Missouri Valley Inks 5-Year Deal With ESPN

[tornado]

http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=653578

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/10/17/sports/doc453579c4589cd484587964.txt

Calls for at least 28 nationally televised MVC games per year (maybe more) through 2011. This is HUGE, glad to see it!
It brings the MVC further into the realm of the "POWER CONFERENCES".

[MacabreMob]

I too think it is huge.

Yet...

I am wondering how the BCS conferences with their own networks are affecting a move by ESPN to do this.

B10 has their own network taking off. Suspect soon all BCS conferences will have theirs.

ESPN will have to do something to fill slots. This might be a subtle move in that direction.

[BUBravesMan]

The agreement calls for "a minimum of 28 national appearances for Valley teams".

I am wondering if that is seen as 28 separate games, or 28 appearances total
(For instance, a conference game would count as TWO "appearances" since it is ONE appearance PER team).

I see it as a way for ESPN to skimp on their coverage of the MVC if they want to. The 10 contests on ESPNU could be conference games, counting for 20 of the 28 appearances.

Either way, it is HUGE for the Valley. Congrats to Doug Elgin and all of the staff in St. Louis.

[Roll with the Funches]

I am pretty sure that you are correct in the assessment of a conference game counting as two appearances, one for each team.

[MDCowboy]

The release had a link to the PDF file containing the proposed schedule ... so here it is...

2006-07 Missouri Valley Conference
Telecasts on ESPN Family of Networks
ESPN
Dec. 17 Southern Illinois @ Indiana (MBB) 7 p.m.
ESPN2
Nov. 18 Wichita State @ George Mason (MBB) 3 p.m.
Nov. 23 Southern Illinois vs. Arkansas (MBB) 11 a.m.
Nov. 24 Southern Illinois vs. Marist/Minnesota (MBB) TBD
!Nov. 26 Southern Illinois @ Old Spice Classic (MBB) TBD
Dec. 16 Bradley vs. Iowa State @ Des Moines (MBB) 2 p.m.
Dec. 27 Bradley @ UNI (MBB) 8 p.m.
Dec. 30 Missouri State @ Creighton (MBB) 3 p.m.
Feb. 3 Southern Illinois @ Wichita State (MBB) 1 p.m.
Feb. 10 Creighton @ Southern Illinois (MBB) 5 p.m.
*Feb. 16-17 BracketBusters (MBB) TBD
Feb. 24 Wichita State @ Creighton (MBB) 4 p.m.
ESPNU
Nov. 5 State Farm MVC Women???‚¬?„?s Soccer Championship 3 p.m.
!Nov. 26 Southern Illinois @ Old Spice Classic (MBB) TBD
Dec. 6 Creighton @ Dayton (MBB) 8 p.m.
Dec. 16 Iowa @ Drake (MBB) 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 Southern Illinois @ UNI (MBB) Noon
Jan. 7 Wichita State @ Missouri State (WBB) Noon
Wichita State @ Missouri State (MBB) 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 9 Evansville @ Missouri State (MBB) 8 p.m.
Jan. 23 UNI @ Southern Illnois (MBB) 8 p.m.
Jan. 30 Wichita State @ UNI (MBB) 8 p.m.
Feb. 6 Illinois State @ Missouri State (MBB) 8 p.m.
Feb. 13 UNI @ Creighton (MBB) 8 p.m.
*Feb. 16-17 BracketBusters (MBB) TBD
Feb. 20 Missouri State @ Wichita State (MBB) 8 p.m.
!Network to be determined by competition on Nov. 23-24, 2006.
*BracketBusters teams to be announced on Jan. 29, 2007.
All game times are Central and subject to change.

[tornado]

Thanks MDCowboy, and additional games may yet be added, especially if a couple MVC teams get ranked and then have crucial games against each other.

[MDCowboy]

No problem Tornado... I'm definitely going to "upgrade" on DirectTV to get SportsPack in order to get ESPNU. I usually activate it for the Dec-March time period due to all of the extra college hoops games to see. Great to see the MVC featured on this.

Now while I know not all get ESPNU, the MVC gets on SportsCenter with highlights, etc. and it really does help for exposure.

[VromanFan]

Is there still a MVC game of the week deal with Fox Sports?

I could probably figure that out myself but I'm feeling really lazy today.

The ESPN coverage is huge for the conference. It pretty much goes without saying...big effect on recruiting I'd imagine.

I'm also a big fan of weekend afternoon ball. If the ESPN deal forces BU to play a couple more afternoon games that's a positive in my book. I'm "old school".

Sincerely,
VromanFan

[brainiac]

If ESPN signs a contract like this surely they would want exclusive rights, so wouldn't the Fox and Comcast MVC games be history?

[MacabreMob]

I'm also a big fan of weekend afternoon ball. If the ESPN deal forces BU to play a couple more afternoon games that's a positive in my book. I'm "old school".

One of my fondest memories back in the Fieldhouse was the game Bradley beat Tulsa (with Pressey) in OT on a Saturday afternoon (which clinched the 1982 MVC Title in the final game of the season).

Then to walk out onto Main Street and it WAS ALIVE!

THAT WAS AWESOME!

[VromanFan]

Yeah you know I enjoy night games too...its fun to go out and celebrate afterwards (with a win of course, if not its home to be pissed off)...but there's just something about a big game on a Saturday afternoon. It just seems more of a "college" atmosphere. Whatever that means.

I go back to my first couple of years at Bradley and we had some big BU-ISU games in the afternoon...'95-'96 if I'm remembering right. Very fond memories.

[Majik45]

It's great to get all the games on ESPN and ESPN2, but the ESPNU games are pretty much useless IMO. Nobody gets that channel, so less people will watch those games then the ones on Foxsports.