At least three on TV
Florida Atlantic will have at least three football games on TV this season.
Originally published on
5/19/2009
by
Marcus Nelson
Florida Atlantic will have its football games at Troy, at FIU and one other game, possibly the game at Louisiana-Lafayette, televised this season, according to Athletic Director Craig Angelos.
“I like that we'll have some road games televised and I hope people will still come to the FIU game and not stay at home to watch it on TV,” Angelos said from Destin, where he is attending Sun Belt Conference meetings this week, where the TV schedule was finalized.
Angelos said he is also trying to have the FAU season opener at Nebraska on Sept. 5 and the game at South Carolina on Sept. 19 shown in South Florida, as well.
“We are still working to get some of the guarantee games televised as well, but we have to deal with the Big 12 and the SEC on those,” Angelos said.
The Owls play the Trojans on Nov. 21 and FIU on Dec. 5 and the game vs. The Ragin’ Cajuns is Oct. 24. The games will likely be on CSS.
After appearing on ESPN2 in midweek games twice last season, FAU was not selected to play in the Sun Belt Conference games on national TV this season.
Athletic Directors are also discussing the number of games on the conference football schedule when South Alabama joins the league in 2013. The Sun Belt is exploring either playing an eight or nine-game schedule.
Sun Belt teams have played seven conference games, but will play eight league games when Western Kentucky joins the SBC this season. With South Alabama expected to join the conference as the 10th member in football in 2013, it’s possible the conference schedule will be nine games.
However, in a 12-game schedule that would mean one less non-conference game, which can bring more money to each school.
“I think it would be advantageous to play nine games, but you have to get that balance of home and away games,” Angelos said. “It would probably mean playing one less home-and-home game against a team from Conference USA.”
While discussion began this week, no decision on the number of games is expected during the meetings.
The conference is also exploring changing the conference schedule of 18 games to possibly either 16 or 14 conference games in men’s basketball. Also under consideration is having all rounds of the men’s and women’s basketball tournament played at the site of the finals instead of the current format of having the first round games at campus sites.