Sun Belt BB TV Announcement

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As it stands now, this is the Sun Belt games that ESPN and its networks will televise:

ESPN and SBC deal

Sun Belt Announces Men’s and Women’s Basketball Television Schedules

Eighteen ESPN national and regional broadcasts set for 2002-03

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced its package of nationally- and regionally-televised basketball games Wednesday, as the league will have at least four men’s games broadcast on ESPN or ESPN 2, and at least 14 total men’s and women’s games televised on the Sun Belt-ESPN Regional Network.

“We are very pleased to announce this year’s ESPN and ESPN Regional schedules,” said Wright Waters, commissioner of the Sun Belt. “We have enjoyed our long history with ESPN, and we are excited to expand our relationship with the network this year and even more so in the future.”

The Sun Belt Conference, now in its 27th year of existence, has partnered with ESPN for 24 of those years, the longest running relationship between the network and any conference. In fact, the Sun Belt Men’s Tournament championship game has been broadcast by ESPN every year since 1980. This year’s men’s championship game will be played on Mar. 11, at 8 p.m. (CST)

Other national games that are featured on the schedule include primetime men’s conference showdown on ESPN 2, Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 26 at 8:30 p.m. (CST). Other national games include UL Lafayette’s contest vs. Colorado in the first round of the Pepsi Charlotte Holiday Classic on Dec. 27, and Western Kentucky’s Feb. 22 home game against an opponent to be named in ESPN’s “Bracket Buster Saturday,” which features a number of the nation’s top “mid-major” programs. The opponent and exact ESPN network will be announced in early February.

This is the first year for the Sun Belt-ESPN Regional Television (ERT) Network, which will feature all Sun Belt men’s and women’s programs in at least 14 telecasts. The Sun Belt-ERT Network began with seven football telecasts this fall, and will be seen on a variety of regional cable networks, and local over-the-air-stations and cable systems throughout the Sun Belt region. Also, some telecasts will be shown on ESPN Full Court, the network’s pay subscription service available on cable and satellite systems.

In addition to regular-season broadcasts, the Sun Belt-ERT Network will televise action from the Sun Belt Tournaments in March, including the Women’s Championship Game on Mar. 11. Other tournament telecasts are being negotiated and will be announced soon.

Also, Sun Belt-ERT affiliate stations and cable systems will also be announced in the coming weeks.

2002-03 Sun Belt Conference

National Basketball Television Schedule

(as of Oct. 22, 2002)

Day, Date, Team, Matchup, Gametime, Network

Wed., 12/27/02, Men’s, UL Lafayette vs. Colorado, TBA, ESPN 2

Sat., 2/22/03, Men’s, Bracket Buster opponent at Western Kentucky, TBA, TBA

Wed., 2/26/03, Men’s, Western Kentucky at UL Lafayette, 8:30 p.m., ESPN 2

Tue., 3/11/03, Men’s, Men’s Tournament Championship, 8 p.m., ESPN

Schedule is subject to change.

ALL TIMES CENTRAL

2002-03 Sun Belt Conference-ESPN Regional Television

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Schedule

(as of Oct. 22, 2002)

Day, Date, DH or single, Team(s), Matchup, Gametime:

Sat., 1/4/03, DH, Men and Women, South Alabama at New Orleans, TBA

Sat., 1/11/03, DH, Men and Women, Denver at North Texas, TBA

Sat., 1/18/03, Single, Women, North Texas at Arkansas State, TBA

Sat., 1/25/03, DH, Men, Arkansas State at Arkansas-Little Rock, TBA

Women, FIU at Arkansas-Little Rock, TBA

Sat., 2/1/03, Single, Men, FIU at Middle Tennessee, TBA

Sat., 2/8/03, Single, Men, Western Kentucky at North Texas, TBA

Sat., 2/15/03, DH, Men and Women, Louisiana-Lafayette at NMSU, TBA

Sat., 3/1/03, DH, Men and Women, Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky, TBA

Tue., 3/11/03, Single, Women's Tournament Championship, TBA

Additional games may be added to schedule.