Television broadcasts of collegiate athletic contests are as common as mid-term exams for many universities. The broadcast not only gives a school regional and national coverage, it also brings money to the university and its athletic department.

The common practice between television stations and universities involves the station paying the university for the transmission of the event. If we look at NCAA bowl games, it is little wonder why schools try so hard to make the post season. The lucky teams that participate in the Rose Bowl, for example, could bring home about $10 million each.

Since the television arena is so important for college athletic teams, it is confusing to see that NIU cannot enjoy some of the benefits of televised sporting events without paying for them.

Though our teams might not be included by analysts in the same sentence as Notre Dame, Michigan or USC, we have just as much to win or lose if we don’t join the ranks and install a permanent satellite dish.

It has been stated that the only viable place for such a dish would be atop the Holmes Student Center. But, that place has been reserved for the great pyramid in the sky, so forget that idea.

We should be getting paid for the televising of our sporting events, not getting billed. Let’s hope something can be done to make sure NIU doesn’t get jipped out of any more money that is rightfully ours.