WKU Basketball: Toppers’ Full National TV Slate Announced
Just earlier this morning we got a whiff of the first three anounced national TV games for WKU, which will be played on CBS Sports Network…
Just earlier this morning we got a whiff of the first three anounced national TV games for WKU, which will be played on CBS Sports Network, but now we know the full reach of the national TV schedule in relation to the Tops.
In all, the Tops will have 17 games broadcast live across the aforementioned CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN3, FS1, Stadium and BeIN.
The national TV slate kicks off for the Tops with the Battle 4 Atlantis, which will have every game across the ESPN networks (be it the mothership, the duce or ESPN3).
The Tops will then host Eastern Kentucky live on Stadium (the free streaming service through Twitter that the Tops played both Louisiana Tech and Ball State on) before having their Dec. 13 matchup at Wisconsin on FS1.
Following the matchup against the Badgers, WKU will be on beIN against La Tech on Dec. 28 and in their Jan. 11 road game at ODU, with the Jan. 6 Marshall matchup sandwiched in between to be on Stadium.
From Jan. 18-Feb. 1, the Tops will play four games, all of which will be carried (Jan. 18 on CBSSN against UAB, Jan. 20 & 27 on Stadium and Feb. 1 at UTEP on CBSSN).
After a three-game stretch with no TV (yet — we’ll get to it), the Tops will have five straight contests to be carried: Feb. 15 at North Texas (Stadium), Feb. 17 at Rice (ESPN3), Feb. 22 vs. Charlotte (beIN), Feb. 24 vs. ODU (Stadium) and March 1 at MTSU (CBSSN).
The full slate, with the full WKU schedule and tip off times, can be seen below.
Overall, I’m pretty content with what was given to the Tops. My only worry is the FS1 game, just because historically the Tops haven’t fared too well in those (see: Xavier in 2015, UTEP in ‘16).
If you’re worried because there are some games that still aren’t on the schedule — don’t just yet. In year’s past, if a home game isn’t picked up by someone, the Hilltopper Satellite Sports Network will pick those up, and in the past they’ve been syndicated by either ESPN3 or Fox College Sports.
Yes, in a perfect world every Tops game is on ESPN3, but we aren’t quite there.
Yet.
What is your take on the Tops’ TV schedule? Is there a game you’d love to see but wont because it isn’t included? Let us know in a comment below, via Twitter at @TheTowelRackWKU or on our Facebook page.