ESPNU College Football

Infobox Television | show_name=ESPNU College Football


format = Sports
runtime = 2 hours
starring = "Various personalities" (see below)
country = USA
network = ESPNU (2005-)
first_aired = August 25, 2005
last_aired = Present

"ESPNU College Football" is a promotion of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football on ESPNU. "ESPNU College Football" debuted on August 25, 2005 with a HBCU match-up between Benedict and Morehouse.

"ESPNU College Football" is made up of five or six games a week, which include: a Thursday night "ESPNU College Football Primetime presented by Buffalo Wild Wings" at 7pm ET, one or two Saturday afternoon "ESPNU College Football presented by Allstate" at 12pm ET and 3:30pm ET and two Saturday night "ESPNU College Football Primetime presented by Citi" at 7pm ET and 10pm ET. ESPNU also has three weekly programs devoted to college football, which include "ESPNU Inside the Polls" on Monday at 6pm ET, "ESPNU Coaches Spotlight" on Tuesdays at 12pm ET and "ESPNU Recruiting Insider" on Fridays at 7:30pm ET.

The different conferences that are included in "ESPNU College Football" are the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East, the Big South, the Big Ten, the Colonial Athletic Association, the Mid-American Conference, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Ohio Valley Conference, the Southland Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

History

2005

ESPNU launched its college football coverage on August 25, 2005 with a SIAC matchup between Benedict and Morehouse. "ESPNU College Football"'s debut season showcased 75 games from Division I-A conferences such as the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, the MAC, Mountain West, SEC, Sun Belt and the WAC, also Division I FCS and Division II conferences such as the Big Sky, MEAC, Ohio Valley, SIAC, Southern and the SWAC. They also debuted their first college football studio show, "ESPNU Inside the Polls". ESPNU also aired coverage of special events such as the "Steel City Classic" and the "Turkey Day Classic".

Agreements

*On February 14, 2005, ESPNU reached an extensive agreement with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, two conferences that are predominantly part of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The seven year agreement, which goes through 2012, gives ESPNU the exclusive cable rights to the MEAC and the SWAC football. The agreement allows ESPNU to televise a minimum of seven football games a season, primarily on Thursday nights. In addition, ESPNU will also have the rights to televise the SWAC Conference Championship through the remainder of the contract.

*On March 15, 2005, ESPNU got the rights to televise three quarterfinal matches in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. As the rest of the games following that will air on ether ESPN or ESPN2.

Broadcast Teams

(All times Eastern)

2006

ESPNU launched its second season of college football coverage on August 26, 2006 with a matchup between Tuskegee at Stillman. "ESPNU College Football" featured over 70 games from new conferences such as the Big 12, Gateway and the Ivy League. ESPNU also lost the rights, in 2006, to broadcast teams from Conference USA, the Mountain West and the WAC. Notable personalites joined "ESPNU College Football", such as Clay Matvick, Brian Kinchen and Chris Martin. In 2006, ESPNU began utilizing the "1st and Ten" technology for select games. They also debuted two new studio shows to go along with "ESPNU Inside the Polls", in "ESPNU Coaches Spotlight" and "ESPNU Recruiting Insider". Along with the "Steel City Classic", ESPNU also showcased new special events in the "Detroit Football Classic", "Battle of the Bay" and the "Walt Disney World Florida Classic".

Agreements

* On June 21, 2006, ESPN Inc. also reached a wide ranging agrrement with the Big Ten Conference. The ten year deal, which goes through 2016, allows ESPN Family of networks to broadcast up to 41 games a year, which a portion will be part of ESPNU's coverage of college football.
*On August 29, 2006, ESPN Inc. reached a wide ranging agreement with the Big East Conference. The six year deal, which goes through the 2012 college football season, gives ESPNU the rights to broadcast at least five games per year, till the deal runs out. It also gives ESPNU the rights to produce a weekly program devoted to Big East sports.

Broadcast teams

(All times Eastern)

OSU/IU 10/21/06 Controversy

There is much controversy and criticism directed towards ESPN over the fact that the October 21 game between Indiana and Ohio State was broadcast exclusively on ESPNU, and wasn't be broadcast on local TV anywhere in the US, not even in the Columbus, Ohio and Bloomington, Indiana areas. As of the week of the game, Ohio State is undefeated and ranked #1 in all [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankingsindex?pollId=null&weekNumber=8&seasonYear=2006 major polls.] Most fans consider Indiana to be the football doormat of the Big Ten Conference based on performance in recent years. However, on October 14, just one week before this game, the Indiana Hoosiers defeated Iowa (then #15-ranked) [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=262870084&confId=null 31-28] , in what many consider a very shocking upset. The fact that Ohio State was a national championship contender and that Indiana was better than what most fans thought they would be had fans of both schools stunned and angry that ESPN wouldn't be allowing ABC Regional coverage of the game. Many cable providers do not carry ESPNU, so some say that this is simply a marketing tactic by ESPN, attempting to get more people and cable providers to carry and subscribe to ESPNU.
* [http://www.buckeyextra.com/?story=218761&RS=11 Columbus Dispatch Article.]

Brian Kinchen Controversy

On October 31, 2006, ESPNU college football commentator Brian Kinchen was suspended from calling games for one week, because of a comment he made during an October 28 game broadcast of the Northern Illinois-Iowa game. Kinchen was explaining the need for receivers to make catches with their hands, because they are "tender" and can "caress" theball. He then paused and said, "that's kind of gay, but hey ..."

"The comments were inappropriate, and we apologize for them," said ESPN's vice president of public relations Josh Krulewitz. "They were completely inappropriate and not at all a reflection of who I am or the way I perform my work," Kinchen said in a statement issued by ESPN. "I have learned from my mistake and look forward to continuing my broadcasting career."

His future with the network is currently under review.
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=2644891 ESPN.com "ESPNU takes Kinchen off air for remark at Iowa"]

Acquisitions

Division I FBS

*Atlantic Coast Conference: 2005–2010
*Big East Conference: 2005–2013
*Big Ten Conference: 2005–2016
*Big 12 Conference: 2005–?
*Conference USA: 2005
*Mid-American Conference: 2005–2007
*Mountain West Conference: 2005
*Southeastern Conference: 2005–2009
*Sun Belt Conference: 2005–2007
*Western Athletic Conference: 2005

Division I FCS and Division II

*Big Sky Conference: 2005–?
*Gateway Football Conference: 2006–?
*Ivy League: 2005-?
*Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: 2005–2012
*Ohio Valley Conference: 2005–?
*Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: 2005–?
*Southern Conference: 2005–?
*Southwestern Athletic Conference: 2005–2012

Personalities

Current

*Mike Adamle: (play-by-play, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Saturday, 7pm)
*Charles Arbuckle: (analyst, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Saturday, 7pm)
*Dave Armstrong: (play-by-play, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football" (Saturday, 3:30pm)
*David Diaz-Infante: (analyst, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Saturday, 7pm)
*Mike Gleasen: (host and play-by-play, 2005–present) "SportsCenterU" and "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Thursday, 7pm)
*Mike Gottfried: (analyst, 2005–present) "ESPNU Inside the Polls"
*Mike Hall: (host, 2005–present) "SportsCenterU", "ESPNU Recruiting Insider", "ESPNU Inside the Polls" and "ESPNU Coaches Spotlight"
*Brian Kinchen: (analyst, 2006–present) "ESPNU College Football" (Saturday, 12pm)
*Tom Luginbill: (analyst, 2006–present) "SportsCenterU" and "ESPNU Recruiting Insider"
*Chris Martin: (analyst, 2006–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Thursday, 7pm)
*Clay Matvick: (play-by-play, 2006–present) "ESPNU College Football" (Saturday, 12pm)
*Todd McShay: (analyst, 2005–present) "ESPNU Inside the Polls"
*Beth Mowins: (play-by-play, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Saturday, 10pm)
*Charlie Neal: (play-by-play, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Thursday, 10pm/HBCU game)
*Eddie Robinson Jr.: (analyst, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Saturday, 10pm)
*Mike Tomczak: (analyst, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football" (Saturday, 3:30pm)
*Jay Walker: (analyst, 2005–present) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Thursday, 10pm/ HBCU game)

Former

*Wayne Larrivee: (play-by-play, 2005) "ESPNU College Football" (Saturday, 12pm)
*Kelly Stouffer: (analyst, 2005) "ESPNU College Football Primetime" (Thursday, 7pm)
*Randy Walker: (analyst, 2005) "ESPNU College Football" (Saturday, 12pm)

ee also

*"ESPNU Coaches Spotlight"
*"ESPNU Inside the Polls"
*"ESPNU Recruiting Insider"

References

* [http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/index.jsp?content=2005/July_05/cfb_2005.htm Press Release: ABC SPORTS, ESPN, ESPN2 AND ESPNU 2005 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE]
* [http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/2006/Aug_06/cfb_labor.htm Press Release: COLLEGE FOOTBALL LABOR DAY WEEKEND TO FEATURE 25 GAMES ON ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU AND ESPN360]
* [http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/index.jsp?content=2005/Feb_05/espnu_meac.htm Press Release: ESPNU REACHES EXTENSIVE AGREEMENT WITH MEAC AND SWAC THROUGH 2011-12]
* [http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/2006/Aug_06/espnu_fb.htm Press Release: 2006 ESPNU COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE TO FEATURE OVER 70 GAMES]
* [http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/2006/June_06/bigten.htm Press Release: ESPN, ABC AND BIG TEN REACH WIDE-RANGING, 10-YEAR AGREEMENT]

External links

* [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/index ESPNU.com College Football]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnNetwork?networkID=99 ESPN.tv ESPNU page]