CLEVELAND - (Feb. 4) The Mid-American Conference announced a partnership with a
metropolitan Cleveland media television station in conjunction with MAC
basketball coverage. The agreement with WUAB Hometeam 43 allows for
over-the-air television coverage leading up to the MAC Basketball
Tournaments in Cleveland, including four Saturday afternoon games,
beginning February 5 as Ohio faces Bowling Green at noon. The following
week pits Bowling Green at Miami in a noon start. Akron is at Kent for a
3:00 p.m. game on February 19, and Kent visits Ohio at noon on February
26.
"We believe this schedule showcases the absolute best of MAC basketball
leading up to the MAC Tournament," said MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst.
"Our intent is to bring those games of most interest to MAC fans in
Cleveland on a consistent basis. We are trying something new in terms of
broadcast syndication; the possibility of significant over-the-air
exposure in our home market of Cleveland, the home of our basketball
tournaments, is an exciting prospect for the conference and something we
firmly believe can grow in the future."
"The MAC continues to grow in national prominence," said WUAB Station
Manager Richard Sullivan. "We are
pleased and proud to have Akron, Kent, Miami, Ohio and Bowling Green
join the Hometeam 43 family."
The MAC's broadcast syndication is part of a comprehensive three-year
partnership agreement involving production and syndication rights with
ESPN, Inc., and ESPN Regional Television. Distributing under the brand
ESPN Plus, ESPN Regional Television presently serves as the multi-media
rights holder for the Big Ten (football and basketball), Big East
(football and basketball), Conference USA (basketball) and the Big 12
(basketball) conferences. The MAC's regional syndicated package airs on
broadcast affiliates throughout Ohio, Michigan, New York and West
Virginia, and compliments the MAC's basketball schedule on Fox Sports
Net Monday nights.
Hometeam 43, a UPN affiliate, airs telecasts of Major League Baseball's
Cleveland Indians and the NBA's Cavaliers throughout the regular season.
The station is operated by Raycom Media, Inc., a Montgomery, Ala.,
corporation, along with sister station WOIO Hometeam 19, a CBS
affiliate.
Listed below is a schedule of WUAB's MAC Game of the Week coverage:
Day Date Time Game
Saturday Feb. 5 Noon Ohio @ Bowling Green
Saturday Feb. 12 Noon Bowling Green @ Miami
Saturday Feb. 19 3:00 p.m. Akron @ Kent
Saturday Feb. 26 Noon Kent @ Ohio