The Meaningful Collateral

You wanna see Wednesday’s Indiana vs. Wisconsin showdown? No problem! Just tune in the Big Ten Network … wait, you don’t have that? Oh … sorry, out of luck.

And finally, FINALLY, a Big Ten school trustee (Indiana University) is pissed.

Phil Eskew told The Indianapolis Star he believes not enough people know what’s actually in the tv channel’s deal with the conference, and after a year-a-half of negotiating SOMETHING should be fixed about these games seen by 12 people:

“I’m very frustrated that this deal has not been done,” Eskew said. “We can’t keep going on like this.”

And because no one save the extended family of IU coach Kelvin Sampson actually gets the channel, Eskew wants to see if IU can get out of the deal. After the jump, the money IU is getting and why it’ll never want out of this deal.

What’s interesting is what The Star uncovered: IU Vice President Neil Theobald confirmed the league has a 20-year contract with the channel, and this year will receive $6.12 million. Think IU is looking to get out of the deal like Eskew wants? Not likely: The school has already used the expected contract money to issue $45 million in bonds for academic facilities.

Because, of course, you want to build facilities that will be put on a channel no one sees.

The Star requested a copy of the channel’s contract with the Big Ten, but since the conference isn’t a state agency, it denied the paper’s request.

Oh BTW, no major cable carrier has picked up BTN on it’s expanded basic cable lineup (Insight Cable does have it in a sports package, though). And on Wednesday, when IU hosts Wisconsin, the Badgers will open the Kohl Center and put the game on a big screen.

Which is just what students there want to do: Walk in below zero temperatures to an empty arena. You stay classy, Big Ten Network.