Is directv going to put espnu HD in its package? Its been up about a year now and the SEC is going to have a ton of games on this channel.

They said BY end of Q1 2010....so that could be next week or Sept 1 or Dec 1 or Mar 31 ?

A “ton” of SEC games on ESPNU?

Not quite. In fact, the only game involving an SEC team currently on the ESPNU schedule is Kentucky vs. Miami (OH) on September 5th at 12 noon ET.

For the moment at least there are no "SEC games" per se on the ESPN schedule.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3901962

(And has there been an announcement that all ESPNU games will even be in HD this year? That would add a lot of expense for a decidedly third-tier schedule (games like Akron-Temple and a host of non-BCS conference games) and almost all of them on at the same time ESPN, ESPN2, FSN, ABC, Big Ten Network, CBS and/or even NBC are broadcasting games with higher profile teams.)

I thought most of those "third-tier" scheduled games were still in HD last year but I can't remember.

Last year every ESPNU game was in HD.

Thanks, John. I hadn't realized that.

Key word there is currently, Fred. The SEC TV schedule changes as the season progresses and the various networks in the pecking order make their picks for carriage each week.


A “ton” of SEC games on ESPNU?

Not quite. In fact, the only game involving an SEC team currently on the ESPNU schedule is Kentucky vs. Miami (OH) on September 5th at 12 noon ET.

For the moment at least there are no "SEC games" per se on the ESPN schedule.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3901962

Espnu HD is the only HD channel that I miss from switching to E* from TWC.

A “ton” of SEC games on ESPNU?
As part of the SEC's new deal with the ESPN, ESPNU will air at least 13 SEC games every season. ESPN was hoping to have what the original poster wants as well with this move. The line of thinking is that adding higher profile conferences like the SEC will force more cable/satelite companies to either add the HD channel or carry the network in the first place.

Not quite. In fact, the only game involving an SEC team currently on the ESPNU schedule is Kentucky vs. Miami (OH) on September 5th at 12 noon ET.

For the moment at least there are no "SEC games" per se on the ESPN schedule.

The Kentucky game is technically an "SEC game" as far as television is concerned. Non conference games fall under the television deal for the home conference. In this instance that means this game is being televised as part of the SEC package.

The fact that there are no games in the ESPN schedule right now is largely because of the way conference television deals work. It varies from conference to conference, but typically the first 2-3 weeks of the season are released in the summer. Beyond that games are released on a week to two week basis so that the major networks in the deal have the right to the preferably better game.

I totally understand how the network deals work, with the 8- and 12-day selection windows for many games. And I guess I should have been more specific: at the moment there are no SEC vs. SEC games on the ESPNU schedule.

But the original post about "a ton" of SEC games on ESPNU seemed to contain at least a little hyperbole. As the SEC says ityself about its various TV contracts: "ESPN, ESPN2 - the SEC's national cable provider, may televise up to 18 regular season games each year, with a minimum of nine on ESPN through the season." You will notice there was no mention at all of ESPNU, even though the SEC site lists the Kentucky game on its schedule.

The various Fox RSNs in the South are also getting cut into the SEC football pie with a handful of games.

I would be willing to bet however, that few viewers outside the SEC region would miss the vast majority of games which may wind up on ESPNU.

An article I read earlier in the week said that every SEC conference football game will be televised on some channel and also every non-conference football game hosted by an SEC school.

With 12 SEC schools, that's a lot of games.

ESPNU doesn't have the "cream of the crop" lineup of CFB games. But, they always have a loaded lineup of games every Saturday - many of which involve BCS conference games. Even though I am a season ticket holder for my alma mater (NC State), I'm also a CFB junkie and find myself flipping to ESPNU HD often when I am at home on a CFB Saturday. Now that I have had ESPNU HD for a year, I just can't consider a provider that doesn't carry it (as much as I might want to). I hope Dish and Direct TV will add it so they will be viable alternatives for me in the future.

Disney has farmed out seven of its football games, apparently on Saturday nights, to the Fox RSNs in the SEC area.

Like I said there will be a "ton" of SEC games on ESPN. I'm just hoping that directv gets ESPNU HD up soon.

I totally understand how the network deals work, with the 8- and 12-day selection windows for many games. And I guess I should have been more specific: at the moment there are no SEC vs. SEC games on the ESPNU schedule.

But the original post about "a ton" of SEC games on ESPNU seemed to contain at least a little hyperbole. As the SEC says ityself about its various TV contracts: "ESPN, ESPN2 - the SEC's national cable provider, may televise up to 18 regular season games each year, with a minimum of nine on ESPN through the season." You will notice there was no mention at all of ESPNU, even though the SEC site lists the Kentucky game on its schedule.

The SEC website probably just hasn't been updated since the new ESPN contract was signed. Like I said above, the new contract guarantees at least 13 games every year, which averages out to about one a week. That is a significant amount of coverage.

Yup, I'd expect to see the SEC website updated and a lot more clarity on the various TV schedules after SEC Media Days this week. I'm really interested to see what % of games will end up in HD, should be everything that doesn't get relegated to the 1 PPV game allowed per team, and I'm hopeful that nothing aside from the matches against I-AA teams will end up on ESPN360.

maybe i do not know

The point is will DirecTV be adding ESPNU HD soon. They just now added ESPNU to the other packages. That's good, but PQ is mediocre. Time to step up and offer it in HD.

I would imagine it will be added on 3/31/10, one day before their deadline of end of Q1 '10. If they could have added it sooner, they wouldn't have picked a deadline date that was something like 9 months from the announcement date. I believe this was said in the same press release that said ESPNU would be carried by Comcast.

Meanwhile, another season of college football and college basketball passes by without HD.

Slightly OT, but within the realm of this thread,

I read that ESPN Plus will produce syndicated college hoops games for the first time in HD this season. I'm guessing something like SEC and/or Big East games of the week, the feed will be availible in HD.

Also every college basketball game but 1(the 4am ET game from Hawaii next week) on ESPN will be in HD. ESPN2 will be increasing HD games by 3x or something big.

I'm sure most, if not all, the SEC games will be produced in HD. ESPN paid the SEC a big chunk of change to broadcast their games nationally and regionally. I have seen HD football games for the regional package shown on local stations as well as Fox Sports South and other ESPN channels. I expect to see the same for basketball. Which is why the addition of ESPNU HD on DirecTV would be better sooner rather than later.

Slightly OT, but within the realm of this thread,

I read that ESPN Plus will produce syndicated college hoops games for the first time in HD this season. I'm guessing something like SEC and/or Big East games of the week, the feed will be availible in HD.

Also every college basketball game but 1(the 4am ET game from Hawaii next week) on ESPN will be in HD. ESPN2 will be increasing HD games by 3x or something big.

Do you have a link confirming that info?

If thats the case, what RSNs carry the Big East Network that are also in HD on Dish? I know MASN does, but Dish still doesnt have MASN-HD.

Still waiting for ESPNU HD on D*- anyone hear any updates about it? Hating when they have my Terps on ESPNUgly- I will be going to the game at CP but I like to watch the game at home just to hear the commentary and catch anything I missed.

Well, they have a new satellite that has been launched and should begin testing soon. The rumor is that once it is operational (a couple more months maybe), that they should be adding some missing HDTV channels. They already have announced via press release that they have a deal to air ESPNU HD in 2010, so it seems like ESPNU HD should be one of the first ones up. Hopefully.

If thats the case, what RSNs carry the Big East Network that are also in HD on Dish? I know MASN does, but Dish still doesnt have MASN-HD.

Can you get SNY HD on Dish? I know they carry the Big East Network games.

Nope, none of the Big East affiliates are available in HD on Dish.