Anything compared to the package we used to have in the SoCon is better. SportSouth did a very good job in the late 2000s televising the league (they carried games when Stephen Curry was at Davidson), but they stopped around 2010 or so. They'd frequently do DHs. Tom Werme, who now calls ACC games on Raycom, was the main voice on that package.

They'd also show a few games on ESPNU and ESPN2, maybe 2-3 a year.

However, SportSouth dropped the games our last two years in the SoCon. They went with PBS, because they wanted a set time for their games (3pm on Saturdays) thinking they were going to get more distribution (on the main PBS), but instead the games aired on digital subchannels, except for the state of GA where they aired on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

They did the same deal for football (when Georgia Southern and App State were still in league) and the SoCon opted out after one year of a 3 year deal. Our last year in the league was basically all ESPN3 except for our OTA games and the game we hosted Louisville (which was ESPNU).

CofC had a longtime package with CSS, dating probably into the late 90s, which gave them a good amount of exposure, but in '11-12 we went to our local OTA, MyTV. CSS went under a couple years ago. Those last couple of years in the SoCon, we had just as good, maybe a better TV deal than the league.

CBSSN is available in something like 58-60 million households; ESPNU is in about 69 million (but 99 million homes can get ESPN3), FS1 is in 85 million, FS2 is in 50 million, while NBCSN has 83 million. BeIn, the net that C-USA signed with to carry some games, only has 23 million.

UNCW should partner with WILM like CoC did with charleston MyTv

Now that they lost CBS they are looking for time to fill. We would be quality programming for the ILM market

As for cbsSN they do a good job but their distribution sucks

For a typical ILM resident it would be better to be no American sports network so WILM could pick it up

2-14 Detroit Mercy just beat 14-3 Oakland on ESPNU. And we can't rate any TV games?

Now ESPNU is showing Rider and Manhattan. Really???

(01-13-2017 09:20 PM)SEA33HAWK Wrote:  Now ESPNU is showing Rider and Manhattan. Really???

Friday nights have been slated for MAAC and Horizon League hoops the last few years, its nothing new.

We play our games on Thursday and Saturday, two prime time days for Power 5 teams.

Thursday, Jan. 12 they had Belmont vs Morehead State 7:00 pm ESPNU.

Thursday Jan. 19
7:00 Richmond VA Dayton
9:00 UNC Asheville vs Winthrop

Hopefully we work out a deal with espn after this season and this cbs sn thing is just a speed bump

(01-12-2017 08:25 AM)J.B. Wrote:  But with so few CAA games on TV this year, I don't even know who the league's regular announcers are.

I don't know if the CAA games on American Sports Network have regular announcers. Saturday was the first of seven CAA games on CSN and the announcers were Al Koken and Glenn Consor.

If the CAA could realign with ESPN it means the championship game would be on ESPN or ESPN2. The P5 are abandoning the last Sunday of their regular season because their tournaments start on Tuesday. That leaves some slots open on that Sunday. A CAA final on that Sunday would be a good game for TV and the fans in the arena.

Something must have happened in our negotiations with ESPN.


During Media week the new conference commissioner was very vocal that this game would end up on an ESPN network. It seemed as if a longer term deal with ESPN was being worked out.

I hope that still happens because getting the bulk of our game on ESPN3/Watch ESPN would be very nice along with the semi occasional game on one of the ESPN Networks (1,2,U,News).

My guess would be the CAA did not want to give up the Comcast Sportsnet games, and possibly the American Sports Network syndicated games, as those games provide solid availability within our region without some form of compensation, as under a hypothetical deal with ESPN, most of those games would be ESPN3 exclusives.

I do hope something can be worked out, but the way ESPN is going they want it all and do not like to share. I do not see them doing any special favors for a conference of our stature.

Worst case scenario IMO is a bunch of games on CBS Sports Network. While CBS Sports Network provides a greater national platform that ASN or CSN, being on ASN/CSN provides a much greater availability in our specific markets. Their digital presence is also horrible for the newer generation that watches things on their phones and tablets.

Look at this year's CAA tournament for example. The QF and SF will be available on Comcast SportsNet and affiliates (including major local channels in Wilmington and Charleston) that are widely available in each schools target market. The Finals will be on CBS SN, a channel with a much lower level on penetration in our target markets.