NEC Release
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Northeast Conference (NEC) unveiled its 2016-17 basketball television schedule Wednesday, a 33-game package featuring the most in-depth national coverage in the league's 36-year history. LIU Brooklyn men's and women's basketball will have a combined four appearances on national television as a part of the package.
Every telecast in the NEC's TV slate will be distributed nationally in some form, and the conference will maintain its traditionally strong presence on regional television.
The Blackbirds will be two of the first programs featured on the league schedule, as LIU will host St. Francis Brooklyn for a Saturday doubleheader in January that will air on ESPN3. The women's game will tip off at 12 p.m., Saturday, January 14, followed by the men at 3 p.m.
The men's annual Battle of Brooklyn will air on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) in a special Wednesday prime-time matchup, as the Blackbirds travel down the street to St. Francis Brooklyn to face off with the Terriers, Wednesday, February 15 at 6 p.m. The men will also appear on MSG and FCS this year, when they host Sacred Heart, Saturday, February 18 at 12 p.m.
Among the highlights:
• The NEC will receive a combined eight national exposures on ESPN linear networks and CBS Sports Network, a new league record. Likewise, four men's games will air
on CBSSN this season, a record-high for the conference.
• Including ESPN3 games, the NEC will receive 23 national exposures on ESPN/CBS platforms.
• Fox College Sports (FCS), a national outlet that appears on digital cable systems and DirecTV, will pick up all NEC regional games.
• The TV schedule includes 11 women's games, matching the most in NEC history.
• The final week of the season will feature a men's wildcard game on CBSSN and a women's wildcard contest on ESPN3.
• Longtime NEC regional partner MSG will broadcast 10 games, including four NEC men's tournament contests.
• Eight NEC Tournament games will be televised, equaling the most in conference annals.
"We are incredibly excited to announce this year's record-breaking basketball television package," said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. "The enhanced national and regional exposure demonstrates the NEC's continued commitment to highlighting our men's and women's programs across multiple platforms including ESPN, CBS Sports Network, MSG and Fox College Sports. And of course, NEC fans can enjoy all other broadcasts on NEC Front Row, the league's state-of-the-art digital network available free of charge for all live and archived events."
In total, 19 games will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, culminating with the NEC men's and women's championship games in March.
The NEC will team up with ESPN3 to deliver 15 men's and women's games to ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, one that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. ESPN3 will once again be the exclusive home to NEC women's basketball this winter with 10 games on the docket, matching the record number for the Conference.
CBSSN, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, will tipoff the NEC package in early January with the first of four games to air on the network this season. And for the 14th straight year, the NEC will team up with Fox College Sports (FCS) to broadcast 10 games nationally on its Atlantic, Central or Pacific regional channels.
The 2016-17 NEC-TV lineup features 10 regionally produced games. Longtime partner Madison Square Garden Network (MSG) will serve as the NEC's flagship network, with select games airing via delay on Root Sports (Pittsburgh). Other local and regional carriers may be added to the syndication list in the coming weeks.
Come the postseason, MSG and FCS will be the home to a pair of men's quarterfinal games on March 1 and both semifinal contests on March 4. The NEC women's semifinals will be carried on ESPN3 on March 8.
As part of the network's Championship Week coverage, the NEC men's title game runs will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2 for the 30th straight year on Tuesday, March 7th at 7:00 pm. For the tenth year in a row, ESPNU will televise the NEC Women's Championship game. This year's final is scheduled for Sunday, March 12th at 2:00 pm.
Now in his 17th season, Dave Popkin will serve as the primary play-by-play announcer on men's broadcasts, with Paul Dottino (18th year) filling in. Tim Capstraw (18th year), Terry O'Connor (15th year) and Joe DeSantis (tenth year) will split color analyst duties. Dottino and John Schmeelk (sixth year) are the NEC's primary sideline reporters.
Dottino and Craig D'Amico will once again serve as the play-by-play voice of women's telecasts. Pam Roecker is back for her 15th year as color analyst.
PS Wolf Media returns as the packager for CBSSN and NEC regional telecasts, with Eric Singer back in the fold as the longtime producer of NEC basketball. Pack Network will handle production duties for the league's ESPN3 package.