All you need to know about the SEC and ESPN

[chadfrey]

Tim Tebow is back in football-but he'll be behind a mic instead of under center. The former pro and college quarterback will be an analyst for the SEC Network, a new collaboration between ESPN and the Southeastern Conference that launches next August.

"Tim is an SEC icon with a national fan base and broad appeal," said Justin Connolly, ESPN senior vice president of programming for its college networks. "Tim brings a wealth of knowledge about the game, the conference, and the passion among SEC fans."

Tebow will appear on SEC Nation, the new network's traveling pregame show that will make its way to a different SEC campus each week next fall.

ESPN hires Tim Tebow | World on Campus: news for college students from a Christian perspective.

The ESPN bias has been pretty obvious for quite some time. They have quite an interest in making sure SEC teams are at the top of the polls ....

 

[ibahawkeye]

It's called business and it's all about the $$$

Great hire for ESPN. He creates a buzz and is interesting to everybody becuase it seems everyone has strong feelings towards Tebow, whether it's love or hate.

 

[Sparky]

Who cares. Let ESPN have SEC. At some point the SEC is going to get what's coming to them and then ESPN can live with the consequences of aligning with the conference.

 

[deanvogs]

This is a no brainer for the SEC network. Nobody creates more buzz (good or bad) than Tebow. Remember how absolutely freaking nuts VintageHawkeye would go when talking about him??

 

[imported_ankle23]

Tim Tebow is back in football-but he'll be behind a mic instead of under center. The former pro and college quarterback will be an analyst for the SEC Network, a new collaboration between ESPN and the Southeastern Conference that launches next August.

"Tim is an SEC icon with a national fan base and broad appeal," said Justin Connolly, ESPN senior vice president of programming for its college networks. "Tim brings a wealth of knowledge about the game, the conference, and the passion among SEC fans."

Tebow will appear on SEC Nation, the new network's traveling pregame show that will make its way to a different SEC campus each week next fall.

ESPN hires Tim Tebow | World on Campus: news for college students from a Christian perspective.

The ESPN bias has been pretty obvious for quite some time. They have quite an interest in making sure SEC teams are at the top of the polls ....

ESPN SEC bias officially started with the debut of the Big 10 Network.

 

[NCHawker]

Its easy to speculate that the Big Ten is talking to NBC or FOX about carrying a game opposite of CBS. More options gives more leverage in negotiating the next contract with abc/ESPN.

 

[PhoenixHawk]

When is the B10 gonna get together and merge with the P10 network and Fox and go single network with national/regional coverage? It's all there, with a new SECnetwork traveling pregame, the B10 needs to do something similar. Doing significant Sunday reviews of national Saturday cfb action would hurt espn as well, since they are totally committed to pro sports on Sundays. Then pull in the ACC and rename it the College Sports Network.

 

[Xerxes]

ESPN SEC bias officially started with the debut of the Big 10 Network.

Which was in 2007, the same time B1G football was getting exposed as being nowhere near the SEC.

Too many people think this SEC bias is about TV deals. ESPN/ABC still get the choice B1G games every week and usually have at least 3 B1G games each Saturday across their networks.

The bias is mostly about the SEC being a superior football conference.

 

[Doublewide]

ESPN and there bias towards SEC fb and ACC bball can suck my ***. Hopefully Fox Sports 1 can get better and better. I like it the new channel so far but it needs tweaking.

 

[sportstalent]

Don't forget about ESPN and their awesome Longhorn Network. They have sold their souls for money and that one has backfired in a big way and it is freaking hilarious.

 

[chadfrey]

ESPN SEC bias officially started with the debut of the Big 10 Network.

Ding!
The Big 10 Network is a cash cow for the conference, but it also creates two things not all that good for the conference:
1. Perceived competition with ESPN. Love them or hate them, ESPN puts a ton of eyeballs on games every week. They put out their own magazine, and their own CFB rankings. With the coming SEC/ESPN network, ESPN has a significant interest in having the SEC compete for a title each year. Without a true playoff, rankings will continue to be a big part of that.
2. ESPN delivers more eyeballs than the Big 10 Network. Outside of the B1G footprint, the Big 10 network is a premium channel — not part of a basic or extended basic package. Deace commented earlier this season, along with Miller, in their podcast about the "incestuous" nature of Big 10 football after the creation of the network. The network has brought cash to the conference, but the conference has NOT strengthened, as a whole, on the gridiron. The B1G has two jobs ahead at this time - start beating other strong conferences, and start getting love from pollsters (ESPN). The SEC has elevated it's game in the past few years, and they have gotten into bed with a great lover.

 

[bigjim]

I'm from sec country and I still get tired of hearing about the sec especially when it's about Bama.