Why Bill Self won't play WSU

[unipanther99]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... ?Frontpage

“Iowa plays Northern Iowa because the state legislature says you have to. If someone were to come and say something that it’s law, then we would have to. But you schedule to benefit your own school, not to benefit others.

Shockingly dumb, with a hint of honesty. For one thing, there is no state legislature mandate in Iowa (even though I wish there was). He does at least admit that they don't play for selfish reasons... Obviously it would be a benefit to the state of Kansas and IMO the game of basketball if they started playing, but it's all about the almighty dollar and what's in his best interest.

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

I don't really have a problem with Coach Self's stance. This isn't charity. It is D1 basketball, big boy stuff. I don't think KU owes Wichita State anything. I have read all the teeth gnashing on shockernet and what has honestly turned into many Shocker fans lying prostrate, begging Kansas to play them. "Pretty please Bill, with sugar on top. We'll even kick in a new hair piece!" Seems kind of unbecoming. It would be fun for basketball fans in the Sunflower State. No doubt. But don't beg. Keep winning and you will force their hand. Eventually you will make it where it will be profitable for Kansas and they will want to play.

[TheAsianSensation]

Well at least he was more upfront about it.

The only way they'll get Kansas is in a one-and-done, and WSU doesn't need to do that. And KU never needs to do a home-and-home with WSU. Why? They can get great mid major programs every year to play one-and-dones at their place. Similar to Duke, they can attempt to cherry pick good opponents for the RPI and never have to play a return game. Now, they'll miss sometimes, and WSU will turn out to be a very healthy RPI game, but Kansas is better off avoiding the roadie because that's one less game with home revenue to them.

Also, this was a new revelation to me: If WSU hosts KU, MVC gets the television rights - game probably ends up on ESPN anyways. If KU hosts WSU, the Big 12 gets the tv rights - and they have much bigger pull with their networks (ESPN/FOX). Schools like Duke and KU, I think, are under a bit of pressure from their conferences to provide quality and quantity of programming in the non-con season. Now obviously that's a simplification of things, but KU is better off replacing a road game against WSU with a home game against, say, Nevada and getting the tv rights to the Big 12 and the home gate to their pockets.

[Jet915]

Rumor has it Creighton was trying to get KU to play us this year to fill our last spot and Self didn't return our calls....not surprising.

[Smooth007]

Rumor has it Creighton was trying to get KU to play us this year to fill our last spot and Self didn't return our calls....not surprising.

IMO, CU is a nightmare matchup for KU this year.

[pafan]

Also, this was a new revelation to me: If WSU hosts KU, MVC gets the television rights - game probably ends up on ESPN anyways.

When Indiana played at Evansville last year, this became kind of a big deal on sports talk radio in Indianapolis. The UE-IU game was "broadcast" on ESPN3, while Big Ten Network aired "Big Ten Legends" or a rerun of the Iowa-Purdue football game from 1997 or some other filler.

Question was posed: why didn't this game air on BTN?
Answer was given: UE/the MVC was obligated to give it to their TV partner.

Ten or fifteen years ago, this would have been different. UE would have had the game aired on one of the local TV stations (likely WFIE). One of the Indianapolis TV stations (likely WTTV) would have bought in too, and everyone is better off except for ESPN.

Game on ESPN3 draws a few hundred viewers. Game on TV in Evansville and Indianapolis draws 50-100k.

Same basic thing happened this year with the UE/Notre Dame game, although I didn't hear anyone complaining about it.

Just another example of how ridiculous sports rights have gotten for media companies.

[unipanther99]

When UNI has hosted Iowa or Iowa State, it's appeared both on ESPN3 and local TV (Panther Sports Network). I would imagine it would be the same for the games UNI "hosts" in Wells Fargo Arena going forward in the Big 4 series. This year, Iowa hosted UNI and it was on the BTN.

[TheAsianSensation]

This is also a reason why Elgin should be more proactive with CBS, NBC, and the other non-ESPN networks. There's a national outlet to get your occasional game against a power 6 opponent on TV instead of just local.

Since ESPN has so many conferences under its wing, it's probably very tough for the MVC to get a significant contract with them to show a set number of non-conference games, especially when you can't guarantee there will be a UE/Indiana type matchup always available. If ESPN can already get a fair number of Indiana games on ESPN throughout the season via the B1G contract, they can skip over the UE/IU game.

[valleychamp]

Why does everybody think that the Iowa schools played each other due to some legislation? Where did that come from?? That is not true, has never been true, and never will be true.

[Ace Dad]

The same reason he will not play UNI, again.........................


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QEeLqUnLrA