Commentary

TV exposure not flattering Hogs this season

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson reacts to a call during a game against Mississippi State on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, in Fayetteville.

Basketball, with the exception of Kentucky, was starting to slip in the SEC, and it was being reflected in conference tournament attendance and bids to the NCAA Tournament.

A concerned Mike Slive, then the commissioner of the most powerful football conference in college football, was concerned. He listened closely to the basketball coaches at the next spring meetings.

They told him they weren't getting the TV exposure that the ACC, Big East and Big Ten were getting and that it was affecting recruiting.

Slive got the league a contract with ESPN, and a few years later the SEC got its own network with ESPN. While it is possible the league will get at least four bids to the NCAA Tournament, the SEC is not striking fear in the hearts of the other major conferences.

The SEC gets tons of TV time, mainly with its own SEC Network, but there still is a definite pecking order with TV.

ESPN and CBS are the first choices, followed by ESPN2, ESPNU and then the SEC Network -- which incidentally is infinitely better with the addition of Pat Bradley, who has moved in seamlessly as a studio and game analyst. All of the folks at the network could use his enthusiasm, energy and knowledge. He should move up fast.

Anyway, last week someone asked a simple question: How many times has Arkansas been on anything other than the SEC Network?

Which led this reporter to look at the current top six programs and where their games are broadcast. This exercise was limited to SEC play, and it was not a surprise the rich just get richer.

The kings of the SEC, the Kentucky Wildcats, have played one game on the SEC Network, the same amount as they have played on CBS, although two of their final three games will be on CBS. The Wildcats also have played one game on ESPN2, but they have played 12 on the coveted network, ESPN, and have one game left on the broadcasting giant.

Florida, which is tied with the Wildcats for first place, has been on the SEC Network four times, ESPN three times with one remaining, ESPN2 five times with one to go, twice on ESPNU and will get its second game on CBS this Saturday against Kentucky.

South Carolina has been on the SEC Network eight times with two to go, ESPN three times, ESPN2 once, ESPNU three times and CBS once.

Alabama has been on the SEC Network eight times with two to go, zero on ESPN, ESPN2 once with one to go, ESPNU four times with one remaining and on CBS once, when it played Kentucky.

Tennessee has been on the SEC Network 11 times with three remaining, and ESPN and ESPN2 twice each.

Which brings us home to Arkansas, which has been on the SEC Network 13 times with two to go, once on ESPN when it played Kentucky, once on ESPN2 and once on ESPNU.

All things considered, when it comes to exposure it is not even close, and apparently there isn't much the other programs can do about it.

Granted, Kentucky should be expected to have an edge with televised games -- the Wildcats are historically the best team in the conference -- but having just one game on the SEC Network and the Hogs having a total of 15 by season's end doesn't seem equitable. Forget fair.

The Razorbacks' only ESPN appearance was because they were playing Kentucky.

Just because the former Hog Bradley is the best voice on the SEC Network doesn't mean the Razorbacks should be on there 14 times more than Kentucky, 11 times more than Florida, and five times more than South Carolina and Alabama. Heck, they shouldn't be on there one time more than Tennessee either.

Sports on 02/23/2017