Fans are straight-up frustrated on social media right now because the Oct. 7 CareSource Invitational, featuring the Cincinnati Bearcats, Ohio State, Xavier, and Dayton, has no TV or video streaming. Talk about a bummer for hoops junkies trying to get their early-season fix!
The Promoter’s Shot at Explaining the Unwatchable
So, what’s the deal? The CareSource Invitational is set for the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason today, October 7th. You’ve got the Bearcats tipping off against the Buckeyes at 3 p.m. UTC, followed by Xavier and Dayton at 5:30 p.m. And yet, nada on the visual front. The promoter for the event, Brooks Downing, who’s the CEO of bdG Sports, finally spoke up this morning, October 7th. His take? “For year one, we prioritized the on-site fan experience and a sellout crowd. Looking back, it’s probably a miss to not have these broadcast, and should we run this back next year, we’ll make plans to do a full production.”
A “miss”? Yeah, that’s one way to put it when fans are dying to see these teams. At least for the UC vs. Ohio State game, you can catch an audio stream on gobearcats.com, featuring Mo Egger and former Bearcat Terry Nelson. And Buckeyes fans can tune into the Buckeyes Radio Network on WBNS-FM 97.1. Logistically, weather wasn’t an issue for this outdoor venue, but getting production trucks to the backup venue, the University of Dayton Arena, could have been a headache. This event’s also got teams from the Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, and Atlantic 10 all in the mix.
Is This The New Normal For Early Hoops?
It’s not like this is totally unheard of for exhibition games, but it definitely feels like a step backward for fan access. Back in 2023, when UC played Ohio State in a CareSource Invitational game at Fifth Third Arena, it was also radio only. Contrast that with CareSource events in 2023 and 2024 against Dayton at Heritage Bank Arena, which were televised on ESPN+ and ESPNU. But here’s the kicker: those were regular-season games, not exhibitions. Same goes for UC’s game against Louisville last season, which hit ESPN2. All of those were bdG productions, too.
Last year, you could at least pay up for UC’s exhibition at Michigan through a Big Ten single-game package, and their exhibition at Arkansas was available on an SEC package. So, video streaming for exhibitions isn’t a given, but it’s often an option. CBS insider Jon Rothstein is on record saying he finds the lack of streaming “unsettling” and believes all exhibitions should be televised or live-streamed. Hard to argue with him when so many teams even run “secret scrimmages” with zero audience, barely letting any results leak out. It makes you wonder: what are they hiding?
So, while the promoter is hinting at “full production” for next year, hoops fans are stuck with audio only for part of the CareSource Invitational this year, or nothing at all. Here’s hoping the on-site “sellout crowd” is having a blast, because the rest of us are left out in the cold. It’s a definite letdown for anyone eager to get a sneak peek at these teams before the real grind begins.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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