I'm
all for engaging in discussion on here if we can leave the name-calling
(different post) and conspiracy theories out of it. The person I talked to was
not affiliated with Midco, nor were they trying to "sell" UND's
"media people" on anything. I merely asked in casual conversation,
out of my own curiosity, about FTA and its prevalence in this day and age.
Believe me, the last thing I want to do is
rehash the exact same discussion every month about the television situation. I
would guess most of you feel the same way. No, it is not ideal in its current
incarnation, but how many collegiate television situations are? It is an
extremely fluid landscape but we are committed to making the best of it. Not
just now, but going forward.
There are some on here (and elsewhere) who
continue to presume that we as an athletics department -- the paid
professionals whose job it is to operate in the best interests of our
University and our student-athletes -- don't value maximum exposure. That we
apparently are content to have fewer games on national television. That we
aren't concerned with losing hockey viewers who previously watched us on FCS.
This is utterly preposterous.
Over the past six years under Brian Faison:
§ A relationship has been established with FOX
College Sports (available in more than 50 million homes) that has provided live
national broadcasts of not just UND men's hockey, but also UND women's hockey,
football, men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball.
§ A partnership has been formed with Midco
Sports Network that not only provides us with a regional broadcast stronghold,
but ever-important financial stability. Further, as we begin just year two of
that 5-year partnership, Midco has already addressed some of the biggest macro
(high definition) and micro (penalty clock) issues that many fans have had with
our broadcasts over the years.
§ Midco has also committed to produce and
broadcast North Dakota Hockey with Dave Hakstol, the first men's
hockey-specific show we've had in at least 20 years, if ever (my time here
dates only to the mid-90s so I don't know if there was a Gino Gasparini show).
This show, along with UND Sports Extra and UND Insider Weekly, provide us with
no fewer than three weekly television shows.
§ Significant resources (financial and manpower)
have been committed to widening and improving our online coverage. This ranges
from live events (webcasts that include all men's hockey, women's hockey,
football, men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball home games, as
well as select soccer, baseball and softball games) to original programming
(Through These Doors, Opening Drive, etc.). This has also included the
continued development of mobile apps, now and going forward.
§ The state and regional radio network has been
significantly expanded.
§ If the exposure discussion goes beyond the
traditional realm, our student-athletes have been featured prominently by
Sports Illustrated, TSN, CBC, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal,
ESPN the Magazine, Los Angeles Times and more. Truthfully, many of these
opportunities simply fall into our lap. But quite often, we must aggressively
pitch and pursue them. That is our job.
Yes,
fewer men's hockey home games will be available on national TV this year. Unfortunately,
that was the cost of business associated with forming a first-rate men's hockey
conference. Do we as a department find the loss of those games ideal? Of course
not, but that doesn't mean that we will stop trying to eventually reclaim that
full national footprint. We are hopeful it will prove to be a shining example
of one step backward to take two steps forward. As with anything, these things
take time.
This athletics department is certainly never
beyond reproach, and it is the fans who serve as our checks and balances. That
is a good thing.
But I would hope that the bullet points above
serve as evidence that this department is anything but ignorant when it comes
to matters of exposure.
