Drury University Athletics and Springfield's Mediacom Communications have announced a multi-sport package that will televise a minimum of 14 games/ events from nine different DU sports teams on their MC22 channel for the 2010-11 school year.
The agreement includes at least five live men's and women's basketball doubleheaders for the Drury Panthers and Lady Panthers as they play their inaugural season in the $13.5 million O'Reilly Family Event Center on the DU campus, beginning with the first regular season games in the new 3,100-seat arena - a Saturday, November 13 twinbill sending the Lady Panthers against Northeastern State at 2 p.m. and the Panthers versus Upper Iowa at 6 p.m.
Other DU basketball doubleheaders scheduled for MC22, all in Great Lakes Valley Conference play, are December 4 vs. Saint Joseph's, January 17 vs. Wisconsin-Parkside, January 29 vs. Missouri-St. Louis, February 5 vs. Northern Kentucky and February 19 vs. Rockhurst, with the strong possibility that any GLVC post-season tourney games at the OFEC would also be televised.
MC22 will also carry a men's and women's Great Lakes Valley Conference soccer doubleheader against rival Rockhurst on September 19 from Harrison Stadium; the DU volleyball regular season finale against league power Lewis on November 6 from the OFEC; the "Duel In The Pool" men's and women's swimming matchup with Missouri State from the Breech Pool on January 20; DU baseball games vs. perennial GLVC power and defending national champion Southern Indiana on March 20 and against Maryville on May 8, both from Meador Park; and a DU softball doubleheader with Quincy on April 10 at Thompson Field.
The swim meet, featuring the six-time defending NCAA-II national champion Panther men and the two-time defending champion DU women and their Division I rivals from just down the street, would be the first of its kind televised in more than 20 years. That event typifies the goal for Drury Athletics in the agreement - to gain exposure for all of its programs, coming off a 2009-10 year in which Drury finished 14th out of more than 300 schools nationally in the Learfield Director's Cup all-sports competition.
"Drury University Athletics is extremely excited to partner with Mediacom in televising a wide range of our home contests," Drury Director of Athletics Pat Atwell said. "To have nine different sports on television is a situation that we are very proud of and is a credit to the quality of our overall program. We were very impressed with the telecasts last year on Mediacom, and because of that, we have strived to extend that excellent coverage to more of our sports.
"We look forward to a long-standing partnership and are thankful to Mediacom for their continued support of Drury Athletics."
MC22 carried three Drury men's/women's basketball doubleheaders last season, when Coach Steve Hesser's Panthers finished 23-7, won the GLVC West and advanced to the NCAA-II Tournament for the fourth time in five years, while Coach Steve Harold's Lady Panthers finished 28-7, captured their second GLVC championship in three years and reached the NCAA-II postseason for the eighth consecutive year, advancing to the regional finals.
"We are Mediacom are excited to partner with Drury University to provide exclusive coverage of athletic events that will showcase a wide variety of high-quality college sports competition," said Larry Peterson, Mediacom's regional vice president. "We have deep pride in our hometown community, and we know Drury's teams include outstanding student-athletes from Springfield and other area high schools. Our commitment to local programming means that area residents can continue to follow those players.
"Clearly, the success of Drury's athletic teams, including national championship squads for men's and women's swimming and diving, ensures that these will be high-caliber sporting events and programming of value to viewers."
Mediacom telecasts provide the added bonus of various replays of the game running after the event, giving DU fans an opportunity to go back and watch their favorite moments even after they've attended the event.
"It's also a great and unique opportunity for our coaches and student-athletes to go back, get together and watch at a later time the games and matches they competed in," Atwell said.
The Mediacom multi-sport package completes an already impressive array of means for Drury fans to follow their Panthers and Lady Panthers, joining the likes of the B2 Network (now America One) live audio and video webcasts, Stretch Internet live audio broadcasts, live radio coverage and through the internet of basketball on JOCK 98.7 FM and live stats and text updates through the official athletics website of Drury Athletics at www.drurypanthers.com.
SCHEDULED DRURY ATHLETIC EVENTS ON MEDIACOM-22 IN 2010-11
9-19-2010 Soccer Double Header vs. Rockhurst (Men & Women)
11-6-2010 Volleyball vs. Lewis
11-13-2010 Basketball Double Header vs. Northeastern St. & Upper Iowa
12-4-2010 Basketball Double Header vs. Saint Joseph’s
1-17-2011 Basketball Double Header vs. Wisconsin-Parkside
1-20-2011 Duel in the Pool Swim Meet vs. Missouri State
1-29-2011 Basketball Double Header vs. UMSL
2-5-2011 Basketball Double Header vs. Northern Kentucky
2-19-2011 Basketball Double Header vs. Rockhurst
3-20-2011 Baseball vs. Southern Indiana
4-10-2011 Softball Double Header vs. Quincy
5-8-2011 Baseball vs. Maryville