VERSUS May Land College Hockey

[Rink Rage]

There could be a national college hockey package coming to Versus this season.
Numerous sources have indicated that Versus is discussing the possibility of televising regular-season college hockey games, beginning in January. What conferences would be involved, or what night the games would be shown (either Friday or Saturday) is unclear right now. Versus, part of the NBC Sports Group, is the cable home of the NHL. A few months ago, the NBC Sports Group signed a 10-year deal to keep the NHL on NBC and Versus.
A Versus spokesman declined comment.

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/versus-may-land-college-hockey/

Just what I ordered.

Click to read more...

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Sweat. The more hockey on TV, the better.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

That would be amazing.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Not a big VERSUS fan.

Just an FYI for those with like Digital Cable...

ESPNU shows a game every Sunday and CBS College station shows one every Friday and I get various FOX Sports channels that show them too.

 

[sh724]

It might be good but really it depends on what conferences they get and what games they get.

 

[I Am The Mole]

As of right now how much college hockey is being nationally televised on a network as easily accesible as VS.?

How many of those games receive any advertising or exposure? VS. has the opportunity to do something amazing for US Hockey here, let's hope these rumors are true.

 

[StatesideSensFan]

As of right now how much college hockey is being nationally televised on a network as easily accesible as VS.?

How many of those games receive any advertising or exposure? VS. has the opportunity to do something amazing for US Hockey here, let's hope these rumors are true.

You are looking at maybe 4 a week on TV. Most Minnesota games are on, Fox Detroit will show a CCHA game quite often and the GLI, and then CBS College shows their game. I think i remember NHL Network US showing a few games too.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Those are all on digital channels, namely ones that tend to require a sports package.


The only college games on basic cable in the average setting each year is the Frozen Four on the ESPNs.

 

[Mwd711]

You are looking at maybe 4 a week on TV. Most Minnesota games are on, Fox Detroit will show a CCHA game quite often and the GLI, and then CBS College shows their game. I think i remember NHL Network US showing a few games too.

Also, Big Ten Network shows at least one game per week. ESPNU usually shows a game every Sunday afternoon. Fox College Sports which is on digital cable shows several games per week. Regionally, NESN, Root Sports Rocky Mtn., Comcast Local, Time Warner Sports New York, Ohio News Network, and the Fighting Sioux Sports Network all show games along with FS North and FS Detroit.

Those are all on digital channels, namely ones that tend to require a sports package.
The only college games on basic cable in the average setting each year is the Frozen Four on the ESPNs.

For the most part you're correct, but in many places Versus is also on the digital package. In some cases, especially in the midwest, BTN is on basic cable. On DirecTV, BTN and ESPNU are on a lower tier than Versus.

 

[TimmytheTank]

Are the people that are on here listing all the places 1 or 2 games can be seen per week in certain areas actually suggesting that VS committing to showing College Hockey regularly to a national audience isn't a great, great thing? In my opinion, if you have other options, thats fantastic for you, but here in the northeast, NESN shows a game or two a week, if that. More coverage, and national coverage, would be fantastic for the sport. In the areas where VS is on lower tier packages it's making college hockey more readily available and I have a feeling that with the VS transition to NBC Sports, it will be making the transition to basic cable in a large number of markets.

I personally, get NESN and VS, but not ESPNU or CBS College, or any of the other regional stations, and I'm excited to get to see some of the other great teams around the country, prior to the NCAA tournaments.

 

[Mwd711]

Are the people that are on here listing all the places 1 or 2 games can be seen per week in certain areas actually suggesting that VS committing to showing College Hockey regularly to a national audience isn't a great, great thing? In my opinion, if you have other options, thats fantastic for you, but here in the northeast, NESN shows a game or two a week, if that. More coverage, and national coverage, would be fantastic for the sport. In the areas where VS is on lower tier packages it's making college hockey more readily available and I have a feeling that with the VS transition to NBC Sports, it will be making the transition to basic cable in a large number of markets.

I personally, get NESN and VS, but not ESPNU or CBS College, or any of the other regional stations, and I'm excited to get to see some of the other great teams around the country, prior to the NCAA tournaments.

It's good for the sport. My only issue is that it's not going to do anything to make Versus grow as a network. I don't think adding college hockey raises the network's profile at all or will help it move to basic cable. As we are debating in the other Versus thread, you need major sports to do that and college hockey isn't a major sport nationally.