stratton wrote:

89 steps wrote:

Yes, they can package it better, but the purpose of the network is to promote the Big Ten and show what is going on in the conference, not to always suck up to the middle class audience.

Part of it is the announcer they get for their track and field meets, he is extremely boring and doesn't get excited for amazing races. It's like they are trying to sabotage the sport by presenting it in a boring way.

By comparison, the lacrosse final was a mostly boring game, with the final score 14-5, but the announcer was acting like it was the king's coronation party. The announcer was adding excitement. So that's part of my complaint, they aren't even trying to promote track and field.

Also, how do you not get ratings when it is the largest high school sport in the country? There is a giant potential audience, they just have to try to go and get it. I don't think they have ever tried. They just play it at obscure times with no advertising and a boring announcer, then they say "see, it doesn't work."

Any decent and interested high schooler is going to be busy with their own district, sectional, regional, and state meets over the next few weekends. And once they're done with their own season, would they really want to sit inside and watch more track and at a level below the pros? The total audience for this would essentially be contributing alumni, former or current teammates, and family members who can't travel. It certainly doesn't help when Big 10 schools keep trying to cut programs, that kind of tells you how much outside interest and support exists.

bigmig19 wrote:

Monte Stratton wrote:

Any decent and interested high schooler is going to be busy with their own district, sectional, regional, and state meets over the next few weekends. And once they're done with their own season, would they really want to sit inside and watch more track and at a level below the pros? The total audience for this would essentially be contributing alumni, former or current teammates, and family members who can't travel. It certainly doesn't help when Big 10 schools keep trying to cut programs, that kind of tells you how much outside interest and support exists.

well, I think thats the OP point, the answer to your question is YES, if its another sport. Everyone watched Bball, even college level during HS playoffs etc... Same for Football. Usually people like to watch their own sport. That doesn't translate to track. It does for me, but not most.