Don’t forget…

The game may be on ESPN2, but keep your computer here for commentary beginning at 8:30 pm from Hot Springs, Ark. The freshest thoughts and insight you can’t get from TV will be right here as WKU goes for the repeat in the Sun Belt Conference tournament and for a second straight NCAA Tournament bid.

The finals are set

So now we all know, it’ll be WKU v. South Alabama in the finals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament tomorrow night at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Before the two teams get down to business, a few facts to rest your head on tonight:

• If WKU wants the title, it will take yet another three-game season sweep of a team to get it. Last season they won three over MTSU, including the SBC tourney title game. They swept the South Alabama in both contests this season.
• Though WKU won both games, they won them by a combined 11 points.
• The Jaguars have three players in double figures, led by Dominic Tilford’s 16.5 ppg.They lead the conference in blocked shots, rebounds per game (38 per game) and rebounding margin.

ESPN and Sun Belt Conference come to terms on new agreement

The Sun Belt announced today a new agreement with ESPN that will extend through the 2011-12 academic year, and will start in the 2009-10 academic year.

With the agreement, ESPN or ESPN2 will televise a minimum of two Sun Belt Football games. On top of that, ESPN Regional Television or ESPN+ will have the opportunity to televise up to five football games a year.

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will also have opportunities to select other games. They will be granted a 12-day rolling window through out the season to televise games. Games will be available after the third Saturday of the season.

For basketball, ESPN or ESPN2 will televise a minimum of four men’s games with the new agreement, while ERT will be able to televise up to eight men’s basketball games.

As for women’s basketball, ESPNU will televise either the league’s women’s basketball championship game or up to two regular season games.

So what’s this all mean for Western? Well, not much. They may get some additional exposure. However, the league usually tends to look to put other teams on television and get them exposure because Western already has a television contract through HSSN and Fox College Sports that televises nearly every game, home and away, and provides national exposure.

As for football, coach David Elson should be taking the mentality that he’ll play anyone, anywhere, anytime if it means getting one of the ESPN games. Obviously Western would like to play a nationally televised game at Smith Stadium to show it off to the nation, but I would guess Elson will take what ever he can take as the Toppers become a full-fledged member of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2009.

-Andrew Robinson