ESPN School Productions Continue to Showcase MAAC
EDISON, NJ – In the first year of an eight-year agreement between the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and ESPN, the conference has been able to expand its reach to a wider audience with fall sports championships, as well as school-produced broadcasts.
Since the 2015-16 academic year, the amount of ESPN productions has increased each year. In 2015-16, the MAAC and its membership produced 192 events, and 222 events in 2016-17. To date, a combined 248 broadcasts are set to air on the ESPN family of networks.
“The MAAC is excited to take our partnership with ESPN in this new direction,” noted Assistant Commissioner for New Media Tess Romine-Black. “By collaborating with our member institutions, we are able to highlight the MAAC brand, athletics, schools, and sporting events, on a much larger scale than we have been able to do in the past.”
The institution-produced ESPN broadcasts, by school:
| Institutions |
Number of Productions |
| Canisius College |
47 |
| Fairfield University |
11 |
| Iona College |
50 |
| Manhattan College |
6 |
| Marist College |
27 |
| Monmouth University |
42 |
| Quinnipiac University |
24 |
| Siena College |
12 |
The
2017 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship had six games air on ESPN3 including first-round, quarterfinals, and semifinals action in addition to the championship final live from the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, FL.
The
2017 MAAC Field Hockey Championship final aired on ESPN3 with Monmouth University producing the game. The first game of the 2017 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship, produced by Canisius College, aired on
ESPN3, which featured the Griffs hosting Iona College in Buffalo, NY. The entire
2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship aired on ESPN3 with host institution Fairfield University producing all five broadcasts.
A combined 166 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball contests are set to air on the ESPN family of networks this season. The MAAC has five Fridays (January 5, 19, 26; February 2 & 23) during the regular season in which any men’s basketball game scheduled on that date can be flexed onto ESPNU as the MAAC Wildcard Game. Iona hosts Saint Peter’s University on January 5, while Saint Peter’s will host Rider on Friday, January 26 on ESPNU. Defending MAAC Women’s Basketball Champions and Sweet 16 finalist, Quinnipiac University hosts Marist College on Thursday, January 11 at 10am on ESPNU.
ESPN will televise the 2018 MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship Semifinal games on Sunday, March 4. Semifinal #1 airs live on ESPN3 at 7 p.m. and will re-air at 11:30 p.m. on ESPNU, tape delayed. Semifinal #2 airs at 9:30 p.m., live, on ESPNU.
The 2018 MAAC Basketball Championships are held at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on March 1-5, 2018.The 2018 MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship game airs on ESPNU on Monday, March 5 at 2:30 p.m. The 2018 MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship game airs on ESPN or ESPN2 on Monday, March 5 at 7 p.m. This is determined 7-10 days prior to the championship.
This spring, the final round of the
2018 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championship will air from Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course in Lake Buena Vista, FL on Sunday, April 22.
Monmouth hosts the
2018 MAAC Men’s Lacrosse Championship and is slated to broadcast the semifinals and championship final on ESPN3 and ESPNU, respectively. On Thursday, May 3 both men’s lacrosse semifinal air on ESPN3 with the championship final airing on ESPNU on Saturday, May 5 at 10 a.m.
By the 2019-20 academic year all 11 MAAC institutions will be equipped with ESPN production facilities. At the end of the eight-year agreement the conference will produce nearly 500 events.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37
th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.