Watch Syracuse-Penn State This Weekend...If You Can

Syracuse-Penn State will be nationally televised this weekend, which is bit a of a misnomer considering that broadcast will be on the Big Ten Network.

According to their website, "The Big Ten Network is available to up to 73 million homes nationwide."  Available being the operative word here. For many of those homes, the network isn't part of the basic cable package and requires an extra purchase i.e. it might be available but that doesn't mean you actually have it.

In Syracuse, that's exactly the situation for many cable subscribers.  Donnie breaks down the sitch:

The station is available to Time Warner Cable subscribers in Syracuse, but it will require you to have a digital home terminal (converter) plus subscribe to the Digital Sports Plus Package at $3.95/month. For standard definition, the Big Ten Network broadcast will be on Channel 245. For High Definition, it''ll be on Channel 814.

Donnie posits that if you don't currently have the Digital Sports Plus Package, you could in essence order it Friday and cancel it on Sunday and possibly not even have to pay more than a few nickels.  The local Time Warner office is actually prepared for just such a move, so if you do want to go that route you're not exactly pulling a fast one on them.

And who knows, maybe you'll like the Big Ten Network and want to keep it.  I mean, between The Big Ten Women's Show, Big Ten Cookout and more University of Indiana football games than you can shake a stick it, it's chock full of must-see programming.

For many of us, we'll be venturing out in the open world to watch the game among the unwashed masses.  Last week I posted a list of Syracuse bars in different cities around the U.S.  Most of them should still check out for you, though the Chicago bar, Gamekeepers, is apparently a bust.  Don't fret Cusey Chicagoians, a prominent SU alum is hard at work procuring a new locale for you.  As soon as I know, you'll know.

For the rest of you, check your local cable line-up to make sure you have the Big Ten Network (or check using their handy tool).  If not, find a local watering hole, get there early and hunker down.

Update:  TheVOTL is all over Time Warner Cable to find out the specifics if you wanted to just get the Plus package for the weekend.  "Clients looking to add the station to their plan for the day of the game only will be charged a prorated amount of "roughly 14 cents" according to the customer service representative I just spoke with."  Good work, gumshoe.