Aces to be featured on CBS Sports Network
ST. LOUIS– For the second consecutive year, CBS Sports Network will televise a package of Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball games, including the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals as well as eight regular-season contests, Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today.
CBS Sports will continue to televise the title game of Arch Madness for a 12th consecutive year on March 5, 2017.
“As the lead-in to the final week of college men’s basketball, our tourney begins the final march to Selection Sunday, and we are grateful to have the increased visibility for Arch Madness on CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network,†said Elgin, who is in his 29th year with the Conference.
The University of Evansville is set to host Wichita State on January 17, 2017 on the CBS Sports Network. There is also a chance that the Feb. 25 home contest against Indiana State could be picked up by the network as part of the wildcard weekend.
“CBS Sports’ commitment to the MVC brand paid immediate dividends in 2016. Northern Iowa took full advantage of the national stage, upsetting MVC regular-season champion Wichita State in overtime in the semifinals before edging Evansville on a buzzer-beater on CBS Sports in the finale to win the title,†Elgin added.
The 2017 regular-season package of league games on CBS Sports Network reflects the 2016 postseason success by The Valley, which saw Wichita State (versus Vanderbilt and Arizona) and UNI (against Texas) win games in the NCAA Tournament.
Of the seven pre-determined league match-ups, Wichita State will appear in three games, while UNI, Missouri State and Southern Illinois are slated for two appearances each.
The CBS Sports Network package, which features contests on Saturdays and select mid-week nights, begins on Jan. 7, as Southern Illinois visits Missouri State for a 3 p.m. Central telecast.
The men’s basketball regular-season package in January also showcases Wichita State at Evansville (Jan. 17), Illinois State at Bradley (Jan. 18), Southern Illinois at WSU (Jan. 24) and UNI at Drake (Jan. 28).
In the month of February, telecasts include Indiana State at UNI (Feb. 4) and Missouri State at Wichita State (Feb. 9).
The February lineup concludes on Saturday, Feb. 25, when ESPN and CBS Sports Network will utilize the Wildcard Selection process to choose from five games — Illinois State at UNI, Indiana State at Evansville, Wichita State at Missouri State, Loyola at Southern Illinois and Bradley at Drake.
The wildcard games selected to air on ESPN and CBS Sports Network will be announced on Friday, Feb. 10.
CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2017 State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Championship — the league’s 27th consecutive tournament in St. Louis — will include the semifinal games on March 4 on CBS Sports Network. The title contest on March 5 will air at 1 p.m. Central on CBS Sports.
There will also be additional non-conference exposure through Loyola’s participation in the Paradise Jam and Drake’s participation in the Great Alaska Shootout in November.
Should Loyola win its first-round game against Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 18, the Ramblers will meet the winner of Oral Roberts-Ole Miss on CBS Sports Network at 5 p.m. Central on Nov. 20. They could also gain an appearance at 5 or 7:30 p.m. Central on Nov. 21.
Drake plays Iona on Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. Central on CBS Sports Network. Both semifinals on Nov. 25 and the championship game on Nov. 26 are being carried by CBS Sports Network.
The final non-conference contest for the league on CBS Sports Network will occur on Saturday, December 3 at 4 p.m. Central, when Wichita State visits Colorado State in a Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge game — one of nine such match-ups contested on that date.
The two leagues are in the second year of a four-year Challenge series, their second such term following a previous series played from 2009 to 2012.
Evansville, Indiana State, Southern Illinois and Wichita State were victorious in the 2015 Challenge.
