Editor: The following is part of a press release from mvc-sports.com.
(St. Louis, MO) – For the fifth-straight year, CBS Sports Network will distribute a package of Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball games, including the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals as well as eight regular-season contests, MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today.
CBS, which has shown every title game of Arch Madness since 2006, will televise the 2020 championship tilt on March 8.
In 2018, CBS Sports and the MVC agreed to a multi-year extension to televise MVC men’s basketball games on CBS and CBS Sports Network. The deal, which continues through 2023-24, is through a sublicense agreement with ESPN.
“Our partnership with CBS Sports, which began with the televising of the Arch Madness title game, has blossomed into a showcase for our men’s basketball on a regular-season and post-season scale,” said Elgin, who is in his 32nd year with the Missouri Valley Conference and the longest-tenured commissioner in the league’s 113-year history.
“Next March, we will conduct our 30th-straight men’s basketball tournament in St. Louis, and fittingly, CBS Sports will be there to document and share the pageantry of our anniversary celebration under the Arch,” Elgin added.
Of the seven pre-determined CBS Sports Network productions, Loyola will appear in three games, while 2019 Arch Madness champion and NCAA Tournament participant Bradley along with Missouri State will receive two appearances each.
The CBSSN package begins on Tuesday, Jan. 7, as 2019 MVC regular-season co-champion Drake plays host to Loyola at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
The January slate concludes with Missouri State playing host to Valparaiso on Thursday, Jan. 23.
ESPN and CBSSN will utilize a Wildcard Selection process to determine Sunday, Feb. 9 clearances for Valparaiso at Loyola or Evansville at Bradley.
In the month of February, remaining telecasts include Loyola at Indiana State (Feb. 5), Bradley at Southern Illinois (Feb. 15), Loyola at Missouri State (Feb. 22) and Bradley at Illinois State (Feb. 26).
The CBS Sports Network lineup concludes on Saturday, Feb. 29, when ESPN and CBSSN will use the Wildcard process to choose from five games — Illinois State at Evansville, Loyola at Bradley, Valparaiso at Indiana State, Southern Illinois at Missouri State or Northern Iowa at Drake.
CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2020 State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Championship will include the semis on March 7 on CBS Sports Network. The title contest on March 8 will air at 1 p.m. Central on CBS Sports.
This year, the Missouri Valley will join the Big East (New York City) as the only Division I athletics conferences to conduct their men’s basketball tournaments in the same city for 30 or more consecutive years.
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Flooding, lightning strikes, etc. have cost @RacersHoops two home games. Had to play 'neutral site' tonight instead of at home and Wednesday's goes from home to away. Tough break for the Racers, and the whole area has been hit with difficulties. #FatherHarry
Murray State's scheduled home game Wednesday vs. Southern Illinois being moved to Banterra Center in Carbondale. #ValleyHoops
Gigantic game for @BradleyUMBB today in Des Moines. If they have a chance to catch @DrakeBulldogsMB, they have to win today. The Bulldogs can basically win the title today. @BustingBrackets breaks it all down. #FatherHarry https://bit.ly/3EGiVgi
Not rooting for any particular @ValleyHoops, but chaos is always fun. If things break certain ways, after today there could be a six-way tie for fifth place.
Fun to listen to @MLBLarry on the @SIU_Basketball/@BelmontMBB game tonight. Good job brother. #FatherHarry
