Horizon League Reaches New Multi-Year Agreement with ESPNU for Expanded Coverage through 2010

Jan. 16, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS --- The Horizon League has reached a new multi-year agreement (through 2009-10) with ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, for coverage of men's and women's basketball and Olympic sports, it was announced by Burke Magnus, vice president and general manager, ESPNU, and Horizon League Commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone.  The deal will allow for an expanded commitment to the Horizon League across the ESPN platforms throughout the term of the agreement.

ESPNU and the Horizon League:

* This season, ESPNU will televise the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship semifinals and one men's regular-season contest (Feb. 22), plus the Women's Basketball Championship and one women's basketball regular-season game (Jan. 13).  In addition, the network will air several Olympic sport events through 2010. 

* ESPN or ESPN2 will televise four regular-season men's basketball appearances each year of the agreement, as well as feature the Men's Basketball Championship during Championship Week on ESPN or ESPN2.

* All 10 Horizon League schools (Valparaiso University will join the League for the 2007-08 season.) will be eligible to participate in ESPNU BracketBusters through the 2009-10 college basketball season.

"We are excited to continue and expand our relationship with the Horizon League," Magnus said.  "This agreement will broaden our program offerings to our growing ESPNU audience by showcasing the League's great schools and matchups."

Commissioner LeCrone said: "We are pleased to be able to extend our long-standing relationship with ESPN.  Through the various ESPN platforms, we are able to showcase Horizon League men's and women's basketball to a nationwide audience and have a prime-time spot for our men's championship game in the heart of Championship Week.  We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship."

The new pact also includes distribution rights for Horizon League programming across multiple ESPN platforms, including ESPNU.com, ESPN360, ESPN.com, ESPN Pay-Per-View, ESPN Video-on-Demand, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and more. 

Upcoming Horizon League Basketball Games on ESPNU, ESPN and ESPN2

Date                 Time (ET)        Game                                                   Network

Sat., Jan. 27       2 p.m.               UW-Green Bay at UW-Milwaukee             ESPN2

Sat., Feb. 3         4 p.m.              Wright State at Detroit                            ESPN2

Thurs., Feb. 22   9 p.m.               Loyola at Butler                                      ESPNU

Sat., Mar. 3        5 p.m.               Men's Basketball Semifinal #1                 ESPNU

Sat., Mar. 3        7 p.m.               Men's Basketball Semifinal #2                 ESPNU

Tues., Mar. 6      9 p.m.               Men's Basketball Championship               ESPN

Sun., Mar. 11     1 p.m.               Women's Basketball Championship           ESPNU

ESPNU

ESPNU was launched in March 2005.  The network features extensive studio programming and live coverage of games, including college football, college basketball and other Olympic sports from over 20 Division I conferences such as the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Atlantic 10, Big 12, BIG EAST, Big South, Big Ten, Horizon League, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Mid-American Conference, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), Patriot League, Southland, Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and more.  In addition, the network has a wide-ranging, long-term agreement with the NCAA calling for enhanced coverage of 22 NCAA Championships, showcasing sports from each of the three collegiate seasons. ESPNU also has exclusive re-air rights to games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Regional television programming.

In addition, ESPNU.com, the companion to the ESPNU college sports television network, is the online destination for college sports content, including news, information, extensive online video and audio and more.        

ESPNU has secured distribution agreements with Cox, DIRECTV (Channel 609), Echostar's DISH Network (Channel 148), Insight Communications, Mediacom, Verizon, several smaller affiliates and is close to distribution agreements with others.  The 24-hour television network is the key component of the multimedia ESPNU initiative that will also deliver college sports content across ESPN's family of services, such as ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Radio, ESPN360, merchandising and more.

Horizon League

Founded in 1979, the Horizon League features nine public and private institutions that have impressive academic reputations and a storied tradition of broad-based athletic programs. Current membership includes Butler University, Cleveland State University, the University of Detroit Mercy, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wright State University and Youngstown State University. Valparaiso University will officially join on July 1, 2007, expanding the League to 10 members and enhancing the conference's academic and athletic tradition, while strengthening its Midwest footprint.

The Horizon League's primary focus is on adding value to the educational experience through its four platforms of athletic performance, academic achievement, community outreach, and personal responsibility and accountability. It is the League's belief that athletics is a powerful and visible resource tool that can be used to enhance student-athletes' collegiate experience. The Horizon League's goals are to enhance the holistic university experience for the student-athlete, to create an affiliation of institutions with similar athletic goals, and to adhere to the principals of integrity, diversity, excellence and growth.

The Horizon League sponsors competition in 19 sports -- nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and tennis) and 10 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis and volleyball).

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ESPN contact: Tilea Coleman at 860-766-2000 or tilea.coleman@espn.com

Horizon League contact: Will Roleson at 317-237-5606 or wroleson@horizonleague.org