http://mac-sports.com/news/2014/11/7/MBB_1107142738.aspx

As far as Ohio is concerned, a massive meh. Also, I feel like the banner ad for TWCSC should be taken out of the rotation, given that they don't, ya know, actually broadcast the conference any more.

So there's only ONE conference game broadcast on an ESPN TV station this year? Or do the wildcard games count?

Looks like Ohio will get some good TV action during their Dec. tournament.

I'm sure we'll get some games on STO which is at least good for people in Ohio to see. Also considering espn3 as national coverage is a joke. It's not even tv, just a glorified internet broadcast that I doubt anyone besides that schools fans end up watching. Color me unimpressed.

Winning adds indeniability. Saulball it and the spotlight will be there.

That's a real shame that Time Warner has dropped producing MAC basketball broadcasts. I enjoyed that a lot and I'll really miss it. I can watch selected games on MAC digital, but it's not the same as having an actual network covering the league.

Sorry if I've missed it somewhere else, but are home team streams dead (unless they are the 4 pilot schools)?

If so and you only get to watch the games you play against one of those 4 or the occasional non-Conf tilt against a top program... Aren't we missing out on retaining existing fans, let alone expanding your viewership?

I don't think ESPN3 is available to DirecTV subscribers anymore.

They ask for your provider to watch, and DTV is not on the list.

With these two thoughts in mind, what makes the money add up for the Sunbelt and C-USA? It's not as if they have loads of basketball programs that have had significant success.

As always, I think the MAC does such a shoddy job of selling and branding itself. The MAC could do very well as a basketball conference if they just let more people know about it, and did a better job highlighting rivalries, and their best teams. Some of that starts with scheduling the BEST GAMES and the BEST TEAMS during times you can get them on TV, and get as many butts in the seats for those games as possible.

http://deadspin.com/mac-commissioner-squirms-out-of-quest...

If the leadership of this conference has a vision, the communications director certainly isn't telling the general public about it.

I've seen enough of this rag tag group of conference officials and their autopilot business deals. They may have MAC degrees but I'm ready for heads to roll.

At what point do the university presidents step in and ask for new leadership?

After reading most of the linked articles and a few others I've stumbled across, I applaud the journalists at Kent for taking the watchdog approach.

I don't know what their tactics were leading up to these articles, commentaries, and interviews but I wonder if a softer approach would have garnered more substantial results (ie getting info about the cost associated with upgrading broadcast tech, the 'mandate' of 35 broadcasts a year, and how that's to be funded). I don't think the approach matched the purpose.

Seemingly what the press (Kent writers and professors) is:

We still don't know anything about this contract. It's a secret. TELL ME THE SECRET!
Taxpayer funds could possibly, maybe be used to upgrade the tech and fund this contract. TELL ME HOW YOU SOLD OUR SOULS TO ESPN FOR 13 YEARS, OR I'M GONNA USE A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION TO PROVE HOW MUCH I DON'T LIKE YOU.

Instead I would have proposed a tactic like this:

Hey bro, sweet contract! Bet you've got a confedentiality agreement between you and ESPN huh? Tottaly understand. I've been talking with fans and university-types (you know how yet can be) and there's some concern about the cost involved in upgrading facilities to accommodate some of the public provisions of this deal. Can you tell me more?
Yes, I understand we're making a lot more on the TV rights than we were, but ya know society has been built for instant gratification (remember Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka? Bad reference, Nrrmind.) and the fans just haven't seen any details, and that just leads to more questions.
Got it. You're still gonna give me unintelligent corporate BS. Cool cool. I'll just be over here calling each school for more info until someone misspeaks.