Nebraska-OU showdown won’t be televised locally

Steve Addy

Friday, Oct. 27, 2000 | 11:10 a.m.

It's being hyped as the college football game of the year, but if you want to watch Nebraska-Oklahoma in Las Vegas on Saturday, you'll have to make special arrangements.

Or trot down to your neighborhood sports book.

Eighty-two percent of the country will get to see the game for free on ABC, but that doesn't include Las Vegas.

The game kicks off at 9 a.m. PDT, but ABC affiliate KTNV-TV (Channel 13) doesn't have the option of airing it. ABC requires affiliates to show the network's Saturday morning children's programming whenever possible, an ABC Sports spokesman said Thursday from New York.

"It's not (KTNV's) fault, it's ours," the spokesman said. "We're getting a lot of calls about Nebraska-Oklahoma this week, because it's a huge game. It's as big a game as we have had this season, and we understand the frustration of people who can't see it."

A phone call to KTNV programming was referred to Kris Foates, station vice president and general manager, but a message requesting comment was not returned.

KTNV will show Oregon at Arizona State at 12:30 p.m., then UCLA at Arizona at 4. That surely won't placate rabid Nebraska and Oklahoma fans, but there are other options for them.

Aside from watching the game at a sports book, the game is part of Saturday's ESPN GamePlan package, available to Cox digital cable subscribers and satellite dish owners. For $11.95, GamePlan viewers can get nine games all day Saturday, including Nebraska-Oklahoma -- but only if they have digital cable or satellite service.

On Cox, the game will be on digital channel 603. To order ESPN GamePlan on DirecTV, call (800) DIRECTV. On DISH Network, call (800) 333-DISH.