Vanderbilt, who had a Naismith Candidate and SEC Player of the Year on its roster last year was on ESPN once, and that was a Saturday morning date during the NFL playoffs, not one of the regularly scheduled Tuesday night SEC spots. Calif. Programming tries to get matchups that are appealing, both on and off the court. But each conference has a say in its schedule with a network. Conference officials have a say in which teams should be on in their respective leagues. While networks do have favorites, they do have contractual agreements.
Some conferences demand that each team has to be on during the length of the contract.
It's not my job to play matchmaker for games, but we have been asked on occasion how good a team may be in the coming year. Rob Litt San Diego Monson is doing the best he can under an adverse situation. Look for Minnesota to start landing some of the top in-state talent once the NCAA hands down a final answer on any penalties. Monson has made a long-term commitment to Minnesota. Don't hold your breath.