SPARTANBURG, S.C. – All five Southern Conference men’s basketball games scheduled for Thursday (Feb. 11) will be available through ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app, marking the first time all league members will have exposure through the digital service on the same day.

“A lot of research, hard work and cooperation among our presidents, chancellors, ADs and video coordinators has led to this point in time,” said Southern Conference Commissioner John Iamarino.  “We’re utilizing the great brand awareness ESPN offers to increase coverage of the Southern Conference in a cost-effective manner that benefits our alumni and fans.”

The Southern Conference and ESPN reached an initial agreement in 2012 and signed an extension in 2015 that will run through the 2020-21 academic year.  Over the course of the second contract, the league office and its member schools will produce nearly 2,000 live events that will receive national distribution. 

“We’re proud of the relationship we’ve formed with the Southern Conference and its member institutions that work with us to produce live events on ESPN, accessible to more than 99 million U.S. households,” said Brent Colborne, ESPN’s Director of Programming & Acquisitions with ESPN.  “They recognize the initiative as an opportunity for both their academic and athletic programs, with benefits that include hands-on experience for students and national exposure for sports that might otherwise not have been shown on television.”

Thursday’s men’s basketball slate features four games that will be produced by the host schools, while the Chattanooga at Western Carolina game will be produced by WebStream Sports.

Men’s Basketball Schedule – Thursday, Feb. 11
Mercer at Wofford – 7  p.m.
Samford at ETSU – 7p .m.
UNCG at VMI – 7 p.m.
The Citadel at Furman – 7 p.m.
Chattanooga at Western Carolina – 7:30 p.m.