[givemethemic]

I had been waiting on this for a little while...This is huge for us.. if you have DirecTV enjoy.....And for the conference as a whole a very good move..

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- Today, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network announced a multi-year agreement to become the Official Mid-Atlantic Partner of the Big South Conference, providing live television coverage to conference schools throughout its seven-state territory. MASN will air a minimum of two live football games and four live men’s basketball games featuring Big South Conference teams throughout coming seasons.

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, the Big South Conference includes the Virginia Military Institute, Liberty, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Winthrop, High Point, UNC Asheville, and Radford. Gardner-Webb is currently an associate member with football participation only, but the university will become a full member of the conference in all sports in the 2008-2009 season. The Big South Conference will also add Presbyterian College for the 2008-2009 season.

“We are excited about this new partnership and for the exposure MASN will give to our athletic programs,” said Kyle Kallander, Commissioner of the Big South Conference. “Because MASN’s television footprint extends throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, our schools will find a huge new audience.”

The MASN-Big South partnership epitomizes the regional sports network’s unique ability to provide sports fans with high-quality local sports programming. In its first year of 24/7 sports coverage, MASN produced and televised the games of a number of schools which had not previously been on the air.

The network has immediate plans to air two Big South football games, including:

November 3 Coastal Carolina at Liberty 3:30pm
November 17 Liberty at Gardner-Webb 3:30pm

Additional Big South basketball games will be announced at a later date.

“Not only will students, faculty, alumni and fans have the opportunity to watch their teams on television, but MASN’s coverage will provide their athletic programs with greater exposure throughout the entire 7- state region,” said MASN Spokesman Todd Webster.

MASN already broadcasts over 200 NCAA football, lacrosse and men’s basketball games featuring teams from the ACC, Big East, Atlantic 10, Big 12, Colonial Athletic Association, Southern, Atlantic Sun, MEAC, WAC, Sun Belt, and MAC conferences

[JDUB]

sweet! now maybe i'll be on tv

[Sly Fox]

Now we're talking. This is a VERY significant step forward for our football television coverage. Hoepfully we'll get tot the point where we can get carriage for all of our football telecasts on outside sports networks in addition to the Liberty Channel.

[JDUB]

so will there be cameras from 2 stations? or will they use the same feed?

[Chris Lang]

Too bad Comcast in Lynchburg doesn't have MASN.

[Sly Fox]

For the purposes of this thread, Lynchburg Comcast is already good to go. But now major chunks of homes beyond Central Virginia who had no access to our games will be exposed to the Flames. I'd love to see us spread our influence even further.

[bigsmooth]

greta news for the roanoke/new river valley market. LU football will be really visible now.

[TIMSCAR20]

MASN is big here in Richmond too. We have 2 stations that have MASN programming. I hope the big south doesn't take games from our broadcasting team for the games as they have done in the past. They should use our on air talent especially since they are using our entire crew behind the scenes. Anyone that watched our 1st round coverage of Men's basketball this past season knows that we can be an impartial team as we had to be that night. My post game interview of Duggar Baucom was very complimentary of VMI and was all about them and not about LU. It was actually some of my best work IMHO.

[01LUGrad]

This is great! Now there will be something worth watching on MASN...Baltimore and Washington baseball games aren't cutting it!

[Knucklehead]

Scar, I suspect the BS will again have it's own package and Talent that will do all of the games for consistentcy. Other than that, I'll have no part of the talent discussion.

[Cider Jim]

FYI--Dish Network also gets MASN (and it's much cheaper than Direct TV--only $29 a month).

[whmatthews]

We get MASN and MASN 2 here in eastern NC on Charter Digital Cable.

[jcmanson]

Great news! Now if I can't make it to GW, I can still catch us winning the Big South on tv! I've got to go check if my current plan on DirecTV has MASN

[givemethemic]

627....

[SuperJon]

Any chance a station in Lynchburg picks up the G-W game?

[Knucklehead]

Any chance a station in Lynchburg picks up the G-W game?

not really

[Blessed1]

This is great news! Thank goodness for MASN because this will be my first time EVER seeing Liberty play!

[TIMSCAR20]

Any chance a station in Lynchburg picks up the G-W game?

Well normally doesn't the Liberty channel show the big south games? And isn't WDRL going to be showing the Liberty Channel games this fall and winter? Or has that purchase not gone through? Sly? If that is the case, you should be able to see the GW game!!!

[Knucklehead]

Forgot WDRL Should be on there!

[Sly Fox]

The best I can tell neither the FCC nor the US Bankruptcy Court has approved the sale. But there apparently is an operational agreement where we have control over programming until the sale. So I would suspect all games will be televised on WDRL even before LU completes owns the joint.

[spc0506]

1.) MASN will use their own on air talent and will hire their own crew. They usual hire the local tech and camara people which means they'll be using the LBN crew, but bring in their own talent.

2.) The games will be aired over the Liberty channel and WDRL. It won't matter who originates them since Liberty still owns the broadcast game rights.

3.) The sale of WDRL has not been approved by the FCC. What does Liberty want with DRL anyway? They will have to invest millions to get that thing into any kind of viewable condition.

[LUconn]

nobody said anything about it being in a viewable condition.

[lu06]

I get MASN here in the DC area. Are you telling me the entire Metro DC area will be able to watch LU games???!!

[Knucklehead]

1.) MASN will use their own on air talent and will hire their own crew. They usual hire the local tech and camara people which means they'll be using the LBN crew, but bring in their own talent.

It would be unusual if MASN appointed their own talent. In the past in regards to Big South Basketball package the Big South had a say in the talent.
As far as crew that should be correct. I would guess the original plan for LBN to broadcast this game will be scrapped and they will carry the MASN feed on WDRL and Liberty Channel. Just MHO.

[SuperJon]

I'm worried we'll get Matt Hogue to do the play-by-play for the Coastal game.