The Marquette basketball team is just one of 11 power conference teams that remain undefeated heading into the first full week of December. In November, the Marquette Golden Eagles beat Maryland, Purdue, Georgia, and a bevy of mid-majors, climbing the AP Poll to their current fifth spot ranking. On Wednesday, Marquette will travel to Ames, Iowa, to battle the Iowa State Cyclones.
Per Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network, the ensuing top-then tilt is his second-highest anticipated matchup this week, trailing only an SEC-ACC matchup between the Auburn Tigers and the Duke Blue Devils. Katz listed his ten most important games of the week, with many featuring ranked matchups. However, only the Marquette basketball and Iowa State games will not be televised on the network or cable TV, much to fans’ displeasure.
Marquette Fans Angry With ESPN+ Exclusive Game
According to Paint Touches on Twitter:
I went ahead and circled all the games that will be broadcast via network or cable TV.
I’m still over here flabbergasted a top-10 matchup, one of the best non-con games this season, will be buried on ESPN+. And I’ve been saying as much since October.
On Wednesday, Marquette basketball will visit the Iowa State Cyclones in a top-ten tilt. However, fans will need a subscription to ESPN+ to tune in, with neither cable nor a network provider televising the game. The Marquette-Iowa State game will also be the only ranked matchup this week buried on ESPN+. The two teams have combined for a 13-1 record, with significant wins over Georgia, Purdue, Maryland, Dayton, and Colorado, respectively.
The exclusivity of the matchup has fans up in arms, especially those with fandom aligned with the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Iowa State Cyclones. Marquette and Iowa State have a rich history of college basketball success, each making the March Madness tournament every season since 2022. Nevertheless, fans are unhappy with ESPN bumping the matchup to their pay-to-watch streaming service:
Big XII picks their E+ exclusives in the summer and never changes them, leading to stuff like this.
In this case, they were betting on MU regression, I’d wager.
— HurleyMania (@HurleyMania) December 2, 2024
Makes sense two non traditional power house programs. ESPN would rather have 2-10 Kansas play on espn than Marquette Iowa state
— hoodtonyP (@weatherapplover) December 2, 2024
#5 & #6 or #4 & #5 match up – depending on which poll you follow – to not being televised is a travesty. Marquette and Iowa State will probably end up being the best game.
— Patrick Wood (@Jazzypdaddy) December 2, 2024
Big 12 has had probably a dozen top-12 matchups behind the ESPN+ paywall. It’s a feature, not a bug. We’re lucky we haven’t really dealt with this until this year.
— Grant Galarneau-Becker (@GBeckTV) December 2, 2024
Putting a Top 10 clash between Marquette and Iowa State, at one of the best arenas in the nation in Hilton Coliseum, on ESPN+ is borderline criminal.
When people say college basketball has a bit of a marketing problem, especially pre-March, point to this as Exhibit A. pic.twitter.com/9aazGWXC7Y
— Made For March (@madeformarch) December 3, 2024
A top 6 matchup on ESPN+ is criminal. pic.twitter.com/e7dp0Ylq3t
— #5 Barstool Marquette (@MarqStool) December 2, 2024
Marquette-Iowa St being on espn+ pisses me off. I’ll see you in hell Disney
— Ass Mattford (@Zarathak23) December 2, 2024
lol #5 Marquette vs. #6 Iowa State is an ESPN+ exclusive, what a joke college basketball coverage has become on a national level. https://t.co/G08u6sp6JK
— ky (ALL IN) (@RealKYMuskie) December 2, 2024
Putting Marquette @ Iowa State on ESPN+ is flat out disrespectful.
— Bobby Douglas (@bobbydouglas21) December 2, 2024
Marquette Eyeing First 11-0 Start In Program History
In 2011-12, Marquette basketball started the season 10-0 before losing on the road against LSU. Under the guidance of then-head coach Buzz Williams, Marquette finished the season 27-8, with a loss in the Sweet 16 against the Bradley Beal-led Florida Gators. This season, Marquette has a chance to match, or surpass, the 2011 team in consecutive wins to start the season. If the Golden Eagles can beat the Iowa State Cyclones on Wednesday, they will face the Wisconsin Badgers at home before a road tilt against the Dayton Flyers. Wisconsin and Dayton are a combined 14-2 this season.
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