Seventeen Hilltopper basketball games added to initial TV slate
Seventeen Western Kentucky men’s basketball games have been selected for national broadcast or digital streaming, the Conference USA office announced Wednesday.
The Hilltoppers are scheduled to play four games on ESPN networks, three games on CBS Sports Network, one game on FS1, three games on beIN SPORTS and six games on Stadium as part of the initial broadcast release.
All three of WKU’s games in the Bad Boys Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis tournament will be televised by ESPN networks, starting with the Hilltoppers’ contest against Villanova at 1:30 p.m. (all times CT) Nov. 22 on ESPN2.
WKU’s second game of the tournament against Purdue or Tennessee will air on either ESPN or ESPN3, while the third contest will air on ESPN2 or ESPN3. The Hilltoppers’ trip to Rice at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 will also air on ESPN3.
Outside of C-USA TV selections, WKU will also appear nationally on FS1 when they travel to face Wisconsin at 7 p.m. CT Dec. 13.
WKU will play three times in conference play on CBS Sports Network, including at home against UAB at 8 p.m. Jan. 18. They’ll also be featured on the network at UTEP at 9 p.m. Feb. 1 and at Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. March 1.
Three games will be available on beIN SPORTS, including WKU’s conference opener at home against LA Tech at 7 p.m. Dec. 28. The channel will also air WKU’s game at Old Dominion at 7 p.m. Jan. 11 and its home contest against Charlotte at 7 p.m. Feb. 22. Those games will also be available through beIN SPORTS CONNECT, the network’s digital and mobile streaming service.
Stadium will stream six games on WKU’s schedule, including four home games: against nonconference foe Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. Nov. 29, and conference matchups against Middle Tennessee at 6 p.m. Jan. 20, Marshall at 6 p.m. Jan. 27 and for Senior Night vs. Old Dominion at 6 p.m. Feb. 24. The outlet will also broadcast the Hilltoppers’ trips to Marshall at 6 p.m. Jan. 6 and at North Texas at 8 p.m. Feb. 15.
Stadium includes a 24/7 linear feed distributed across both digital and broadcast platforms, and live events accessible via owned and operated Stadium platforms and select distribution partners such as Facebook.
Additional games will be added to the broadcast schedule at a later date as the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network finalizes its TV selections.
More than 60 nationally televised or digital games featuring C-USA teams were announced as part of the initial schedule release Wednesday. Additional coverage of C-USA basketball will also be available online through CUSA TV, available exclusively on the league’s official streaming website CUSA.tv.
WKU will open its season with a pair of exhibitions against Campbellsville on Nov. 1 and Cumberland University on Nov. 7. Both games will tip off at 7 p.m. at E.A. Diddle Arena.