Some of you know that I put together a college sports schedules website. I starting writing a blog on it the past few months and wrote one the other day about whether ESPN is watering down the college football GamePlan service. For week one there are only four games I expect to see on the schedule (three ABC games and one ESPN Plus game from the Big Ten). Other games like SEC PPV games will probably pop up, but have they ruined the package by creating ESPNU? Have defections from C-USA and the MWC hurt the package? Has the quick move to a 12 game schedule (where teams scheduled I-AA opponents instead of other I-A teams) kept TV networks from picking those games? Just curious what others think.
Has ESPN killed GamePlan?
- Thread starter mattsarz
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Ive never subscribed to Gameplan because most of the feeds are available on c/ku, but for me for the package and Full Court to be successful, you need more feeds in the packages. Even if ESPNU has taken away some of the better matchus and feeds (which I think have done) then they need to be replaced by other teams feeds. There's lots to choose from like the Louisville feeds shown locally, Fighting Sioux Network, CSS feeds, MWC local feeds shown back to UTEP, Nevada, Boise State, Fresno State that aren't a part of Sportswest. IF ESPN wanted to make the package really successful, they'd start adding other feeds to the package.
I've subscribed to ESPN GamePlay the past few years to keep up with Big Ten football here in the Mid-Atlantic region. I would love to go FTA, but I would have to receive a variety of games using a single 1 meter dish and receiver.
One thing I'd add to Game Plan would be the games that are being added for the ESPN360 broadband service. They aren't necessarily the best games, but it would add some value to Game Plan. For weeks 1-3
Week 1: Minnesota at Kent St. (Thursday, maybe I should drive to the game), Syracuse at Wake Forest
Week 2: Miami (OH) at Purdue, Florida International at USF
Week 3: Wake Forest at Connecticut, Ball St. at Purdue, W. Michigan at Virginia
Week 1: Minnesota at Kent St. (Thursday, maybe I should drive to the game), Syracuse at Wake Forest
Week 2: Miami (OH) at Purdue, Florida International at USF
Week 3: Wake Forest at Connecticut, Ball St. at Purdue, W. Michigan at Virginia
So are Nevada Wolfpack games available FTA? The exclusion of the WAC from Gameplan is what has kept me from buying it.
Big Ten football on GamePlan has kept me coming back. However, with the creation of the Big Ten Channel, along with a 10 year contract renewal with ABC/ESPN, I'm not sure I'll be paying the $109 in the future.
