Just got off the phone with the NCAA's Laurie Cannon. She confirmed that most Seattle-area fans will NOT be able to view a webstream of tonight's Washington @ Minnesota NCAA second-round match.
You may, however, be able to get an audio-only feed on your computer. (see below)
The match broadcast is being carried exclusively by BTN2GO, a new channel operated by the Big Ten Network. BTN2GO's website lists the Washington/Minnesota match as an "upcoming event," but when the match starts (at 5:30pm Pacific time), you'll get a box that tells you that a webstream is available only if you have one of the following cable carriers:
Bottom line: Traen says you probably won't be able to watch this match at your local watering hole, either, unless they have both DIRECTV and some way to connect their big screen to a computer.
If all this has you a little upset, Traen says you are not alone. The NCAA allowed host conferences for first and second round matches to offer these kinds of exclusive services, and the Big Ten's decision to block its webcasts behind BTN2GO affects Minneapolis/St. Paul fans as well. "Comcast is the dominant cable provider here," says Traen, "so many of our own fans won't be able to watch the match, either."
Tonight's match begins at 5:30pm (Pacific). You can hear free audio of the match at:
http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/minnesota.portal#. Minnesota's John Focke will be calling the match.
You can follow the scores and stats at Gametracker. And, as always, you can be part of Paul Isaac's live chat at gohuskies.com.
Finally, all Sweet 16 matches will be available on ESPN3; the Elite 8 will be on ESPNU.
