According to the Big 10 Network (owned by the Big 10), many fans are not being able to watch their favorite colleges play because Comcast is keeping the Big 10 Network off their programming. I don’t know why they would do something so heartless, but I imagine it has something to do with the $1.14 per household the Big 10 Network is asking. That would be the third most expensive TV contract for any cable channel, according to The Patriot News.

I tried emailing someone from the Big 10 Network asking them why they are such greedy bastards they will not let local college sports fans watch their own college in their own college town, but they had all their executive’s email addresses hiden and only had a form for email correspondence. They did have this message for people who were rightly mad that they can’t watch Big 10 games:

We encourage you to continue to tell Comcast that you want the Big Ten Network and that you don’t want to pay extra for it. If Comcast can afford to spend millions of advertising dollars to campaign against the network, can’t they afford to actually carry it? And if they don’t, you now have several alternatives from which to choose. Call 1-866-WANT-B10 today.

If, on the other hand, you actually care about Big 10 sports, you can call 312-665-0700 and annoy the Big 10 Network.

Since I couldn’t reach the Big 10 Network myself, I will list what I gathered from the Big 10 Network’s FAQ section:

Q: Why was the Big Ten Network created?

A: A few years ago, Big Ten Conference executives met with ABC/ESPN executives to discuss extending the conference’s football and basketball agreements that were expiring within a few years. The Big Ten was told that as part of a renewal, the conference would need to have more games than ever before appear on ESPN platforms that did not have widespread distribution are available on DirecTV, Comcast, Adelphia, and almost every other television provider, most of which do not carry the Big 10 Network.

Q: Why was the Big Ten Network created when fans used to watch the games for free?

A: The notion that all Big Ten games were on free, over-the-air TV is incorrect. In 2005 and 2006 2007, 13 41 Big Ten football games were not televised at all (to anyone with Comcast or Adelphia). During that same time, football games were moving from being regionally or locally syndicated so that they could be seen over the air stations to other ESPN platforms that were not widely available not paying us enough commissions.

Q: Why are cable companies saying the Big Ten Network wants me to pay extra to receive it?

A: It’s true that cable operators pay the network a fee to receive our programming. But it’s their decision as to whether they pass that cost on to consumers it’s our decision whether to pass the extra cost of building our own network on to the cable operators who in turn may have to pass it on to the consumers.

Q: How many people get the Big Ten Network?

A: Through distribution agreements with DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-Verse, Insight Communications, WideOpenWest, RCN, Service Electric and more than 150 cable operators across the country, However, we will not be satisfied until every potential subscriber in the Big Ten’s eight-state region is receiving the network every potential TV provider is giving us big bucks in exchange for a few games a week and a lot of terrible “original programming.”

Q: How will the Big Ten Network’s profits be distributed?

A: After a large sum is skimmed off for Big 10 executives, All fees and any other revenues from this venture will be shared equally among all 11 Big Ten institutions and the conference office. This increased financial support will help our schools to building much-needed new facilities 20,000 square-foot workout facilities for the football team.

Final question:
Q: What can I do if I want to watch Big 10 football?

A: Nothing! Our evil plan has successfully taken football away from the masses! HA HA HA! Switch to DirecTV or die!!!