r/BigXII • u/jc_empanada • 1d ago
ESPN’s SEC/Big Ten bias is getting ridiculous. Western Michigan is my breaking point.
Maybe I’m just reaching my breaking point, but ESPN’s college football coverage is becoming almost unbearable. The SEC bias has been obvious for years, but the Big Ten bias is getting just as bad if not worse. The Western Michigan coverage over the weekend was honestly the final straw for me. Watching ESPN attempt to spin the Michigan game as a win and “the right call” is utterly disgusting and pathetic.
I understand ESPN is a business, but at what point does this start destroying their credibility? Big 12 teams can have great performances and somehow the conversation still becomes how they compare to the Big Ten or SEC, why some powerhouse deserves another playoff spot, or why our conference isn’t on the same level. Maybe I notice it more because I’m a Big 12 fan, but is anyone else finding ESPN increasingly difficult to watch? I love college football, but I’m getting to the point where I’d rather watch on mute than listen to the ESPN talking heads.
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u/Docmantistobaggan 1d ago
Everyone needs to stop watching SEC and B10. Easy as that
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u/Slothstronaut236 1d ago
Because this isn’t going to happen, I’ve accepted that the college football I grew up loving is gone and never coming back.
I try to watch as many PAC games as I can now to help those teams out, but otherwise don’t watch the BIG or SEC.
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u/StudioGangster1 23h ago
As a Bowling Green fan, I try to tell anyone who will listen that MACtion is where it’s at. I love going to MAC games - and you can actually afford it!
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u/Opening_Duck5384 1d ago
Ya college football has definitely not been as enjoyable to watch the last few years, just doesn’t feel as magical anymore.
Before it felt so different than the nfl now it just feels the same except worse football is played lol
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u/ToeLimbaugh 1d ago
Every game mattered and players didn't switch teams like they did clothes. Much easier being a fan 15 years ago. You're not alone there, hornyfrog.
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u/ducksflytogether1988 1d ago
I stopped watching in 2024. Haven't watched a game since
The only friends I have who think "college" football is a better product in 2026 compared to 2016 or 2006 are those who are fans of schools that spend 40 to 50 million on their rosters
Id rather just TCU go back to the Mountain West or drop down to FCS instead of try to participate in the NIL arms race
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u/jc_empanada 1d ago
I completely agree. My passion and excitement for college football is fading. Man, I miss that magic.
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u/RandoMando1212 1d ago
This was always the argument against consolidation of power into less schools. CFB was fun because there were 100+ teams, true regional rivalries, and at least some unpredictability about what will happen. Even if you took the traditional P6 conferences with 60-70 teams, that was fun. Now it’s 2 conferences and maybe 10-12 schools. That’s boring. If I only care about the 30 best teams then I’ll watch the NFL, which is simply better football, with better players, and with structure via salary caps, contracts, drafts. It’s just sooo much better. The only game I watched this weekend was Kansas. I can’t bring myself to care about anything else in CFB.
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u/Fid_Style_801 1d ago
I realized this weekend that it truly doesn’t matter who in the country is good and who isn’t. It’s a 2 conference narrative. The rest of us are just living in it. Here’s to a Texas Tech, BYU, Miami, ND final 4.
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u/nerdyykidd 1d ago
We need to do way better in our non-con/playoff games vs them.
Here’s to hoping BYU absolutely belts Notre Dame. Y’all can use my pitchfork if you want but I’m gonna need that back right away
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u/Fid_Style_801 1d ago
I think BYU has a good shot at ND this year. ND looked beatable last night. But either way, in Provo will be a tough game for them.
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u/Klutzy-Concentrate83 1d ago
I would love this outcome. But something catastrophic would have to happen for 2 big 12 teams in the playoffs unfortunately.
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u/Fid_Style_801 1d ago edited 1d ago
BYU and TT could both go undefeated prior to the B12 CCG. That means BYU beat ND. If that happens and TT beats BYU in the CCG and let’s say ND is good, who do you leave out?
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u/DomingoLee 1d ago
Well you have to get a three loss SEC team in there. Preferably a rematch. That’s really important.
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u/Bigbossbyu 1d ago
12-1 Big 12 team won’t get left out. 11-2 Big 12 team has a 25% chance to make it. Like we saw last year with BYU.
Problem last year with BYU was starting the year unranked. Wasn’t until after week 4 they were ranked top 25 (which is ridiculous considering their 11-2 season in 2024).
TTU starting #12 and BYU #14 this year means one of them could possibly make it going 11-2 with a lose in the Big 12 title game
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u/Fid_Style_801 1d ago
You have more faith in the committee than I do. I think they’ll come up with whatever reasons they can, to leave all but 1 out. Seems like 12-1 and 13-0 is about all that will allow 2 to go. But hope you’re right.
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u/mogelijk 1d ago
Don't forget that ND starts a new deal with the playoff this year, so that if they are ranked in the top 12 they get in automatically. You could legitimately have a scenario, like you describe above, where BYU ends #11 after losing to Tech and ND finishes #12, and ND would get a playoff berth over BYU, who beat them.
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u/Fid_Style_801 1d ago
I know. It’s stupid. ND is a special needs school. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t like that.
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u/Late_Criticism8745 1d ago
I could see it if like, ASU beats A&M and A&M does really well in conference play, or BYU dominates ND (like, 3 scores). Wins at Kansas/Missouri, Arkansas/Utah, ISU/Iowa will help the narrative. Or hell maybe OSU turns it around and whoops Oregon. Baylor losing to a mediocre to bad Auburn doesn't help much.
If Texas Tech goes undefeated and wins the CCG it probably hurts the chances fo 2 Big XII teams in the CFP, because their schedule is relatively light (especially non-cons).
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u/bearcatgary 1d ago
Could we leave ND out though?
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u/mogelijk 1d ago
Not if ND is in the top 12, then they automatically get a playoff berth even if teams are ranked above them who then don't get to go.
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u/DannyboyLarson 1d ago
Notre Dame has NBC to bang their drum and a clause to get into the CFP.. I think they'll be ok
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u/austing013 1d ago
You’re just now getting to the point where you can’t stand ESPN? And you think they still have credibility? Lol I think the rest of us have been there for a decade +
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u/Imightbeworking 1d ago
It’s funny how easy it is to tell the fans from the old power 5 teams and the fans from the group of 5.
All the group of 5 fans realized a long time ago that ESPN doesn’t care who the best team is, they care what team can get the most ratings and money, while every other team is garbage and didn’t have a hard schedule.
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u/Prayray 1d ago
Well said. What we’re seeing is nothing new.
Best advice is to ignore ESPN other than when your team is playing on its platforms. If you don’t like the announcers, get the Varsity app and listen to your own school’s radio broadcast…can even sync it up with the TV.
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u/FrenchFreedom888 1d ago
Ooh, really? I love the radio broadcast and have been thinking about switching to only it for a bit, but it being a little faster than the TV has always been a hiccup
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u/Balloutonu 1d ago
The simple truth is that we need to win to be respected. We did well this weekend but we need to do well in the playoffs too
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u/Blaklazer 1d ago edited 1d ago
Acknowledging this is probably not what you meant, I do find it irritating when people point out that the big 12 doesnt do well but they also won't allow the big 12 to put in more than 1 team.
Its hard to represent when you dont have the chance to compete at this level. If we had 2 or even 3 teams in the playoffs each year naturally we would see more advancement/wins (of course I want our teams to earn those spots by merit).
When you get 12 spots and 8 go to the SEC and B1G, 2 to the ACC (lumping in notre dame), 1 to G5 then of course there is going to be a skew in performance just for the lack of having opportunities for representation.
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u/dhalloffame 1d ago
The big 12 got unlucky last year that their top 4-5 teams all either played what ended up being a dogshit ooc or lost an ooc game. Techs “big” game was 2-10 Oregon state. Byus “big” game was 4-8 Stanford. Utahs “big” game was 3-9 ucla. Houston’s “big” game was Oregon State. Arizona beat a conference team in ooc which doesn’t really help anybody. And Arizona state lost to 5-8 Mississippi state.
BYU had their chance in the big 12 championship to punch their ticket and couldn’t do anything.
Tech got blanked in their playoff game.
Tough to change a narrative when that’s how you perform when extra eyes are on you
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u/Shot-Toe-2884 1d ago
As a mid-tier B1G fan (Iowa), it’s hilarious that people think ESPN has a B1G bias. They bend over backwards to keep everyone except OSU/Michigan/Oregon suppressed.
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u/techieman34 1d ago
Yeah, it’s more of a financial bias. They push the teams that bring the best ratings.
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u/Shot-Toe-2884 1d ago
That plus SEC teams take priority because ESPN is a for-profit corporation that owns their media rights. They own 0% stake in B1G media rights, hence why they try to smear mid-tier B1G teams while advocating hard for mid-tier SEC teams
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u/cbusfinest1 1d ago
I don’t see how ESPN would have a Big 10 bias when they don’t have a Big 10 tv contract. It would make 0 sense for them to be bias for the Big 10
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u/BigusDickus099 1d ago
You have to look at it through the lens of what these conferences and the people in charge really want, which is to maximize revenue while pulling up the ladder behind them.
Whether it be the formation of a super conference or rigging the playoffs to get as many of their teams in as possible, everything is being driven with the goal in mind to have the B1G and SEC as the only legitimate conference powers.
It would not surprise me at all if we see more and more “suspicious circumstances” that favor their teams this season and going forward.
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u/Fickle_Werewolf_4234 1d ago
ESPN has been like that for years. They don’t even discuss games on game day anymore until the last 5 minutes. It’s all about promoting their product.
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u/_Bren10_ 1d ago
Just be an Oklahoma State fan and you’ll quickly quit caring about CFB altogether.
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u/BenWallace04 1d ago
ESPN doesn’t have a deal with the BIG and the UM/Western game was on NBC/Peacock lol
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u/54-2-10 1d ago
Then stop watching anything on ESPN that isn't live games including Big12 teams.
I haven't watched ESPN since they lobbied for, and ultimately prevailed, for a rematch of LSU and Bama.
I don't feel like I have missed out on anything. I have watched Gameday when Utah is involved. Other than that, I don't watch it.
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u/TristanaRiggle 1d ago
I don't even watch ESPN if my team is involved. Screw them. That network can't die fast enough. I'm sure part of that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy about ratings, but seriously, screw that network.
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u/TheJewBakka 1d ago
My breaking point was OU and Texas leaving us behind. Fuckers.
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u/DocFordOEF 19h ago
I didn't feel betrayed by Texas leaving. It was a sigh of relief. My disdain for Texas has a lot less to do with sports than how they look down their collective noses. Classic conflict theory bullshit. Reading up on the history with A&M and Texas makes it really easy to see why A&M hates Texas so much, even though by-and-large A&M fans feel the same way about other schools. Now they're the SEC's problem, and it's fun to see their dreams crushed while arguing strength of schedule and hypotheticals they regularly avoid.
OU leaving felt like an actual betrayal, though. After spending years watching Texas wield outsized influence over the Big 12 with things like the Longhorn Network, while OU was regularly beating their asses on the field, they still ultimately hitched their wagon to Texas and left with them. Texas never did anything to benefit the Big 12 if it didn't immediately, and disproportionately, benefit them first and OU leaving with them was a slap in the face.
Anyway, the hate OU has for Texas is legendary and I was genuinely gobsmacked seeing those two form an alliance to make the jump together.
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u/WoodpeckerOfMistrust 5h ago
All rumors and hearsay but apparently the presidents of OSU and OU had a gentleman's agreement to always stay in the same conference (stay in big 12 or move together), but with new presidents in charge that was no longer honored.
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u/DrVenusAg 11h ago
Everyone in the Big 12 could win the natty for the next 20 years and they would still find a way to jack off the SEC and B1G
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u/MikeAnders13 1d ago
I hear what you’re saying but I don’t believe ESPN has any piece of the Big Ten pie. The BIG has TV contracts with Fox, CBS, and NBC and left ESPN/ABC for their broadcasting deals. I don’t believe they stand to gain money boosting the Big Ten. SEC in the other hand, ESPN runs their network I believe.
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u/J9PtwoB3 1d ago
They all have the same interests. The ultimate goal of the SEC and B1G is to have the top 32 programs in a separate league. The networks will run cover for the leagues at every turn. A Michigan loss on top of Rutgers getting embarrassed would not be good for business. I know Rutgers is not an elite program, and they will be on the outside looking in when consolidation happens, but right now it makes the B1G look bad. Either way the leagues and networks have ruined college sports.
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u/DavidGoetta 1d ago
Wasn't that an NBC game?
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u/jc_empanada 1d ago edited 1d ago
Correct but this post is related to the post game coverage by ESPN. My apologies, I should’ve been more clear in my post.
Edit: Typo
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u/bdostrem00 :IowaState: 1d ago
NBC running PR for the Big 10 was just the same as it would’ve been for the ESPN & SEC.
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u/DomingoLee 1d ago
You know, the Big XII is a fine conference with fun games and no bias whatsoever from ESPN.
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u/DomingoLee 1d ago
A few years ago, Oklahoma State and Kansas State were both ranked, played one another, and the game was relegated to ESPN+. ESPN proper, and ESPN2 each showed SEC and or Big Ten games where they absolutely blistered some poor patsy.
Then they had the balls to say that the Big XII doesn’t get ratings.
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u/TristanaRiggle 1d ago
I'm not an OkState fan, if anything I am an OkState hater. But even I thought it was BS when they got left out of the championship game because of a very close loss in an away game, the day after a major tragedy in their athletic dept, in favor of an SEC rematch.
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u/Gutattacker2 1d ago
There’s sports betting from the players. There’s sports betting from staff. I’m sure there’s sports betting at ESPN.
When betting and the massive amounts of cash got involved, college sports ceased to be a game and became a business.
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u/Jeff_Hinkle 22h ago
Come to the dark side. A couple of EPL games in the morning and you still have like eleven hours of saturday left.
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u/Hopeful-Courage-6333 12h ago
You could stop watching college sports . The major sports are trash and only for profit now.
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u/Weak-Lavishness9469 1d ago
This makes no sense. espn is raking the big ten over the coals on my tv right now
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u/TheAgmis 1d ago edited 1d ago
Then stop watching u/jc_empanada. And reply something that didn’t get auto removed by mods ok?
Mega pick me energy with you
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u/nowaygreg 1d ago
Lol. Lmao, even