You have to remember that college football is a business. A big billion-dollar business. And because of all that money behind the game, no one outside of Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore., really witnessed UCLA’s stinging loss Saturday to Oregon State.
The game was blacked out here because of a contractual agreement between the Pac-10 Conference and the television network ABC. Part of the agreement stipulates that while ABC is broadcasting a game in the 12:30-3:30 p.m. time slot, no Pac-10 game may be televised on a separate network.
The Pac-10 signed a five-year deal with the network in 2005. The contract is worth $125 million ““ money that is shared among the 10 Pac-10 schools.
The agreement allows ABC to choose the games it televises about two weeks in advance. This selection process largely dictates the kickoff times of all five Pac-10 games each week ““ even those that are not chosen.
This time, ABC chose the Arizona State-California game for the 12:30 time slot. Normally, if a Pac-10 game is not selected for that kickoff time, it will choose a time later in the afternoon, so that another network may still carry a live telecast.
But that didn’t happen in the case of UCLA-Oregon State.
The Oregon State football team has an agreement with the school that if their Homecoming game is not selected by a network, it will automatically start at 1 p.m. Because that was the case, the 1 p.m. game time was set. And because of the ABC exclusivity agreement, the game could not be televised until 3:30 p.m.
This “blackout” policy may have made sense years ago. Without the Internet, it may have been reasonable to think fans would watch a game delayed two and a half hours without naturally wondering what was really happening.
Today, that’s not the case. Computers and cell phones have changed the way fans follow their teams. Most diehards probably knew by 4 p.m. that the Bruins had suffered a heartbreaking 26-19 defeat. At that time, the Fox Sports Net delayed telecast was still in the first quarter.
It’s a complicated scenario, but it boils down to a simple point ““ no one was able to truly enjoy this UCLA game. It’s not UCLA’s fault, or Oregon State’s, for that matter. It’s just the way the business works.
But still, it’s frustrating. Even as I watched, I felt like I couldn’t really experience the game. I already knew its outcome. Who wants to watch three hours of football when you already know everything that will happen?
The funny part is, this game was by far the most entertaining Bruin contest of the season, especially from a television standpoint.
UCLA had only played in one other close game this season, a 19-15 win at Tennessee. But that was a slow, defensive battle.
The Oregon State game was a thriller.
Coach Rick Neuheisel’s team finally showed some mettle, battling back from a 19-3 hole in the fourth quarter to tie things up at 19-19. Quarterback Kevin Prince finally started to look like a budding star.
He completed 22 of his 34 passing attempts (65 percent), threw for 323 yards, and connected on two touchdown passes. And wide receiver Nelson Rosario broke out of an awful October slump. He finished with 152 receiving yards, including a 58-yard touchdown catch.
Ultimately, the Bruin defense couldn’t contain Oregon State’s playmakers. The Beavers scored the winning touchdown with just 44 seconds remaining.
Tailback Jacquizz Rodgers was the star. I’d say Jacquizz is probably the best player in the Pac-10 right now ““ or at least the most dangerous. He showed it Saturday, burning the Bruins for a combined 201 yards rushing and receiving.
Jacquizz’s brother, James Rodgers, finished with 106 yards receiving.
All told, it’s the fifth straight loss for UCLA. If people had seen it live, they might think of the huge improvements the Bruins showed on offense. Instead, it will just feel like another deflating defeat for the average UCLA fan or student.
And for me, it’s a reminder that college football’s bottom line isn’t about wins or losses. It’s about dollars.
E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu.