FOX is out of the BCS game following next season's set of games, with the games moving to ESPN in 2010, and there are rumors circulating the Sports World that the network is interested in selling of its rights for 2009. Via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution....

Remember that back in 2007 FOX jumped into the BCS sweepstakes and took it away from ABC by paying $80 million a year. When the contract came up for bid last year, ESPN outbid FOX by putting up $125 million a year for 2010-13. FOX has one more season, 2009, on its current deal to televise the BCS games. But there are some rumblings that FOX could sell those 2009 rights to ESPN if the Worldwide Leader made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Because the BCS championship game is being hosted by the Rose Bowl this season, it will be on ABC, of which ESPN is a part. Stay tuned on this one.

Any other year, this move would probably cost ESPN too much, but with the "Leader" airing the Championship game in the Rose Bowl....it actually might be too good a situation to pass up. Again, this is all just speculation, but not all that far-fetched given the timing of everything in 2009.

Speaking of the BCS: Will FOX Sports televise the final year of its contract? (AJC)

It's been a few weeks since the news broke that ESPN would be taking over the BCS in a few years, and FOX has finally decided to comment on how everything went down. In an interview with Broadcasting & Cable, chairman of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Peter Liguori, had some strong words for leagues and tournaments that think moving to ESPN is a good move....

Q: What was your reaction to losing the BCS?

PL: I think it's something that the whole industry should be looking at. At some point, these leagues should be looking at what happens to their ratings when they go to ESPN. The fact that they're promoted on a sports channel that is dedicated to rabid sports fans is ultimately not the best thing, in my opinion, for the leagues. When you have a broadcaster promoting your sport, you're getting exposed to younger people, women. I think that's something that's good for your long-term health.

In a way, Liguori is right. Having a Championship game on broadcast television will always bring more ratings, but a cable network devoted to just Sports will certainly do the game more justice by having more knowledgeable analysts and announcers to do the game. It's a tough choice to make, but with the economy the way it is and money being the driving force, it's certainly an interesting angle to look at. I'm of the mindset that FOX had its chance and failed, but there's nothing wrong in debating the move, is there?

Peter Liguori's New Year Starts Now (Broadcasting & Cable)

I was waiting until I had all of the numbers in to put up this post, but after a strong Bowl Season in terms of ratings, ESPN says they're not looking to make any changes. In fact, ESPN college sports chief Burke Magnus said that it would be "inappropriate" to tell College Football what to do. Via the Chicago Tribune....

But even now that ESPN has partnered with the BCS, winning the broadcast rights to every top bowl game from 2011-2014, network officials say they won't try to push college football toward a playoff.

"We will not be shy about giving our opinions, if asked," ESPN college sports chief Burke Magnus said. "But I don't think it's appropriate for us to tell them what to do, just like they don't tell us what to do."

The "us" was represented Thursday at a Football Writers Association of America breakfast by Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford, who said he sees no compelling reason to change any aspect of the current five-bowl BCS format, even though President-elect Barack Obama has called for a playoff.

Barack Obama's opinions aside, I think ESPN has a wonderful opportunity to do something for the fans of Football. An overwhelming percentage of people want a Playoffs system in College Football, and the "Leader" actually has the leverage to provide it to them. If you ask me, I think it's time to start telling people what to do. If you look at the ratings below, you'll see that while ESPN made steady gains, FOX's results were pretty bad this year. ESPN can still keep their collection of games, and then capitalize where FOX left off.

Seems pretty obvious to me, but then again....what do I know? Here the ratings for your perusal....

ESPN BOWL GAMES:

EagleBank Bowl

2008- 2.2
2007- No Game

New Mexico

2008- 2.6
2007- 2.0

magicJack St. Petersburg

2008- 1.3
2007- No Game

Pioneer Las Vegas

2008- 2.5
2007- 2.1

R+L Carriers New Orleans

2008- 0.8
2007- 1.6

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia

2008- 3.2
2007- 1.7

Sheraton Hawaii

2008- 2.6
2007- 1.5

Motor City

2008- 2.5
2007- 2.3

Meineke Car Care

2008- 3.9
2007- 3.2

Champs Sports

2008- 4.5
2007- 3.2

Emerald

2008- 4.0
2007- 3.1

Independence

2008- 1.0
2007- 1.6

Papajohns.com

2008- 2.4
2007- 1.9

Valero Alamo

2008- 4.6
2007- 2.3

Roady's Humanitarian

2008- 2.4
2007- 0.7

Pacific Life Holiday

2008- 4.6
2007- 3.7

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces

2008- 1.7
2007- 1.7

Gaylord Hotels Music City

2008- 2.8
2007- 3.4

Chick-fil-A

2008- 3.9
2007- 4.4

Outback

2008- 3.1
2007- 2.9

Capital One

2008- 6.4
2007- 9.9

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi

2008- 11.7
2007- 11.1

AutoZone Liberty

2008- 2.7
2007- 3.5

International

2008- 2.1
2007- 1.4

GMAC

2008- 2.2
2007- 1.0

BCS ON FOX:

FedEx Orange

2008- 5.4 (-27%)
2007- 7.4 (Sugar Bowl in same time slot)

Allstate Sugar

2008- 8.4 (+8%)
2007- 7.9

Tostitos Fiesta

2008- 10.4 (+35%)
2007- 7.7

We already touched on this yesterday but the move of the BCS to ESPN is officially official. Every BCS Bowl Game will now be on the network from 2011-2013, which will total fifteen total contests over the three year period. Here are both ESPN and The BCS' statements regarding the deal....

The announcement was made by George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports, and John Swofford, BCS Coordinator and ACC Commissioner.

“The BCS will thrive on ESPN,” Bodenheimer said. “Our slogan is ‘College Football Lives Here’ and the BCS will now top college football’s best regular-season and studio coverage, the sport’s top awards shows, Bowl Week and other national championships all carried on our family of networks. This is a proud day for ESPN and an exceptional day for this great sport and its passionate fans.”

Swofford added, “We are tremendously pleased to reach an agreement with ESPN and feel that the BCS games from 2011-14 will be in good hands. With the continued growth of technology and the depth of coverage that ESPN gives to the college football fan on all its platforms during the regular-season, this post-season partnership is a natural fit.”

And I actually agree with both of them. Even though we get FOX for another few years, it was just never a good fit. Everything from the camera angles to announcers seemed forced, and while they've certainly improved in some areas, the overall product was just never there. Congratulations ESPN, now don't go ruining this one for us.

It was honestly just a matter of time, but this evening FOX finally decided to decline their opportunity to keep the BCS under its umbrella, and in turn sending the BCS back to Disney. Via Wall Street Journal....

Fox Sports declined to match an offer from ESPN to televise Bowl Championship Series college football games from 2011 to 2014, the network announced Monday.

"Even with today's vast economic uncertainties, Fox Sports made a very competitive bid to keep broadcasting BCS games free to every home in America, one that included a substantial rights fee increase, and certainly as much as any over-the-air network could responsibly risk. Unfortunately, the university presidents and BCS commissioners were not satisfied and they've decided to take their jewel events to pay television," Lou D'Ermilio, a spokesman for Fox, said in a statement.

With Fox bowing out, ESPN in all likelihood becomes the broadcaster of the national championship game, as well as the Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls. It also opens the door for the Rose Bowl to move from ABC to ESPN.

Obviously the BCS still has to accept ESPN's deal, but it's really a forgone conclusion at this point. Thank goodness too. It's going to be sad to not be able to play the band drinking game well into the 21st century with all of you, but this deal doesn't kick into 2011, so we've got at least three more years of poking fun at FOX!

FYI, According to John Ourand of Sports Business Daily, FOX's highest offer was $100 Million per year which was about $25 Million less than ESPN's number.

Fox Sports Abandons BCS Bid (Wall Street Journal)

On the heels of yesterday's story that ESPN is looking into getting back the BCS, the network wrote a story of their own. Now I'm not one to try and completely understand the inner workings of a TV deal of this magnitude, but can someone explain to me why a company that is writing a story about itself wouldn't be able to be reached for a comment....

"We've had good meetings and discussion to this point," BCS coordinator and Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford said Tuesday, according to USA Today. "The BCS is obviously an attractive television property, but we simply have not completed our process."

Conference commissioners and BCS TV negotiator Barry Frank have been meeting in Chicago with the networks since Sunday, USA Today reported.

SportsBusiness Daily reported that in bidding, Disney is offering about $125 million annually to air the games, while Fox is offering about $100 million annually. According to USA Today, several people with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed those figures.

ESPN did not immediately comment on the reports.

That is so meta that my head is going to explode. You are ESPN! Wouldn't you have gone with something like, "ESPN can't divulge anymore at this time", or "We choose not to comment at this point in the discussions"? Just an odd way to put things.

Oh and a brief update of sorts, but after some researching and snooping, the numbers are going to be very very hard for FOX to compete with.

Reports: BCS games might air on cable starting in 2010 (ESPN)
The BCS Might Be Moving From FOX Back To ESPN/ABC (Awful Announcing)

(Thanks to TB for the link)