Iowa State Univ. AD Jamie Pollard's "desire to air additional football games on athletic program specific TV channels led to the Oct. 18 Iowa State at Texas game to air on the Longhorn Network and Cyclones.tv," according to Bobby La Gesse of the AMES TRIBUNE. The contest will "air on the networks because both ISU and Texas were seeking to get an additional football game on its own TV channel." Pollard: “We want to be able to give those people that bought into Cyclones.tv more bang for their buck. We thought this was a really good way to do that.” La Gesse notes Big 12 TV contracts "allow ISU to control the distribution rights to one football game each season," which airs on Cyclones.tv and is shown on Mediacom, a cable provider that "delivers the channel primarily in Iowa." The Toledo game on Oct. 11 was "already designated as that contest." If a Big 12 team is to play a conference game on the Longhorn Network, it must "give prior approval." Pollard said that the "stipulation was created for the Texas channel, but can be used by any two conference members who want to air a Big 12 contest on a third-tier network." But moving a second contest to Cyclones.tv means fans without Mediacom or who do not pay $9.95 for a monthly online subscription to the channel "won’t be able to see" 16.7 % of ISU's football season. Pollard said, “That is part of growing the brand. I want them to do that. If watching the game isn’t worth $10 do they really want to watch it?” Big 12 TV contracts "restrict anyone outside the state of Iowa from watching the contest online" (AMES TRIBUNE, 7/9). Pollard: "The exposure we're getting on Cyclones.tv is helping increase season-ticket sales and donations to our athletic programs." He added, "We get to show a quality Big 12 football game. That's a big deal for us" (DES MOINES REGISTER, 7/9).
