Two Programs Receive Nearly Unprecedented Over-the-Air TV Exposure From Weather Delays

Weather delays frustrated multiple fans across the country, but in an effort by networks to please the masses, a pair of programs received long-awaited moments in the sun. During the 3:30 ET time slot, USC-Purdue on CBS and Texas Tech-Oregon State on Fox received lengthy weather delays. To give the fans something, CBS gave viewers a live look-in at SMU-Missouri State and Villanova-Penn State.

While SMU and Penn State are no strangers to over-the-air television exposure, it has been decades since Missouri State and Villanova received a platform like this. Missouri State had not appeared on an over-the-air network since its regional appearances on ABC in 1979 and 1981, its only two previous appearances before Saturday. Three ABC markets in Missouri saw Missouri State’s Bill Hedgepath run for 107 yards in a 23-11 win over Southeast Missouri State in 1981. Both schools received $15,000 from ABC ($52,030 adjusted for inflation) for the appearance.

Two years before that, ABC regionally televised Missouri State’s game against the Lincoln Blue Tigers of Jefferson City in 1979. An estimated 200,000 viewers in the Kansas City, Springfield, and Jefferson City/Columbia markets saw a tightly contested game between Missouri State and Lincoln. The Bears lost four fumbles and missed a game-tying two-point conversion in a 24-22 loss to Lincoln.

Villanova ended a much longer over-the-air television drought with its weather delay appearance on Saturday. It had been 55 years since the Wildcats appeared on an over-the-air network. In 1970, ABC regionally televised Villanova’s 28-21 loss to Boston College. Villanova’s Daryl Woodring dazzled the regional audience with a 315-yard passing performance in a 28-21 loss to Boston College. Coincidentally, Villanova’s last regular season over-the-air appearance before that also came against Boston College in 1955 on NBC.

Unlike Missouri State, Villanova had received national over-the-air network exposure, but in the postseason. ABC televised Villanova’s 1961 Sun Bowl win over Wichita State to a national audience. The Wildcats capped a 7-2 season with a 17-9 win powered by future College Football Hall of Famer Billy Joe’s 63 yards. The following year, NBC nationally broadcast Villanova’s appearance in the Liberty Bowl against Oregon State. Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker’s 99-yard run was the only score in a 6-0 Villanova loss.

Interestingly, the brief appearance on Fox makes up for ABC depriving the Wildcats of an appearance against Temple in 1979. ABC had planned to air the Villanova-Temple game that year, but forgot to count a Temple appearance on cable, thus putting Temple at its TV appearance limit for the year. You can check out the video I made on that situation here.

Although the weather delays experienced during the USC-Purdue and Texas Tech-Oregon State games were frustrating for many fans, two programs received long-overdue cups of coffee on over-the air television.