In some ways, it’s been a great year to be a Syracuse football fan. The Orangemen are 3-1 and boast one of the best running backs in the NCAA. But thousands of die-hards in the community haven’t even seen most of it happen.

Three out of the four Syracuse football games haven’t been shown on local television. But if you think that this is some injustice, some gross error on the part of the cable company, think again. It’s been this way since 1997. You just didn’t realize it.

Time Warner Cable, ESPN and the Big East Conference have been partners in showing SU football under the Bowl Championship Series agreement, which was reached six years ago. Each week, ESPN and ABC look at all the upcoming college football games in the country. The networks choose a select few to broadcast on national television.

Then, 12 days before the Saturday games, the ESPN syndicators choose which game will be shown for each conference. In the Big East’s case, one ‘Game of the Week’ is selected to be aired at noon Saturday in all of the Big East television markets, which include Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and others.

Last week, Virginia Tech vs. Connecticut was the ‘Game of the Week.’ It was shown on Time Warner’s Channel 26 in the Big East time slot.

‘In terms of agreement, another game can’t be shown at that point,’ said Rob Carolla, director of communications for the Big East.

When a Syracuse game is not nationally or regionally televised or on the ‘Game of the Week,’ it’s not shown live. Every SU game that is not shown live is shown in the Syracuse TV market the day after the game on Channel 26 at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

‘It is ESPN’s responsibility,’ said Mark Ballard, producer and director for Time Warner Sports. ‘Every league that exists signs a television contract with the syndicator. They own the rights to those products.’

In other words, the Big East and the ESPN syndicator chooses which games to air each week. If Syracuse is not included in the plans, that’s too bad.

‘Do I agree with it?’ Ballard said, ‘It’s not my opinion that matters.’

Neither is it the opinion of the fans, many of whom have not been able to see all of SU’s games. It has been a common misconception that every SU game should be shown on TV. The easiest way for a team to get on television every week is to win. Ballard said syndicators have been reluctant to show SU this season because of its 4-8 record last year. The same system has been intact since 1997 per BCS agreement. The only difference between then and now is the quality of Syracuse football.

‘This season, nobody scheduled (the Orangemen’s) games for television,’ Ballard said. ‘That might change because they’re 3-1.’

In fact, it has. ESPN announced Monday that the Syracuse game against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., on Oct. 11 will be shown either on ESPN or ESPN 2. The decision was made with national interest in mind. Certainly, Virginia Tech’s No. 4 ranking and SU running back Walter Reyes beginning to emerge as a Heisman Trophy candidate make for an intriguing matchup.

‘Louisville was not on anybody’s radar,’ Ballard said. ‘Toledo’s not on anybody’s radar. Those games don’t make it on regional or national TV.’

Before the season started, ABC selected to broadcast the Syracuse game against Notre Dame on Dec. 6. Besides the Virginia Tech game, that is the only SU game guaranteed to be televised. Throughout the season, the Big East is required to televise 10 games between conference teams.

When a Big East team plays a team from another conference, the television jurisdiction goes to the home team. For example, SU played Central Florida on Sept. 20 as part of the Big East ‘Game of the Week.’

‘College athletics is a business,’ Ballard said. ‘Being a business, it adheres to commercial restrictions.’

And with that comes the money, the power and the (remote) control.

‘The university doesn’t have the right anymore because they don’t own the league,’ Ballard said. ‘If you want to see the game, go to the arena.’

Published on September 30, 2003 at 12:00 pm