Men's college basketball on television

Men's College basketball on television includes the broadcasting of college basketball games, as well as pre- and post-game reports, analysis, and human-interest stories. Within the United States, the college version of basketball annually garners high television ratings.

Televising the games allows alumni to follow their alma mater's team, as well as competing schools and top-ranked schools nationally. Not all games are televised. Coverage is dependent on negotiations between the broadcaster and the college basketball conference or team. In general, major programs will be televised more often than smaller programs. The televised games may change from year-to-year depending on which teams are having a strong season, although some traditional rivalry games are broadcast each year. Major match-ups between top-ranked teams or major rivals are often broadcast nationally. Some games are traditionally associated with a specific event or holiday, and viewing the game itself can become a holiday tradition for fans.

History

The first televised college basketball game occurred during the "experimental" era of television's broadcasting history, when a game between Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh was broadcast on February 28, 1940, from Madison Square Garden.^[1][2]

Broadcast rights

Networks

In addition, some regional syndicators broadcast games on over the air television. Most notably Raycom Sports, and ESPN Plus syndicate their games to broadcast stations.

Raycom in the early 1990s paid ABC $1.8 million for six weeks of network airtime of 26 regional games. The format allowed Raycom to control the games and sell the advertising.^[3]

Cable stations

Regional cable networks have long devoted coverage to one or two conferences. The Pac-12 and Big 12 have had deals with Fox Sports Net since 1996, which airs games on its regional family of networks.

The Mountain West Conference has entered into an arrangement with CBS Sports Network to develop a new regional network called "the Mountain" or "mtn" that is devoted to broadcasting the league's games.^[4] The contract also calls for at least 7 games a year to air on Versus. The Big Ten has a similar regional network, with the Big Ten Network having made its debut in August 2007. Texas has their own deal which created the Longhorn Network in fall of 2011, and the Pac-12 will have their own Pac-12 Network beginning in the fall of 2012. While BYU has BYUtv, it is not a separate deal that created a regional sports network.

ESPN

ESPN has been airing regular season games since 1980, ESPN2 since 1993, ESPNU since 2005, and to a lesser extent ESPN Classic will show fewer games per season.

College basketball has been a staple for nearly the whole history of ESPN. Scotty Connal, then-vice president of the all-sports network in Bristol, Conn., offered Dick Vitale a position, shortly after being fired from the Detroit Pistons. The coverage of college basketball and the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament increased both college basketball and ESPN's credibility.^[5]

Current lineup

By home team

• CBS: ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, Pac-12, SEC
• ESPN and ESPN2: ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, MAC, Pac-12, SEC, Sun Belt, WAC, and WCC
• ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN3 and ESPN Plus: ACC, Big 12, Big East, MAC, MEAC, SEC, Sun Belt, SWAC, WAC, and WCC
• FSN: Pac-12 and ACC
• CBS Sports Network: Mountain West Conference, Conference USA, Atlantic 10 Conference, and Patriot League
• MountainWest Sports Network (mtn.): Mountain West Conference
• Big Ten Network: Big Ten
• Raycom Sports: ACC
• BYUtv: BYU, BYU-Hawaii, and West Coast Conference
• Longhorn Network: Texas
• Pac-12 Network: Pac-12
• FX and Fox: Share Pac-12 Men's Tournament beginning in 2012-2013 with ESPN.
• Versus/ NBC Sports Network: 7 games from the MWC regular season as well as the MWC men's and women's basketball championships. Versus also has day games for the inaugural Paradise Jam Tournament.
• HD Net: Night games for the inaugural Paradise Jam Tournament.

Postseason

NCAA Tournament

In 1974, Brent Musburger started using the term March Madness when describing the tournament.^[6]

In 1991, CBS received exclusive rights to the entire tournament for the first time. Previously, ESPN had aired early round games. Beginning in 2011, CBS will share the early tournament rounds with TBS, TNT, and TruTV. The Final Four will alternate between CBS and TBS starting in 2016.^[7]

NIT

The ESPN family of networks currently air the NIT games.

CBI

HDNet carries select games from the CBI.

CiT

Fox College Sports provides all games from the CiT on the FCS Broadband service, except for the championship which is shown live on FCS Pacific.

Announcers

Current lineup (for 2011-12)

CBS (NCAA Tournament)

1. Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr
2. Marv Albert and Steve Kerr
3. Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
4. Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
5. Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and Dan Bonner
6. Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel
7. Tim Brando and Mike Gminski
8. Spero Dedes and Bob Wenzel

ESPN/ESPN2

1. Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale, and Erin Andrews (Primarily ACC)
2. Brent Musburger or Dave O'Brien, Dan Dakich or Bob Knight, and Holly Rowe (Primarily Big Ten)
3. Mike Patrick or Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale or Len Elmore or Jay Bilas (Primarily ACC or Big East)
4. Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, and Bill Raftery (Primarily Big East)
5. Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes, and Jeannine Edwards (Primarily SEC)
6. Jon Sciambi or John Saunders, or Mark Jones, Fran Fraschilla, and Holly Rowe (Primarily Big 12)
7. Dave Pasch or Beth Mowins, Doris Burke or Mike Kelley or Len Elmore and Allen Hopkins (Primarily Big East)
8. Bob Wischusen and Stephen Bardo (Primarily Conference USA or Big Ten)
9. Brad Nessler or Rece Davis and Mark Gottfried (Primarily SEC)
10. Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham (primarily Wac)
11. Jon Sciambi and LaPhonso Ellis (Primarily Atlantic 10)
12. Brad Sham and Kara Lawson (Primarily Sun Belt)

FSN

1. Kevin Calabro or Barry Tompkins or Steve Physioc Marques Johnson, and Rebecca Haarlow
2. Tim Brando, or Rich Waltz Mike Gminski, and Jenn Hildreth
3. Ron Thulin, Dan Bonner, or Miles Simon and Debbie Antonelli
4. Steve Physioc or Bill Macdonald and Don Maclean or Steve Kerr and Courtney Jones
5. Dan Mclaughlin, or Chip Caray or Bob Rathbun and Larry Conley and Samantha Steele
6. Paul Sunderland or Sean Farnham or Patrick O'Neal or Josh Lewin or Ted Robinson or Allen Hopkins and Sean Farnham or Michael Cage or Dan Belluomini
7. Rich Waltz and Mark Wise or Bob Wenzel
8. Dave Barnett and Ernie Kent
9. Paul Sunderland and Brandon Granville and Nischelle Turner

ESPNU

1. Dan McLaughlin and Kara Lawson or Mac McCausland
2. Beth Mowins and Mike Kelley
3. Rob Stone and Jay Williams
4. Todd Harris or Mark Neely and Miles Simon
5. Carter Blackburn and LaPhonso Ellis
6. Doug Sherman and Dereck Whittenburg

CBS Sports Network

1. Roger Twibell or Dave Ryan or Tom McCarthy and Pete Gillen
2. Dave Ryan or and Steve Lappas
3. Thad Anderson and Rich Zvosec or Greg Anthony
4. Greg Heister and Craig Ehlo and Francis Williams

Big Ten Network

1. Dave Revsine and Dave Miller
2. Brian Anderson and basketball |Jim Jackson
3. sportscaster| Eric Collins and Keno Davis
4. Gus Johnson and Shon Morris
5. Chris Denari and Dan Bonner
6. Tom Hart and John Laskowski
7. Wayne Larrivee and Quinn Buckner and Tim Doyle
8. Kevin Kugler and Greg Kelser and Kenyon Murray

Raycom Sports - ACC

1. Steve Martin and Mike Gminski
2. Tim Brant and Dan Bonner or Jason Capel
3. Tim Brando or Bob Rathbun and Mike Gminski

BYUtv (for 2011-12)

1. Dave McCann, Steve Cleveland or Blaine Fowler, and Jarom Jordan or Robbie Bullough (BYU and WCC Tournament)
2. Lad Panis and Scott Lowe (BYU-Hawaii)

WAC Sports Network^[8]

1. Rich Celini or Dave Harbison and Dave Bollwinkel
2. Dave Harbison or Guy Haberman and Bob Donewald

Famous calls or catchphrases

• "You are looking live at (insert stadium or arena)!" – Brent Musburger
• "It's Awesome Baby!" – Dick Vitale
• "(any team) will go man-to-man" - Bill Raftery

References

1. ^ American Sportscasters Online: Sportscasting Firsts
2. ^ 1940 College Basketball Recap on Infoplease
3. ^ Sandomir, Richard (January 31, 1992). "TV SPORTS; Syndicator Gives ABC Easy Fast Break on Profit". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE5D8113DF932A05752C0A964958260&scp=38&sq=%22dick+vitale%22&st=nyt. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
4. ^ "TV Deal Could Draw Fans Among Recruits". Albuquerque Tribune. http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/sp_lobos/article/0,2564,ALBQ_19873_4816359,00.html. Retrieved 2006-09-06. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ Dick Vitale's love for college basketball is genuine 03/04/02
6. ^ Vecsey, George (March 5, 1995). "Sports of The Times; The March Madness Has Already Begun". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DA1E3AF936A35750C0A963958260&scp=61&sq=%22dick+vitale%22&st=nyt. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
7. ^ Lapointe, Joe (March 15, 1991). "COLLEGE BASKETBALL: N.C.A.A. TOURNAMENT; Tip-Offs as Daytime Drama on CBS". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2DA123EF936A25750C0A967958260&scp=34&sq=%22dick+vitale%22&st=nyt. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
8. ^ "WAC Sports Network Announces Basketball Broadcast Schedule". 2010-12-16. http://www.wacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=45988&SPID=4126&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=10100&ATCLID=205056713. 

External links

• 1968-1981 College Basketball TV history