Ron Kantowski longs for the days when college conference TV networks weren’t playing hard-to-get with devoted fans

Thursday, June 28, 2007 | 7:23 a.m.

Last year, when the Mountain West announced it was starting its own television network and the Big Ten followed with a similar announcement for an even bigger network, the MWC was quick to take credit for its extraordinary vision.

"See what we started," said the guys in the blazers at MWC headquarters.

Michigan and Ohio State football fans are saying the same thing today. See what they started? Although their tone isn't nearly as complimentary.

That's because most cable TV subscribers in Schembechlerland and Woodyville still don't have access to the Big Ten Network.

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

On second thought, don't. In that I still yearn for the old Southwest Conference and can't get my leather helmet around the idea of Penn State as the 11th member of the Big Ten, I just love it when these money-grubbing conferences can't seem to leave well enough alone and people start complaining.

In the Mountain West, satellite TV subscribers in Las Vegas still can't get UNLV games on TV. In the Big Ten, unless there's progress made in negotiations that have stalled like an Indiana scoring drive, cable TV subscribers in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo won't be able to get select Michigan games on TV.

I'll let you guess which development will cause more consternation.

I've heard from at least three Rebels fans at Buffalo Wild Wings who are upset they still can't get UNLV games on the dish. On Monday, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., wrote Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany to express concern that the Michigan-Appalachian State game may not be available on cable TV in his constituents' jurisdictions.

Usually, guys whose names are followed by a capital D or R and their state abbreviations have a lot more success in getting wired than guys with their names on a barstool at Buffalo Wild Wings.

"While I understand the motivation on the part of the Big Ten Conference and its member schools to create a new all-Big Ten cable channel, I am increasingly concerned about the migration of previously free, over-the-air content to a pay television tier," Dingell wrote.

Dingell's missive followed a hissing match pitting Delany against David L. Cohen, an executive vice president at cable giant Comcast, which is refusing to hit up subscribers for an addition $1.10 - Get it? An extra dime for each Big Ten member - for the privilege of watching a handful of second- and third-tier football games that ABC and ESPN don't want and Iowa women's volleyball.

When Cohen actually said that - "Indiana basketball fans don't want to watch Iowa volleyball, but the Big Ten wants everybody to pay for their new network," were his exact words - Delany went off like Woody Hayes following a Clemson interception. He said that was an insult to the Iowa volleyball program and, basically, to anybody who studies pork bell y futures.

Speaking for myself, I am an Indiana basketball fan (when Texas Tech isn't playing) who doesn't want to watch Iowa play volleyball. More important , I'd like to watch UNLV play football against Wyoming at Buffalo Wild Wings. With my pork belly full.

Dingell even asked a pretty good question for a politician. He noted that last year, all 13 Michigan football games were available on either free TV or widely available cable channels. He asked Delany how many Michigan games will be available on free or widely available channels this year.

I guess he'll have to stay tuned for an answer.

At least if he has a dish.