University of Mount Olive's Conference Carolinas men's and women's basketball doubleheader January 30 at Kornegay Arena against Limestone College will be nationally televised on American Sports Network (ASN), it was announced Wednesday. The doubleheader will air as the Division II Basketball National Showcase on ASN.
The broadcast marks the second year in a row and third time overall a Trojan men's basketball game will be on national television. Mount Olive's game last year at King University and the Trojans' 2007-08 regular season finale at Barton College both aired on CBS Sports Network. In addition, the Trojans' game earlier this season at Wingate University gained national attention by being streamed live on ESPN3. The January 30 telecast marks the first Mount Olive home contests in any sport to air live on national television.
"We are extremely excited and fortunate to play on national television again this year ," said Trojan head men's basketball coach Joey Higginbotham. "It's especially nice that we get to do it at home with the best fans in Conference Carolinas."
The Trojan women's basketball team will be making its second appearance on national television. Coincidentally, Mount Olive's first nationally televised appearance was at Limestone during the 2010-11 season.
"This is such a great opportunity for the University of Mount Olive as well as Conference Carolinas to receive national exposure," said head women's basketball coach Wendy Lee. "We are fired up that we get to host these two nationally televised games at home on our court at Kornegay Arena."
While the basketball doubleheader is the first Trojan home event to air live on national television, it is not the first time a nationally televised program has originated from the UMO campus. The May 2008 edition of the ESPN show "NCAA On Campus" originated from the Mount Olive campus.
The men's and women's basketball teams are not the only Trojan teams to have played in nationally televised games. Mount Olive's win over Ouachita Baptist University in the Championship Game of the 2008 NCAA Division II Baseball National Finals aired live on CBS Sports Network.
In addition to live national telecasts, highlights of Trojan contests have been featured on national television. The Weather Channel aired two weather-related clips from UMO baseball games. And Marcus West's 80-foot buzzer beater was Number One on the January 10, 2004, edition of ESPN Sportscenter's Top Plays.
Mount Olive has also been featured on national television off the field of play. Samantha Mitchell was featured on ESPN when she was one of nine national finalists for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
The Mount Olive-Limestone women's basketball game will tip off at 4 p.m., followed by the men's game at 6 p.m.
"It will be a special day for our athletics program, basketball programs, fans and supporters," said Higginbotham. "It's going to be an exciting day of great DII basketball."
About American Sports Network
ASN is composed of 162 Sinclair-owned and operated television stations nationwide with 376 channels in 79 markets, many in the NCHC footprint, which combine to reach approximately 43 million households nationwide. ASN has also developed an affiliate network of regional sports networks to increase the per-game potential distribution to more than 60 million households on average. The company, which launched in 2014-15, produced 250 college events in nine sports and plans to air more than 375 events in 2015-16.
About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is the largest and one of the most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country with 162 television stations, airing 376 channels in 79 markets, and with affiliations with all the major networks. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
