Broadcasters not running Cody Campbell’s new college sports ad

College football’s national broadcast and cable partners have “decided against airing” an advertisement from Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair Cody Campbell that “specifically targets the conference commissioners” (X, 10/3). Campbell in a post on X wrote networks, “specifically Fox and ABC,” are “refusing to run this ad” for his lobbying effort, Saving College Sports. He added, “No good reason given as to why – just ignoring us or telling us to contact their attorneys. The General Council for one major network told me it was a ‘business decision’. This was AFTER we’d sent them a large wire to pay for the ads!” (X, 10/4).

Campbell in the ad says, “To conference commissioners, it’s all about money and control. Their greed is bankrupting all but the biggest schools — and women’s sports and Olympic programs everywhere are paying the price.” That is a “clear pivot from his prior (and misleading) claim” in a previously ad, claiming “UNIVERSITIES BLEED RED INK IN THEIR ATHLETICS BUDGET.” So the message has “gone from ‘no one is making money!’ to ‘the ones who are making money don’t want to make less!’” ESPN reportedly had “asked Campbell for ‘more supporting documentation’ regarding the commercial, and that it wasn’t supplied in a timely manner.” Front Office Sports was first to report networks’ refusal to run Campbell’s new ad (NBCSPORTS.com, 10/4).