Big South Announces 2016 Football Television Package
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – The Big South Conference announced its 2016 football broadcast schedule Tuesday at its annual Media Day Kickoff event, and this year’s slate again features 11 games exclusively on ESPN3 and ASN. The 11 telecasts are among 26 total events involving Big South football members that will air every week of the 2016 campaign. New this year is exclusive Big South Network telecasts as part of the conference’s new broadcast tier strategy.
ESPN3 will exclusively deliver eight games this year. The slate also features a “Wildcard” selection for the second consecutive season. The American Sports Network (ASN) will televise the three remaining contests.
The Big South’s exclusive ESPN3 “Game of the Week” begins Sept. 24 with Monmouth hosting preseason favorite Charleston Southern at 1:00pm in West Long Branch, N.J. -- the first conference game ever to be played in the month of September. The schedule resumes two weeks later on Oct. 8 as Presbyterian visits Gardner-Webb, and will continue each week through the conclusion of the regular-season on Nov. 19, which will be a “Wildcard” selection determined 14-21 days in advance.
Meanwhile, ASN’s three-game package features all noon kickoffs starting with the Oct. 22 Kennesaw State at Gardner-Webb game, followed by the Nov. 5 Gardner-Webb at Charleston Southern contest and the Nov. 12 Presbyterian at Kennesaw State match-up. Game times for the Oct. 22 and Nov. 5 games have been changed to accommodate each broadcast.
As part of the conference’s new broadcast tier plan, three games will be carried exclusively on the Big South Network. Meanwhile, the Big South will appear on an ESPN linear network again this year as Charleston Southern faces North Dakota State in the FCS season-opening game on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 7:30pm on ESPN. In addition, Big South members will also appear on ESPN3 outside of the conference’s television package. All home games not exclusive to ESPN3, ASN or the Big South Network will be shown as part of a new Big South Network “shared” option, in which Big South Network broadcasts can be simulcast via other outlets. The full broadcast list is below, and any additional televised games will be announced at a later date.
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through WatchESPN. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
ASN parent Sinclair Broadcasting Group will distribute its football productions to its stations solely located in the Conference’s footprint of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as New Jersey and Georgia. Sinclair’s broadcast stations will either carry the games and any original content as part of the primary program lineup (generally on the Company’s CW and MyNet affiliates) or as part of second channels (sub-channels of the primary station’s signal).
2016 Big South Conference Football Television Broadcast Schedule (All Times EST and subject to change
Date - Game, Time - Network/Affiliate
Aug. 27 - Charleston Southern at North Dakota State, 7:30pm - ESPN
Sept. 1 - Presbyterian at Central Michigan, 7:00pm - ESPN3
Sept. 3 - Liberty at Virginia Tech, 12:30pm - ACC RSN/WatchESPN
Sept. 3 - East Tennessee State at Kennesaw State, 7:00pm - Peachtree TV
Sept. 10 - Charleston Southern at Florida State, 12:30pm - RSN
Sept. 10 - Point at Kennesaw State, 7:00pm - Peachtree TV
Sept. 10 - Jacksonville at Liberty, 7:00pm - LFSN
Sept. 17 - Monmouth at Kent State, 3:30pm - ESPN3
Sept. 17 - Liberty at SMU, 7:00pm - ESPN3
Sept. 24 - Charleston Southern at Monmouth *, 1:00pm - ESPN3
Sept. 24 - Jacksonville State at Liberty, 7:00pm - LFSN
Oct. 1 - Fordham at Monmouth, 1:00pm - ESPN3
Oct. 1 - Robert Morris at Liberty, 7:00pm - LFSN
Oct. 8 - Missouri S&T at Kennesaw State, 1:00pm - Peachtree TV
Oct. 1 - Presbyterian at Gardner-Webb *, 6:00pm - ESPN3
Oct. 13 - Monmouth at Presbyterian *, 7:00pm - Big South Network Exclusive
Oct. 15 - Liberty at Kennesaw State *, 7:00pm - ESPN3
Oct. 22 - Kennesaw State at Gardner-Webb *, 12:00pm - ASN
Oct. 22 - Monmouth at Liberty *, 3:30pm - LFSN
Oct. 22 - Presbyterian at Charleston Southern *, 6:00pm - ESPN3
Oct. 29 - Kennesaw State at Monmouth *, 1:00pm - ESPN3
Oct. 29 - Gardner-Webb at Liberty *, 3:30pm - Big South Network Exclusive
Nov. 5 - Gardner-Webb at Charleston Southern *, 12:00pm - ASN
Nov. 5 - Clark-Atlanta at Kennesaw State, 1:00pm - Peachtree TV
Nov. 5 - Liberty at Presbyterian *, 2:00pm - ESPN3
Nov. 12 - Presbyterian at Kennesaw State *, 12:00pm - ASN
Nov. 12 - Charleston Southern at Liberty *, 3:30pm - ESPN3
Nov. 19 - Wild Card, TBD - ESPN3
Nov. 19 - Wild Card, TBD - Big South Network Exclusive