SoCon announces Nexstar football broadcast schedule

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., Ingles Markets and the Southern Conference announced Tuesday the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week football broadcast package on select Nexstar affiliates for the 2024 season. Seven SoCon squads will make at least one appearance over the course of the six-game broadcast schedule.

“The Southern Conference’s on-going relationship with Nexstar provides important opportunities for regional television coverage across the southeast for the SoCon’s football teams and their institutions,” SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. “We look forward to our fans, alumni, current and future students having an opportunity to see the exceptional, championship caliber football happening on SoCon Saturdays.  “It’s All Here” in the SoCon and we thank Nexstar and Ingles Markets for their support!”
 
The schedule kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 29, with Mercer hosting Presbyterian at 7 p.m. in its season opener.
 
The first Saturday game in the package will be on Sept. 7, when nationally ranked Western Carolina welcomes Campbell for a 1 p.m. showdown. One week later, The Citadel faces off with North Greenville for a noon kickoff in the third game of the package. Chattanooga hosts Portland State on Sept. 28 in the next matchup.

ETSU will appear twice on the schedule, the first coming on Nov. 16, when the Bucs welcome the defending SoCon champion Furman. The next week, ETSU will play at VMI on Nov. 23, wrapping up the package on the final Saturday of the regular season.
 
Each game in the Nexstar package will air concurrently on ESPN+ or ESPN3.

“Ingles Partnership with Nexstar and The Southern Conference is the pinnacle of the Ingles Sports and Branding initiative. Ingles provides The Southern Conference with six televised football games featuring some of the top players and rivalries in the conference. Together, Ingles and Nexstar are elevating an already premier conference to another level of visibility”, Melissa Leavell, the Advertising Director of Ingles Markets, said. “With one of the best fan bases in the United States as well as a rich history of talent and tradition, Southern Conference Saturdays are weekly appointment television. Ingles is proud to partner with Nexstar to support college athletes and The Southern Conference.”

Nexstar affiliates with the opportunity to air games are: ECBD (Charleston), WMYT (Charlotte), WWCW (Lynchburg/Roanoke) and WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville). Although not a Nexstar station, WMUB (Macon), Mercer University Broadcasting, will also air select contests.

Nexstar football broadcast schedule (all times Eastern)
Aug. 29 – Presbyterian at Mercer, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 – Campbell at Western Carolina, 1 p.m.
Sept. 14 – North Greenville at The Citadel, Noon
Sept. 28 – Portland State at Chattanooga, 7 p.m.
Nov. 16 – Furman at ETSU, Noon
Nov. 23 – ETSU at VMI, Noon