Big Ten Network Television Network

The battle over the new Big Ten Network started to heat up around the beginning of summer. That's when a major cable company questioned whether there was the need for a 24-hour channel devoted to a single athletic conference. Not just football and basketball games, but also softball, soccer and diving. And studio shows to dissect it all. That's when conference Commissioner Jim Delany accused a cable executive of denigrating women's sports and asked for an apology.

The battle over the new Big Ten Network started to heat up around the beginning of summer. That's when a major cable company questioned whether there was the need for a 24-hour channel devoted to a single athletic conference. Not just football and basketball games, but also softball, soccer and diving. And studio shows to dissect it all. That's when conference Commissioner Jim Delany accused a cable executive of denigrating women's sports and asked for an apology.