Center Hildur Kjartansdóttir goes for a post shot while freshman guard Sica Cuzic defends during practice Thursday at the RGV Vipers Practice Facility. On the right is Head Coach Larry Tidwell. Lesley Robles/The Rider Photos.
For the first time in NCAA Division 1 history, basketball will be broadcast live from the Rio Grande Valley.
This comes after the Oct. 5 announcement that select Vaqueros Men’s and Women’s basketball home games will be available for viewing on the Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
TWC SportsChannel and UTRGV Athletics already have a working relationship. The network carries “V-Nation,” a weekly 30-minute program produced by the athletics department. This is the third year the show has aired on the channel and was previously known as “Bronc Country,” from legacy institution UT Pan American.
The tentative broadcast plan outlines nine women’s and all 13 men’s home games to reach cable subscribers with the channel in the package. These numbers would change if a game is selected as a Western Athletic Conference Digital Network Game or a American Sports Network telecast.
In addition, two men’s away games will be televised on the American Sports Network, Jan. 21 at California State University-Bakersfield and Feb. 28 at Chicago State University.
The broadcast will give exposure to the basketball program across Texas.
The region of TWC SportsChannel that the Vaqueros will appear on is one of 19 across the country. Major markets covered include the Rio Grande Valley, Austin/Central Texas, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi and Laredo, according to a news release from UTRGV Athletics.
An announcement regarding who will make up the broadcast crew is expected soon.
The first women’s game to air will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 against Concordia University and the first men’s game on TWC SportsChannel takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Fieldhouse when they welcome Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
The channel is available in standard and high definition on Channel 323 on Time Warner Cable boxes.
