San Diego State University AD Rick Bay agreed to reschedule
a game scheduled for Saturday, September 21 at Jack Murphy
Stadium to 8:05pm PT, thus forgoing an ABC regional telecast,
according to Graney & Quindt of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. ABC
officials notified Bay that the network "won't hold the conflict
against SDSU" and would try to schedule another WAC game so that
the conference wouldn't lose out on a $350,000 payoff, of which
SDSU would have received $50,000. The move was necessitated
because the Fox network told the Padres that they must play at
1:05pm PT on the same day so that their game versus the Dodgers
at Jack Murphy Stadium can be the West Coast's Game of the Week.
Bay: "I have a good legal position with respect to MLB and Fox.
But trying to enforce that could have resulted in the Padres
possibly suffering some competitive or financial penalties. ...
This (outcome) is the lesser of two evils." Fox issued a
statement: "All along we maintained this game would be broadcast
on Fox, so this is no surprise to us." Options are already being
explored for October 5 & 12, when the Padres may have home
playoff games at the same time as other SDSU home games (SAN
DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/12).
