Oct. 28, 2005
Columbia, Mo. - Fans unable to acquire tickets for University of Missouri men's basketball games this season are in luck, as each of the Tigers' exhibition and regular-season contests will be televised live on either the Mizzou Sports Network (18), ESPN-Plus (7), ESPN (2), ESPN2 (2) or CBS (1), Missouri Athletics Department officials announced Friday.
At least 18 games are scheduled to be carried by MSN, which is aired throughout the region on Fox Sport Midwest (Regional / St. Louis), Metro Sports (Kansas City), KOMU (Mid-Missouri) and KMIZ (Mid-Missouri). MSN begins its coverage of Mizzou Basketball on Nov. 2 with the exhibition-opener against Bemidji State at 7 p.m. In addition to the exhibition finale against Missouri Southern (Nov. 8), MSN will carry the Nov. 14 season-opener against Sam Houston State, leading into its expanded coverage of Mizzou hoops during the 2005-06 campaign. For fans outside the Mizzou Sports Network coverage area, ESPN Full Court will carry Tiger games this season.
Fox Sports Midwest personality Dan McLaughlin and KOMU's Chris Gervino will handle play-by-play chores for the Tigers. McLaughlin called the action in several Tiger telecasts last season, while Gervino returns to KOMU for his sixth year. Former Mizzou sideline boss Norm Stewart and Tiger All-American Jon Sundvold will once again provide expert analysis alongside McLaughlin and Gervino.
The Tigers also have the potential for seven nationally-televised tilts on ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS. Mizzou's initial national broadcast could occur in the second round of the Preseason NIT against either Drexel or Princeton. If the Tigers defeat Sam Houston State in the opener, ESPN2 will carry the Nov. 17 contest at 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. Missouri's second round NIT match-up was originally slated for Nov. 16 at 8 p.m., but ESPN2's interest sparked the game-date and game-time adjustment. The Tigers also have the potential for two more ESPN2 contests on Nov. 23 and Nov. 25 in the final-two rounds of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
ESPN will once again broadcast Mizzou rivalry games vs. Illinois and Kansas. The Busch Braggin' Rights contest against the Fighting Illini on Dec. 21 will be aired at 7 p.m., while the home game with Kansas on Jan. 16 will be carried at 6 p.m. CBS will once again televise the second Mizzou-Kansas match-up on Feb. 18 in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.
Seven ESPN-Regional broadcasts (ESPN+) will round out Mizzou's TV slate. All-seven telecasts on ESPN+ occur during Big 12 Conference competition.
For more information on the Mizzou men's basketball program, please visit our website, mutigers.com.