ODU Featured on New Sports Network That Focuses on College Sports
August 14, 2014
The Old Dominion University Monarchs football team will be featured on the first-ever day of broadcasting by the American Sports Network (ASN), a collegiate sports initiative created by the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
ASN will launch August 30 and broadcast ODU's season-opening game against Hampton University on MyTVZ (WTVZ Cox channel 2/1002 digital in Hampton Roads). The game at S.B. Ballard Stadium at Foreman Field is one of four Old Dominion games that will be broadcast on ASN this season.
Other games that will be broadcast on MyTVZ include the Monarchs' road game at University of Texas El Paso on Oct. 11 (8 p.m. kickoff), ODU's Homecoming contest with Florida International on Nov. 8 (3:30 p.m. kickoff) and the Monarchs' season finale Nov. 29 at Florida Atlantic (noon kickoff).
"The national, regional and local exposure Old Dominion football will receive this fall is incredible for a first-year league member and continues to demonstrate the many benefits of joining Conference USA," said Wood Selig, the ODU athletic director. "We are very excited about the national footprint the Sinclair Broadcast Group provides and as well as our continued partnership with Cox that provides outstanding coverage in the Hampton Roads market."
MyTVZ, a Sinclair Broadcast Group station, will produce an extensive slate of live, local sporting events, including football, basketball, soccer and other sports beginning with this year's college football season. The initial launch will include more than 50 universities and colleges. The collegiate conferences represented on the network include Conference USA, the Colonial Athletic Association, Big South Conference, Southern Conference and Patriot League.
Sinclair owns and operates or provides programming and sales services to 167 television stations in 77 markets. Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 38.7% of United States television households and includes FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, Univision and Azteca affiliates. In Hampton Roads, WTVZ (Cox channel 2/1002 Digital) is a member of the Sinclair group and will air the ODU games.
"Sinclair is a strategic new outlet for Conference USA programming," C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said. "It will benefit our member institutions, athletic programs, students, alumni and communities. We are excited about this new development to the media sector."
In addition, Cox Communications of Hampton Roads will produce and air ODU's home, non-conference game with Eastern Michigan on Sept. 13. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m., with the game airing on COX digital channel 110 in Hampton Roads, West Point, Williamsburg, King and Queen County and Gloucester.