The Future of Football Is Here With…Baylor as the Pioneer?
The Baylor Bears were so bad in 2017 they were banned by the NCAA from major networks in 2018. That's actually not true, because we all know the NCAA won't punish Baylor for anything. But it sounds good and provides an answer for why the Baylor Bears are playing UTSA on Facebook in their second game of the season in 2018.
That's right -- a real Big 12 team opens their football season against ACU, then plays UTSA on Facebook. The game will be produced by CBS Sports.
I know Facebook has a billion eyeballs on it, and in a few years the Baylor Bears could very well be seen as pioneers in the movement away from ESPN and Network TV and toward streaming on free platforms. But in the moment, this seems like Jackie Moon fighting a bear at halftime to stay relevant.
The Baylor Bears went 1-11 in 2017, were 0-3 in the non-conference slate and hit a low point early, losing to FCS-level Liberty University. This year could start worse if the Bears lose to a decent UTSA squad on Facebook.
Maybe I'm off base thinking this is a ridiculous idea. Would you want to watch the Red Raiders on Facebook? Especially if Facebook was the only option?