Michigan vs. Maryland and Michigan State vs. Rutgers? Just two examples...these guys were likely on more than once. No, the Michigan cable subscribers would have a big problem with that. The B1G Network has the providers over a barrel because if they refuse to carry the network people will switch. That is how these conference networks thrive. Get it? Same goes for Wisconsin and Wisconsin games, Ohio and Ohio State games (yes, they have been on there), etc. Even against total patsies, they need to see the games. They have such huge, loyal fanbases that they even get viewership outside of the footprint, though, much less and at a much less subscriber rate.

So go down the ACC roster. What state(s) in the ACC footprint would have mass hysteria / cable switching if they didn't have access to a tier-3 football game? Not many. I'll give you VA and NC due to the ACC absolutely owning those states having 6 teams. Might get some pushback in SC and FL but those states are not fully devoted to those schools like the B1G has in most of their states. What % of Florida cable subscribers are FSU fans? 15%? That is including bandwagon fans there only for the big games. What percentage of that would go through the effort of changing providers if they missed a game against Wake? 2%?

If the ACC Network would be so successful it would already be done. ESPN would have jumped at the chance to make more money. They smartly put all their eggs in the SEC basket who had their legions of fans bully providers during negotiations. ACC would have had a major struggle getting carriage on their own. I can just hear a lone Syracuse fan in the distance crying about not being able to see Syracuse vs. Wake.

You seem to be looking at this from your biased lens "NCSU vs. GT looks like a good game to me" and not how these networks actually work and get carriage "if you don't get B1G Network on your channel lineup me and hundreds of thousands will switch." The fact that you think selecting BC in lieu of the other schools available was some tragic mistake speaks to this. I wished they didn't get BC but it had no affect on the bottom line.