I found this post on HerdFans.com it was posted by a well known ESPN local.....

"Not sure who you were quoting as an insider (actually, I think I do know) but
for the past
20 years I've been involved in almost every telecast of an MU game first in the
old days of
WMUL-TV, then WPBY, WSAZ, LBN, FamilyNet, Creative Sports, WVAH, WOWK, ESPN,
ESPN+,
ESPN GamePlan, Fox, FSN, KBL, SportSouth, etc.............here's the deal:

ESPN owns the national rights and first pick for 10 CUSA games and the
Championship
game, after that CSTV owns ALL rights..........no CUSA controlled game can
appear on
ESPNU or GamePlan or ESPN360 or any of the other ESPN
platforms.............basicly that's
the deal CUSA negotiated, similar to the Mountain West next year, except CUSA
did retain
a solid ESPN package in both FB and BB at an very solid rights fee.

Due to the new contract NO MU/CUSA games (meaning home games or away games at
CUSA venues) after the 10 national games are picked will appear on any ESPN
platform....period..................games like MU @ Va Tech COULD be picked up
as part of the
12 day pick process........if not picked nationally by ESPN or ESPN2, look for
that game to
be on ESPNU.............

I hope no one reads this as "sour grapes", ESPN/ABC made a terrific offer to
CUSA for all
national and cable rights, CUSA elected (and they had the advice of a top
television
consultant) to split their rights and maximize their financial
guarantees......did they take a
risk, maybe........but they made a business decision and time will tell whether
or not it was
a good one..........the unfortunate thing for MU is that had they taken the
other
opportunity, CUSA would not only have an national ESPN/ESPN2 package, but they
would
also have a game of the week on ESPNU and MU (along with others) would have
strong
local/regional ESPN+ packages and GamePlan options.............and our newest
network
ESPN360 and GamePlan online would have had access to anyother game not
televised............additionally ESPN Classic this year launches live FB
telecasts of historically
significant games 2 per Saturday each week of the season on its 60+ million home
network.......imagine a reairing of the ESPN Original Entertainment documentary
"Remembering Marshall" followed by ECU's first visit to Huntington in over 35
years,
followed by a re-airing of the MU/ECU GMAC Bowl "Classic"......would have
happened, but
now can't.

By the way:

Look for ESPNU and Dish Network to agree to carriage before FB season
starts.........ESPNU
should be in over 7 million homes by FB season as compared to about 9 million
for CSTV,
who is having real problems adding homes.............

CSTV is talking to several alternative service providers to add homes to the
CUSA
package..............including a possible PPV option.........year 1 of
the CSTV/CUSA deal will be problematical and likely frustrating, but they are
working on a
number of options.

Again, the days of the ESPN+ Marshall Network are over, many of you have argued
over
the years that it was a two edged sword to the program anyway........lack of tv
on home
games and a beefed up home schedule are what many have argued (often very
articulately)
for over the years.......this year that will likely be the case.........CSTV is
scheduled to
televise several MU games and ESPN Networks will televise two, so MU will not be
without
National coverage, but they will lack the kind of constant regional and national
exposure
that both Jim Donnan and Bob Pruett often said was the "lifeblood" of the
program................"