MVC releases 2012-2013 TV package

The Missouri Valley Conference on Thursday released its TV package for the 2012-2013 academic year, most of which consists of men’s basketball telecasts.

UE games listed are Nov. 10 at Notre Dame (ESPN3.com), Drake at Evansville on Feb. 10 (ESPNU or ESPN3.com) and Creighton at Evansville on Feb. 16 (ESPN U).

The release Thursday did not add any previously unannounced UE broadcasts or include MVC TV telecasts already slated: Southern Illinois at Evansville Jan. 5, Evansville at Indiana State Jan. 19 and Evansville at Illinois State Jan. 26.

There’s a potential for more national broadcasts to be added, however, as all 10 MVC teams will participate in this year’s BracketBusters Challenge. UE’s out-of-conference road game either Feb. 22-23 — opponent and date TBA later — could be picked up as one of five BracketBusters contests aired on ESPN 2, four on ESPN U or four on ESPN3.com.

CBS Sports will also air the MVC men’s basketball tournament championship at 1 p.m. March 10.

But most all of the MVC’s TV rights belong to ESPN as the league enters year two of a five-year deal. In all, 48 MVC games will air on the ESPN family of networks during the 2012-2013 academic year, a record for the league.

That deal also contains the following on ESPN3.com: a women’s basketball game (Illinois State at Wichita State on Feb. 1), four matches from the MVC volleyball championships and a minimum 12 games from the baseball tournament.