Postscripts: ESPN Chaos, Houston’s No-Show Fans, and the Big 12 Power Race

Meanwhile, ESPN employees were shilling for you to make your voices heard!

I’m a YouTube TV subscriber, and let me just say, you both stink.

YouTube TV was supposed to be a cord-cutter’s dream. A streaming service that looks like cable but was portable. I was an early adopter, and I loved it. I still enjoy it, especially since the service has mastered the multi-view format that helps me out on gamedays. But now it’s creeping up into cable service territory in terms of cost, and a $20 credit in case this drags on is about as tone-deaf as it comes for customer service.

ESPN launched a new app that I have not yet subscribed to because I have ESPN+. But, ESPN wants to make money on this app, and while its on-air employees were begging you to go to keepmynetworks.com, they were also begging you to sign up for the new app. For those who thought an ESPN+ sub would be a workaround, well, it wasn’t, as many on social media found out. Eventually, I assume ESPN+ will go away and be folded into the new app, which means I’ll need it to watch my alma mater’s games since we’re not in a power conference.

This is all about money, and you don’t need me to tell you that. Because it comes at a time when the Big 12 is finally getting an ESPN spotlight, it just seems utterly disingenuous on their part. ESPN Gameday is heading to Lubbock this Saturday for the Texas Tech-BYU game. Will this be done by then?

Look at Monday night as informative. The Dallas Cowboys play the Arizona Cardinals, and the NFL does NOT like it when their programming is jacked with. The NFL prides itself on being over-the-air or on linear cable as much as possible. If it drags on past Monday, we will have a serious problem.

It’s not like we don’t already. Too many networks want in on sports because it’s great programming, but the channel hopping and the price to keep up will eventually price some consumers out, and it will require a reset. Perhaps when the new TV deals start being negotiated in 2030?

TNT’s Sneaky Play

Our Heartland College Sports X (formerly Twitter) account posted this on Saturday:

“… this is Big 12 college football pregame … and if I can, a hearty hello to everyone watching on YouTube TV. We don’t need you to send an email or make a phone call. Just hang out, you might like it.”

Shots fired. But TNT hasn’t been shy about pumping up the Big 12 since it struck a sub-license deal with ESPN for one Big 12 football game per week. It led our Joe Tillery to write this piece on Sunday.

TNT knows it doesn’t have much programming since the NBA went to NBC, ESPN, and Amazon. The network is smart to lean into the conference as much as it can, not just in the short term but also in the long term. This is a play for them to see if there’s money in being the Big 12’s major partner after the 2030-31 season, when the current contract expires. On Monday night, the network will air a Big 12 doubleheader as BYU faces Villanova and Arizona faces Florida. If you think the football product has been good, well, basketball is TNT’s break-and-butter.

I could see a world where the conference completely pivots away from ESPN after 2030-31, strikes partnerships with TNT, CBS, NBC, and Fox as standalone contracts, and TNT helps the league stand up a network. We’ll know in the next few years if that’s something that can become a reality.

What’s up Houston?

The Houston Cougars entered Saturday’s game with West Virginia as a Top 25 team and tied for second place in the Big 12. This is what kickoff looked like.

I’ve lived in Texas most of my life, and one thing I can tell you about both my home, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Houston, is that they’re pro sports towns. It’s a crowded marketplace. I cover the Texas Rangers and, of course, the Big 12. The TCU Horned Frogs must fight for all the exposure they get. As much as SMU wants to crow about its recent successes, the Mustangs have the same issues.

So, it really wasn’t surprising to me that TDECU Stadium looked relatively empty for an 11 a.m. game, even though the Cougars are in the Big 12 race. I’ve seen it before. What’s sad is that for the first time since Tom Herman, the Cougars are giving fans a reason to show up, and they’re not. There’s no “we’re not in a power conference” crutch to lean on. Houston is in a power league. That’s where it wanted to be.

Now fill the stadium like it.

The Big 12 Football Race

After a couple of weeks of relative stability, we had some real movement this week when it comes to determining who will reach the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington, Texas. Here are the rules:

No losses: Great shape

One loss: Good shape

Two losses: No margin for error

Three or more losses: You’re done.

As we can start sliding true tiebreaker information in here, we will.

So, after Saturday’s games, here’s where we stand, at least in my opinion:

In Great Shape: BYU (5-0). The Cougars are in the driver’s seat. If they win out, they’re in. But that will be tough with games against Texas Tech on Saturday and with Cincinnati in a couple of weeks. But BYU can lose a game and, most likely, still get to Arlington.

In Good Shape: Texas Tech (5-1), Cincinnati (5-1). Texas Tech handled K-State and the road and set up what should be the biggest showdown of the regular season with BYU. The Red Raiders need the win more than the Cougars at this point. If I were TTU, I wouldn’t want to be in the two-loss group. Cincinnati fell hard to Utah, making the next three games a must-win prospect for the Bearcats.

No Margin for Error: Houston (4-2), Utah (4-2), Arizona State (4-2), TCU (3-2). All four of these teams need to keep winning. ASU and Utah probably have the best tiebreakers working for them if teams like BYU, TTU, and Cincy fall.

Done: Baylor (3-3), Kansas State (3-3), Kansas (3-3), Arizona (2-3), Iowa State (2-4), UCF (1-4), Colorado (1-5), West Virginia (1-5), Oklahoma State (0-6) Welcome to the bad place, Kansas State.