The Valley on CBS

Editor: The following is part of a press release from mvc-sports.com.

(St. Louis, MO) –  For the fourth-straight year, CBS Sports Network will televise a package of Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball games, including the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals as well as eight regular-season contests.

CBS, which has shown every title game of Arch Madness since 2006, will televise the 2019 championship tilt on March 10.

CBS Sports and the MVC recently 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.

“The collaborative arrangement between ESPN and CBS Sports continues to pay big dividends for our men’s basketball as well as our league members,” said MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin, who is in his 31st year with the Missouri Valley Conference and the longest-tenured commissioner in the 112-year history of The Valley.

“Season-long coverage highlighted by distribution of the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals and title game is unyielding evidence of the respect shown by CBS.  From regular-season scheduling to the promotion of our programs, we are grateful for all aspects of the partnership we have with CBS Sports,” Elgin added.

The 2018-19 regular-season package of games on CBS Sports Network highlights the Loyola Rambler program, which advanced to the 2018 NCAA Final Four.

Of the five pre-determined productions, Loyola will appear in three games, while Illinois State and Southern Illinois are slated for two appearances each.

The CBS Sports Network package, which showcases contests on Saturdays and Sundays and select week nights, begins on Tuesday, January 8, as Evansville plays host to Loyola in an 7 p.m. Central telecast.

The regular-season package in January features Southern Illinois at Illinois State (Jan. 15) and Loyola at Missouri State (Jan. 23).

In the month of February, telecasts include Southern Illinois at Bradley (Feb. 2) and Drake at Loyola (Feb. 5).

ESPN and CBSSN will also use the Wildcard process to determine Sunday, Feb. 24 contest clearances for Drake at Illinois State or Loyola at Southern Illinois.

The CBSSN lineup concludes on Saturday, March 2, when ESPN and CBS Sports Network will utilize the Wildcard process to choose from five games — Illinois State at Southern Illinois, Bradley at Loyola, Evansville at Valparaiso, Drake at Missouri State or Northern Iowa at Indiana State.

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2019 State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Championship — the league’s 29th consecutive tournament in St. Louis — will include the semis on March 9 on CBS Sports Network.  The title contest on March 10 will air on CBS.

Additional exposure will occur through Bradley’s participation in the Cancun Challenge in November and a non-conference game for Loyola at Saint Joseph’s on Saturday, December 22.

The Braves will meet SMU in the semifinals on November 20.  Should BU defeat SMU, it will play the winner of Penn State-Wright State in the finals on November 22.  Should the Braves lose, BU would play the loser of that game in the consolation final.