FRISCO — The award-winning Southland Conference Television Network will deliver programming this fall to a total of 21 markets, including San Antonio's KCWX (MyNetwork Channel 2), expanding its reach to a potential 10 million television households, the Southland announced on Monday.
The growth of the network will extend the reach within the conference’s three-state footprint to new markets, including Abilene-Sweetwater, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa in Texas and Lafayette and Morgan City-Houma in Louisiana. The network also welcomes new affiliates to its expanding list, including new partners in Houston and Austin.
This list of Texas markets includes Abilene-Sweetwater on KTXS (12.3); Amarillo on KCPN (19.2); Austin on YNN (Ch. 408/348); Beaumont-Port Arthur on KUIL (43) and K-JAC (12.2); Corpus Christi on KIII (3.2); Dallas-Fort Worth on WFAA (8.3); Houston on KUBE (57); Laredo on KTXW (19); Lubbock on KUPT (29); Midland-Odessa on KWWT (30); Rio Grande Valley on KRGV (5.3); San Antonio on KCWX (2); Tyler-Longview-Lufkin-Nacogdoches on KYTX (19.2); and, Waco-Temple-Bryan on KCEN (6.2). The list of Louisiana markets includes Baton Rouge on WBTR (41); Hammond on WSTY (23); Lafayette on KLWB (50), Lake Charles on KVHP (29.2); Morgan City-Houma on KWBJ (22); and, Shreveport-Texarkana on KPXJ (21). The network reaches the Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas, market on KARZ (42).
Included in the network’s fall broadcast package are 10 football games and the championship matches of the Southland soccer and volleyball conference tournaments.
“The Southland Conference is proud to announce its fourth year of programming with a compelling broadcast schedule,” Commissioner Tom Burnett said. “The expansion of the Southland Conference Television Network into new markets is proof-positive that our product is valuable to our membership, television stations and corporate sponsors. Chris Mycoskie (the Southland’s director of television) has done a fabulous job in growing the network, and we’re looking forward to another great partnership with Jeff Watts Productions.”
The 10-game football broadcast schedule begins with the Sept. 1 season-opener, a Thursday evening contest between Western Illinois and Sam Houston State. That will be followed by the Northwestern State at Nicholls State game Sept. 24, and the Lamar vs. Southeastern Louisiana contest on Oct. 1. The Battle of the Piney Woods rivalry game between Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin at Reliant Stadium in Houston will be broadcast Oct. 8. The remainder of the Southland Network schedule will feature McNeese State at Central Arkansas Oct. 15, the first telecast on Central Arkansas’ new multi-colored turf at Estes Stadium. The UCA at Lamar game Oct. 22 will also be featured on the network, and the McNeese State at SFA tilt Oct. 29 will close out the month.
The Southland Network will televise three games in November, including Central Arkansas at Northwestern State Nov. 5. The final two regular-season Saturdays have been designated for “wild card” broadcasts based on how the conference race is shaping up. The Nov. 12 game will be one of three possible matchups: Lamar at Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana at Stephen F. Austin or Northwestern State at Sam Houston State. The Nov. 19 contest will feature either McNeese State at Lamar or Stephen F. Austin at Northwestern State, the annual “Battle for Chief Caddo” rivalry game.
An additional football telecast, the Thursday, Nov. 17 Nicholls State at Southeastern Louisiana game, will be televised exclusively on Cox Sports Television, a regional cable network based in New Orleans that reaches more than 2 million subscribers in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Virginia.
The Southland TV Network will also televise a pair of conference championships this fall, including the championship match of the soccer tournament on Sunday, Nov. 6, and the championship match of the volleyball tournament on Sunday, Nov. 20.
As one of the nation’s newest and most innovative broadcast opportunities, the Southland TV Network became a reality in 2008 and has broadcast nearly 100 events during its first three years. The network has earned a College Sports Media Award (2009) and an honorable mention (2010) at the College Sports Video Summit as well as four prestigious Telly Awards.
All Southland TV programming will also be streamed live on SLC NOW on the Southland Conference website, Southland.org. Once a subscription service, SLC NOW is entering its third year providing its content, which includes numerous other championship events, at no cost to viewers.
The first broadcast this fall, the football game between Western Illinois and Sam Houston State, will also be televised by a pair of stations in Illinois, including WGEM 10.3 (FOX) in Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk and WHBF 4.2 (Retro TV) in Rock Island-Moline-Davenport.
Next-day replays of all Southland TV football games will air on Fox College Sports, which is available in up to 56 million households nationwide.
The Southland Conference continues to explore opportunities in other markets. Check southland.org/television for an updated list of affiliates prior to each broadcast.
