USU Hoops - The ESPN deal...or the relative lack of

If Utah State needed another reminder that it's time to move on from the Western Athletici Conference, it was supplied this morning.

The WAC national TV deal was announced on Thursday. In essence, USU basketball will be televised nationally once in the regular season - a home game against New Mexico State on February 16th.

And that's on ESPNU.

As a league, three games over the course of the regular season will be on ESPNU.

Three.

The WAC may be dying as a football league, but the basketball version still has a little juice. Utah State, Denver, New Mexico State and Idaho should all be pretty good teams.

Four years ago, the Aggies had eight games on television, something that helps recruiting and the program. Non-conference games against St. Mary's and BYU, along with the postseason tournament and the bracketbuster matchup could all end up televised nationally.

But the point is clear. The WAC as a whole is an afterthought nationally.

As such, USU is moving on at just the right time.

Tony Jones