ACC watching Big Ten TV developments
The Big Ten is putting together its own TV network - and the Atlantic Coast Conference will be watching how it works out.
"It's one of those things where the Big Ten will be a trailblazer, and that's to their credit," ACC commissioner John Swofford told the Landmark News Service for a story published over the weekend.
Swofford said the ACC won't be able to consider making the move that the Big Ten did because its television contracts don't run out until 2010-2011.
"The rest of us will get to learn a bit from what they do because of the timing," Swofford said.
The risk involved in setting up a conference-specific cable channel will be what Swofford and others in college sports will be paying the closest attention to.
"Obviously, the Big Ten isn't moving away from their ESPN and ABC contracts. They're even expanding them. But they will have some events on the Big Ten channel. They'll have some things on there that were on cable or in syndication that will no longer be there. But they'll also have events that weren't getting any exposure," Swofford said.
- Chris Graham