Scott D. Pierce: Coming soon, The mtn. in High Definition — well, sort of

Mountain West Conference football fans have been complaining about The mtn.'s lack of a high-definition signal.

So it's good news that, beginning Nov. 14, The mtn. will telecast its remaining nine games in HD.

That's BYU-New Mexico, UNLV-Air Force and Wyoming-San Diego State on Nov. 14; TCU-Wyoming and Colorado State-New Mexico on Nov. 21; Wyoming-CSU on Nov. 27; and New Mexico-TCU, Utah-BYU and SDSU-UNLV on Nov. 28.

OK, so that's just nine out of 30 games on The mtn. this season. But it's certainly a step in the right direction.

However, most of you won't be able to see all nine games in HD. Some of you won't see any of those games in HD.

In order to see a game in HD, your cable or satellite provider has to send it to you in HD. And few of them will.

Comcast Cable in Utah will carry only two of the nine games in HD. Fortunately for local fans, it's the two games that feature local teams — BYU-New Mexico and Utah-BYU.

Comcast in Colorado and New Mexico have no plans to carry any of the nine games in HD. Which is ironic, given that three of the nine games feature New Mexico and three features teams from Colorado (CSU and Air Force).

It's even more ironic given that Comcast owns 50 percent of The mtn.

Spanish Fork Cable (Utah); Baja Broadband (Utah); All West (Utah-Wyoming); Cable One (Idaho); ICS (Idaho); and James Cable (Wyoming) will take the entire HD slate. So will DirecTV.

(Now if DirecTV could settle its spat with Versus and get that channel back in its lineup before the Utah-San Diego State game on Nov. 21.)

Cox Cable in San Diego will carry only the three games on Nov. 28 in HD, so it will miss out on the HD signal for the SDSU game on Nov. 14. Bresnan Cable (Wyoming-Colorado) dropped plans to carry the HD signal and will carry none in high-def.

When The mtn. goes to the expense of HD and cable companies don't carry the signal, it's a dis-incentive to the channel.

I know you've heard this one before, but if you want to see more games in HD, pick up your telephone and call your cable company. Inquire. Complain. Demand.

Let them know you're not happy and won't be until they give you the HD signal.

And be aware that if you're not getting a game in HD on The mtn. on or after Nov. 14, it's your cable company's fault.

'GAMEDAY' AT AFA: For the second time in three weeks, ESPN's "College GameDay" will originate from a Mountain West Conference institution on Saturday.

But, unlike the Oct. 24 stop in Provo for the TCU-BYU game, this one really has nothing to do with the MWC.

"GameDay" will be at the Air Force Academy this week for the AFA-Army game, which airs later that day on CBS C. The visit is part of a programming package on ESPN that's sort of a salute to the troops leading up to Veterans Day.

e-mail: pierce@desnews.com