Thursday, September 30, 2010

MAAC Releases Network TV Schedule

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and ESPN have announced the already decided schedule of games involving MAAC teams that will be televised over the sports network during the upcoming season.

There will be some other games to receive national exposure via ESPN, but those are still to be determined.

Among the highlights is that the 2011 MAAC Women's Basketball Championship Game, scheduled for Monday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m., will be broadcast nationally for the first time on ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network. The men’s championship game will also be played on Monday at 7:00 p.m., and will air on either ESPN or ESPN2. The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn. will host the 2011 MAAC Basketball Championships from March 3-7.

Seven regular season men's basketball games will also air on ESPNU, a multimedia college sports brand highlighted by a 24-hour television network that launched March 4, 2005.

The conference's network TV schedule begins on Friday, January 7, as Niagara hosts Rider for a 9:00 p.m. matchup at the Gallagher Center. On Friday, January 21, Siena will take on host Saint Peter’s at 9:00 p.m. at the Yanitelli Center. Fairfield will host Iona on Friday, February 4 at 9:00 p.m. at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

Additionally, a wildcard game will air on ESPN2, along with a second game on ESPNU, on Friday, February 25 that will be selected in late January. Games scheduled that day are Manhattan at Canisius, Siena at Fairfield, Iona at Saint Peter’s, Loyola at Niagara and Rider at Marist.

ESPNU will broadcast three men’s and women’s basketball doubleheaders this season. On Friday, January 14, Loyola hosts Fairfield for a true twin bill, as the women’s programs play at 4:30 p.m., followed by the men’s teams at 7:00 p.m.

On Friday, January 28, the Canisius women will host the Manhattan Jaspers at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Griffs against the Niagara men at 7:00 p.m. Iona College’s Hynes Athletics Center is the locale for the final ESPNU doubleheader on Friday, February 11. The first game will feature the Gaels’ women’s program versus Marist, the defending champion, at 4:30 p.m., and then Iona men versus Siena, last year’s MAAC champion, at 7:00 p.m.

Furthermore, MAAC teams will be in television action all season long during non-conference play. Highlighting the list of those matchups is the opening round of the Old Spice Classic, as Manhattan takes on the University of Wisconsin for a 2:00 p.m. game live on ESPN2. Several other local, regional and/or national games are currently being finalized for both conference and non-conference games.

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