The BIZARRE DRAMA Between ESPN & The Ivy League

When The Ivy League initially signed a television deal with ESPN in 1988, the relationship between the two sides was on rocky ground. However, in 1989, ESPN attempted to fix this with a proposal designed to give The Ivy League more television exposure. The end result was a disaster, with The Ivy League bashing ESPN, and with the relationship between the two sides being beyond repair. This is the story behind the drama between ESPN and the Ivy League at the end of the 1980s

The Ivy League consists of the following schools:
Brown
Columbia
Cornell
Dartmouth
Harvard
Penn
Princeton
Yale

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#ncaa #ivyleague #espn #cfb #football #sports #highlights #1989 #cornell #columbia #dartmouth #yale #harvard #penn

[CyberchaoX]

It's interesting that this happened in the 80s, less than a full decade after the Ivy League was moved to 1-AA in the first place. Surprisingly, both the Ivy and the Southland Conferences were initially 1-A conferences right after the split, but the majority of the schools didn't draw enough fans to continue to qualify as 1-A schools. While the conferences could have continued on as "split-division conferences" comprised of both 1-A and 1-AA teams, as the MVC did (Tulsa notably remaining in 1-A while much of their conference was 1-AA), in both conferences' cases, there was only a single school that had the option to remain in 1-A: Yale and McNeese State. Both schools voluntarily reclassified as 1-AA rather than being 1-A schools in 1-AA conferences.

[TheEgganator]

Last time I was this early New Mexico was ranked

[goonhead]

One Ivy League ESPN cross over I can think of is The University of Penn on college game day in Philadelphia, one of two times College Game Day was in Philly.

[jmed]

Decades later ESPN and the Ivy League patched their differences and even had games on Friday night

[CTubeMan]

That first year ESPN covered the Ivy League was the 20th anniversary of the game when Harvard “beat” Yale 29-29.

[jackfitzpatrick]

I’m so happy the algorithm suggested you. You create amazing content!

[matismf]

When I went to Cornell, the opposing cheer to Brown football was: "What's the color of Brown. Brown."

[lsmftymf]

The Ivy League Network has been part of ESPN+ since 2018. Unfortunately the Patriot League Network also joined ESPN+ two years later. Used to watch PLN when the live streams were free; stopped when forced to pay up.

[jamestank]

What was wrong with college fb in the 80s😂

[GMUACW]

Ah, the good old days before Thursday Night Football was a weekly thing.

[bucksdiaryfan]

Wait a second -- don't their basketball teams play during the week? Dont the same travel complaints apply?

[michaeldavisnj]

To be honest, I would like to know when the occasional Friday night college football games started. That's usually reserved for the high school teams though they sometimes do have theirs on a Saturday morning/afternoon or another day and time period. And remember the Mid-American Conference have played some their in-conference games many times on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the past.

[chop]

Who knew this was the original MACtion haha

[Jpgator]

So hang on, ESPN airs a rivalry game instead of the title game in the name of tradition and rivalry. Then the ivy league gets pissed. So espn the following year airs only entertaining and exciting games. The ivy league gets pissed. Sounds like the ivy league thinks they are more important than they really are. Sorry, it's not 1912 anymore.

[altfactor]

I thought the 1984 Ivy League TV deal was actually with Boston's WGBH, with WGBH in turn feeding the games to the Eastern Educational Network (EEN).

[zachcantrell]

Future video idea if you’re doing college dumb decisions: Penn State calling 2 timeouts to run Miles Sanders straight into Chase Young on 4th and 5 against Ohio State in 2018.

[royveteto]

harvard yale is always great; especially when you get the chance to see richard gilmore tailgating with thurston howell iii

[iangraham]

I mean the Harvard and Yale is the mother rivalry game

[GayActorMichaelDouglas-zdfo]

Tbh, the Ivy League seem somewhat entitled here

[davidwadsworth]

About Brown, as with thyen rest of thye league, all partcipants get a trophy, good so so or bad.ESPN did what it does in all conferences, show thye better teams.Important fact here is the Ivy League ban on post season play for football. Every other sport in that league CAN compete in Post Season tournaments. THIS IS PURE BULLSHIT! The Patriot League academic equal of the Ivy lest football compete in FCS tournament.There is not that much difference between Patriot and Ivy League's best .The Ivy League schools tour out lawyers like New Jersy turns out mobsters so if I was a Football player, I would gather up all the other players and "COURT TIME" big ass law suit., it is descrimination, and all liberals hate that.