BURN THE HORSE
Those hoping for a better basketball television package will be disappointed to learn that the Sun Belt Conference and ESPN have re-upped and are now married through at least 2020.It doesn't really appear the conference got anything different from a basketball perspective. It's still 4 team appearances and the Sun Belt Tournament championship game. ESPN Regional Television maintains the right to produce, distribute and syndicate up to eight men's basketball games annually. That could be good, but it doesn't say they're actually going to do it. And does this mean the CSS/CST games are out?
The women's TV package also looks pretty similar with one appearance -- regular season OR championship game -- on ESPNU.
UALR has made an ESPN regular season appearance each of the played Tulsa and South Alabama two years ago and Florida Atlantic last year. It has been rumored that this season's game against Kentucky may end up there as well.
Florida Atlantic Coach Mike Jarvis likes it. But what else could he say?
"This package represents a big step forward for the league in terms of national exposure and will continue to raise the profile of this conference and its members in the future. It is the dream of every college basketball player in the nation to be on ESPN and this agreement helps that dream move closer to reality for every player in the Sun Belt," Jarvis said.
It looks good for football, but about the same for basketball. And that's all that really matters here.
Read all about it here:
http://www.sunbeltsports.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4100&ATCLID=205267021
