[Husker] TV scheduling (fwd)

[Mike Nolan]

> In an interview yesterday on Omaha radio 1620AM Houston's AD said that ESPN 
> would help Houston find a replacement game.  This bothers me.  Has a 
> network ever before "helped" a school fill out its schedule?

I think it's happened to the Huskers, as I recall TV was trying to help
set up a good matchup in one of the pre-season 'classic' games for the 
Huskers a few years ago.  

I also think there was a bit of politicking by the networks when teams
were filling out their 12th game in the first two years of that 
scheduling rule.

I don't know that it's had much real impact on the schedules, though.  

As others have noted, the cash flow differences between a televised road 
game and a non-televised home game against a lesser opponent weigh VERY
HEAVILY in favor of the home game, at least for those 'name' schools that 
could sell 60,000 tickets to see their team wash its laundry.  

And the Huskers are still in that club, for now. 
--
Mike Nolan