2018-19 NEC Television Schedule Release
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Northeast Conference office released the 2018-19 television schedule for men's and women's basketball Monday, and the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds will have three nationally televised TV games between the two programs as a part of the package.
22 games will be televised on ESPN platforms this season, while CBS Sports Network will broadcast four NEC games this season. In total, the NEC will have 26 national exposures on ESPN/CBS platforms. A total of six NEC Tournament games will also be televised come March.
The LIU Brooklyn men's and women's basketball teams will have one of their most heated rivalries aired on ESPN3 this season. The Blackbirds will take on local foe St. Francis Brooklyn in the Steinberg Wellness Center, Monday, January 21 in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. Both games will air on ESPN3.
The men's team will have one road game featured on national TV. The Blackbirds' game at Fairleigh Dickinson will air on ESPNU, Thursday, January 31 at 5 p.m. Additionally, all of the remaining men's and women's home games will be streamed free of cost for Blackbird Nation fans on NECFrontRow.com.
Come the postseason, ESPN3 will carry the men's semifinals on Saturday, March 9 and the women's semis on Thursday, March 14. As part of the network's Championship Week coverage, the NEC men's title game will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2 for the 32nd straight year on Tuesday, March 12th at 7:00 pm. For the 12th year in a row, ESPNU will carry the NEC Women's Championship game. This year's final is scheduled for Sunday, March 17th at 2:00 pm.
Now in his 19th season, Dave Popkin will serve as the primary play-by-play announcer on men's broadcasts, with Paul Dottino (20th year) and John Schmeelk (eighth year) filling in. Tim Capstraw (20th year), Terry O'Connor (17th year) and Joe DeSantis (12th year) will split color analyst duties. Dottino will serve as the NEC's primary sideline reporter.
Dottino and Craig D'Amico (tenth year) will once again handle play-by-play voice on women's telecasts. Pam Roecker is back for her 17th year as color analyst.
PS Wolf Media returns as the packager for CBSSN 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/ESPN+ package.