This agreement, which runs through the 2023-24 season, will provide excellent coverage of University of Evansville athletics.

ESPN and the Missouri Valley Conference have announced a 10-year extension to their current media rights agreement that will provide increased coverage of conference events across ESPN platforms through the 2023-24 academic year.

As part of the deal – which continues a business relationship that began in 1986 – ESPN, the Missouri Valley Conference and its 10 member institutions will work jointly to develop in-house production capabilities at each campus that will provide significant national coverage for multiple sports on ESPN3 and hands-on educational opportunities for students. As a result, ESPN3 will showcase a minimum of 820 events a year (a minimum of 70 men’s basketball) in the final six years of the agreement.

ESPN also retains the rights to the Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinals and championship and Women’s Basketball Tournament championship each year. The agreement will continue to feature multiple men’s basketball and Olympic sports game telecasts across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS each year.

The Missouri Valley Conference, the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference, continues to be a leader in college athletics and is one of the nation’s most progressive conferences, celebrating its 109th season in 2015-16. League members have worked together to focus on common goals and objectives, placing a high value on league harmony, while continuing to invest in athletic programs to compete at the highest level. League all-sport members include Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Loyola Chicago, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Wichita State.

The UE Angle

“We are very excited about the new agreement between ESPN and the Missouri Valley Conference. Having all of our games televised on the ESPN platform will provide the University of Evansville and our team with more exposure than ever before.” – University of Evansville head men’s basketball coach Marty Simmons

"We are excited that our games will be aired on the ESPN3 platform. This will be great for our fans, families and recruits. It's certainly an opportunity for our program to gain national notoriety." – University of Evansville head women’s basketball coach Oties Epps

“This is a “game-changing” deal for our program and department in general. It represents the high value of importance that our Conference and school is putting into showcasing the efforts of our student-athletes. Having the endorsement of ESPN3 behind our media resources creates a globalized environment that levels the field in recruiting, exposure, and marketing of our brand. We are thrilled about these news, as we recognize the significance and impact that this will have in the growth of our program.” – University of Evansville head volleyball coach Manolo Concepcion

For all of the latest information on Evansville athletics, log on to GoPurpleAces.com or follow the team on Twitter via @UEAthletics.

From Bob Pristash, University of Evansville Sports Information Director

 

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