No Live TV Anywhere for Stanford-Cal Game

No matter how many channels there are carrying college football, no matter how many games are on pay-per-view, there still are problems.

A significant one this weekend is that the California-Stanford game, which for once really is the Big Game, is not being televised anywhere. It is on delayed at 4 p.m. on cable in the Bay Area.

ABC’s contract with the Pacific 10 gives the network exclusivity for the 12:30-to-3:30 p.m. time slot. So once ABC, seeking a higher rating, opted for the Little Game, UCLA vs. USC, the Big Game was off limits unless Stanford, the host team, agreed to change the game time to accommodate Fox Sports Net.

But Stanford, which can earn a Rose Bowl berth with a victory, is one school that is willing to say no to almighty television.

So Fox Sports Net’s 3:30 p.m. Pac-10 game Saturday will be Oregon-Oregon State. If the Cal-Stanford game runs past 3:30, Fox Sports Net plans to cut in and show highlights.