Dear Pac 12 Network

I've been in what has felt like a sprint for the past two plus years, but finally have a moment to update my blog with a rant. And what better subject than the travesty that is the Pac 12 Network.

The wonderful Pac 10 was defiled, two teams added so that we could have our own TV network. Initially, this seemed unobjectionable. But I remembered friends who were fans of Big 10 teams telling me the conference TV network was not all it seemed. And now I see.

My situation tonight: a mere two miles from the Rose Bowl, I was unable to attend tonight's game due to illness. But I cannot view the game on TV because my cable provider does not have the Pac 12 Network. The Pac 12 Network expects me to bombard AT&T until they offer it, or switch cable providers. Get real. Had I not been sick, I would've been at the game.

The Pac 12 Network needs to get itself added to a major sports network like Fox or it will never work. I can start an online petition and get 25 people to send emails or whatever, but there is very little that I can personally do, and collectively with my fellow alumni, actually do to change this situation. I work in politics. This is not a top issue in the minds of the public.

Meanwhile UCLA is up 21-0 in the first quarter. Would've been a great game to WATCH. I know sports is a lucrative field, but you would think the Pac 12 Network would have at least a passing thought about the fans that can't watch their team. I'm a season ticket holder that has missed several road games this year due to this network. It's not exactly engendering positive feelings about the Pac 12 Network in my heart.

My quibble is this: you knew what would happen when the network first launched. You knew there would be an issue getting the network on cable providers. Why didn't you figure out, during the year between announcement and launch, how to deal with it? I know, I know, it's not a simple problem. Well, a station for the fans should think about how fans are going to feel when they can't see their games repeatedly. You had the Big 10 Network folks to ask about the ropes. Why weren't you on this earlier? We should have been harassing our cable providers a long time ago. I and all season ticketholders should have received a form letter and form email to send to my cable provider from the school from which I have season tickets well over a year ago. Did you think it was going to be easy to get all the cable providers signed up? Why would you think that based on the Big 10 Network? Or did you just not care about the fans? Which is it? What am I missing?

Signed,
A UCLA Fanatic