Debate all you want about the best conference for college basketball, but there’s no argument that the Big Ten is No. 1 when it comes to television.
The Big Ten is the only conference tournament to have both of its semifinal games and final on network television–CBS. WBBM-Ch. 2 will have a Big Ten double-header Saturday, kicking off at 1:30 p.m., and the finals Sunday at 2 p.m., which will lead into CBS’ selection show coverage. The network’s A team, Jim Nantz and Billy Packer, will be on the call.
By contrast the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East tournament games are on ESPN. Not that there’s anything wrong with ESPN, but the networks provide more exposure, which is the name of the game in college basketball.
It doesn’t matter that the Big Ten has struggled in the NCAA tournament. Television wants the league.
“It’s a reflection of where our basketball programming is,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said. “At a time when we haven’t been exactly knocking down the doors in postseason, this speaks to the strength of the Big Ten.”
Those strengths are a huge TV market, stretching from Pennsylvania into Iowa, with cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. The league has a strong and loyal basketball following.
The combination translates into a large audience. Last year’s conference final drew a 3.5 rating, which was CBS’ highest for the year before the NCAA tournament.
“The Big Ten is such an intense region for basketball,” said Mike Aresco, CBS’ vice president of programming for college sports. “It works so well for television. We made a huge commitment to the Big Ten, and we don’t regret it. The Big Ten always delivers.”
