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{{Short description|US television program}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
|
| runtime = 210 minutes+
| starring = ''(see [[ESPNU College Football#Broadcast teams|below]])''
| country = United States
| network = [[ESPNU]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|2005|8|25}}
| last_aired = present
}}
'''''ESPNU College Football''''' is a
==History==
[[ESPNU]] launched its [[college football]] coverage on August 25, 2005 with a [[Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|SIAC]] matchup between [[Benedict College|Benedict]] and [[Morehouse College|Morehouse]].
''ESPNU College Football'''s debut season showcased 75 games from [[NCAA Division I|Division I-A]] conferences such as the [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]], [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]], [[Big Ten]], [[Conference USA]], the [[Mid-American Conference|MAC]], [[Mountain West]], [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]], [[Sun Belt]] and the [[Western Athletic Conference|WAC]].
Also included were [[NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision|Division I FCS]] and [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] conferences such as the [[Big Sky Conference|Big Sky]], [[MEAC]], [[Ohio Valley]], [[Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|SIAC]], [[Southern Conference|Southern]] and the [[Southwestern Athletic Conference|SWAC]].
They also debuted their first [[college football]] studio show, ''[[ESPNU Inside the Polls]]''.
[[ESPNU]] also aired coverage of special events such as the ''Steel City Classic'' and the ''Turkey Day Classic''.
[[ESPNU]] launched its second season of [[college football]] coverage on August 26, 2006 with a matchup between [[Tuskegee University|Tuskegee]] at [[Stillman College|Stillman]].
''ESPNU College Football'' featured over 70 games from new conferences such as the [[Gateway Football Conference|Gateway]] and the [[Ivy League]]. [[ESPNU]] also lost the rights, in 2006, to broadcast teams from [[Conference USA]], the [[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]] and the [[Western Athletic Conference|WAC]].
Notable personalities joined ''ESPNU College Football'', such as [[Clay Matvick]], [[Brian Kinchen]] and [[Chris Martin]].
In 2006, [[ESPNU]] began utilizing the ''1st and Ten'' technology for select games.
They also debuted two new studio shows to go along with ''[[ESPNU Inside the Polls]]'', in ''[[ESPNU Coaches Spotlight]]'' and ''[[ESPNU Recruiting Insider]]''.
Along with the ''Steel City Classic'', [[ESPNU]] also showcased new special events in the ''Detroit Football Classic'', ''Battle of the Bay'' and the ''Walt Disney World Florida Classic''.
==
===Ohio State-Indiana===
There was some controversy and criticism directed towards [[ESPN]] during the 2006 football season when the October 21, 2006 game between [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana]] and [[Ohio State University|Ohio State]] was broadcast exclusively on ESPNU, and was not available to be broadcast on local TV, even in the [[Columbus, Ohio]] and [[Bloomington, Indiana]] markets. Ohio State was undefeated and ranked #1 at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 College Football Rankings |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings?pollId=null&weekNumber=8&seasonYear=2006 |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref> Most fans considered Indiana to be a weak opponent within the [[Big Ten Conference]] based on recent performance. However, on October 14, just one week before this game, the Indiana Hoosiers defeated [[Iowa Hawkeyes|Iowa]] (then #15-ranked) 31-28, in what many considered an impressive upset. Considering the fact that Ohio State was a national championship contender and Indiana was competitive against a major team, fans of both schools were upset that ESPN would not be allowing [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] regional coverage of the game. Many cable providers did not carry ESPNU at the time. Accordingly, there was the perception that the move was a marketing tactic by [[ESPN]], attempting to get more people and cable providers to carry and subscribe to ESPNU.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ohio State football, basketball, sports news, scores, analysis {{!}} buckeyextra.com |url=https://www.dispatch.com/sports/buckeyextra/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=The Columbus Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref>
==
On October 31, 2006, [[ESPNU]] college football commentator [[Brian Kinchen]] was suspended from calling games for one week, because of a comment he made during an October 28 game broadcast of the [[Northern Illinois University|Northern Illinois]]-[[University of Iowa|Iowa]] game. Kinchen was explaining the need for receivers to make catches with their hands, because they are "tender" and can "caress" the ball. He then paused and said, "that's kind of gay, but hey."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zeigler |first=Cyd |title=ESPN Commentator’s ‘Gay’ Remark Just Not That Bad |url=https://www.outsports.com/2013/3/3/4061918/espn-commentators-gay-remark-just-not-that-bad/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=[[Outsports]]}}</ref>
"The comments were inappropriate, and we apologize for them," said [[ESPN]]'s vice president of public relations [[Josh Krulewitz]]. "They were completely inappropriate and not at all a reflection of who I am or the way I perform my work," Kinchen said in a statement issued by [[ESPN]]. "I have learned from my mistake and look forward to continuing my broadcasting career."<ref>[https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=2644891 ESPN.com ''ESPNU takes Kinchen off air for remark at Iowa'']</ref>
==Broadcast rights==
On February 14, 2005, ESPNU reached an extensive agreement with the [[Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference]] and the [[Southwestern Athletic Conference]], two conferences that are predominantly part of the [[Historically Black Colleges and Universities]]. The seven-year agreement, which goes through 2012, gives ESPNU the exclusive cable rights to the MEAC and the SWAC football. The agreement allows ESPNU to televise a minimum of seven football games a season, primarily on Thursday nights. In addition, ESPNU will also have the rights to televise the SWAC Conference Championship through the remainder of the contract.
On March 15, 2005, ESPNU got the rights to televise three quarterfinal matches in the [[NCAA Division I Football Championship]]. As the rest of the games following that will air on either [[ESPN]] or [[ESPN2]].
On June 21, 2006, ESPN Inc. also reached a wide-ranging agreement with the [[Big Ten Conference]]. The ten-year deal, which goes through 2016, allows [[ESPN]] Family of networks to broadcast up to 41 games a year, which a portion will be part of [[ESPNU]]'s coverage of [[college football]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/2006/June_06/bigten.htm|title=ESPN MediaZone - For Media Professionals|website=ESPN MediaZone U.S.|access-date=9 April 2018}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
On August 29, 2006, ESPN Inc. reached a wide-ranging agreement with the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]]. The six-year deal, which goes through the 2012 [[college football]] season, gives [[ESPNU]] the rights to broadcast at least five games per year, until the deal runs out. It also gives [[ESPNU]] the rights to produce a weekly program devoted to [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]] sports.
===Division I FBS===
*'''[[American Athletic Conference]]''': 2006–present
*'''[[Atlantic Coast Conference]]''': 2005–present
*[[Big Ten Conference]]: 2006–2022
*'''[[Conference USA]]''': 2005, 2020–present
*'''[[Mid-American Conference]]''': 2005–2007, 2011–present
*[[Mountain West Conference]]: 2005, 2013–2019
*'''[[Pac-12 Conference]]''': 2012–present
*'''[[Southeastern Conference]]''': 2005–present
*'''[[Sun Belt Conference]]''': 2005–2007, 2020–present
*[[Western Athletic Conference]]: 2005
===Division I FCS===
*[[Big Sky Conference]]: 2005–2006
*[[Gateway Football Conference]]: 2006
*'''[[Ivy League]]''': 2005–2006, 2018–present
*'''[[Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference]]''': 2005–present<ref name=meacswac>{{cite web|url=http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/index.jsp?content=2005/Feb_05/espnu_meac.htm|title=ESPN MediaZone - For Media Professionals|website=ESPN MediaZone U.S.|access-date=9 April 2018}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
*[[Ohio Valley Conference]]: 2005–2006
*[[Southern Conference]]: 2005–2006
*'''[[Southwestern Athletic Conference]]''': 2005–present
==See also==
* ''[[ESPNU Coaches Spotlight]]''
* ''[[ESPNU Inside the Polls]]''
* ''[[ESPNU Recruiting Insider]]''
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{ESPN}}
{{College football on television}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Espnu College Football}}
[[Category:
[[Category:ESPNU
[[Category:2000s American sports
[[Category:2010s American sports television series]]
[[Category:2020s American sports television series]]
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