June
10,
2003
CSTV
to Air Game of the Week
By
Nate Ewell
College hockey
fans will have one of their long-time wishes fulfilled this fall
when a national television network delivers a college hockey game
of the week package live every Friday.
College
Sports Television (CSTV), a new network that debuted in April,
announced its plans for the game of the week package this week
when it revealed plans for its fall lineup. The network will showcase
20 to 25 games over the course of the season, featuring each of
the six Division I conferences.
The new network
may not be ESPN – it's more like the CHA to the worldwide
leader's Hockey East – but it will still provide more coverage
than fans have received in the past. In addition to the game of
the week, network executives plan to develop a weekly college
hockey magazine-style show.
CSTV can be
seen on DirecTV at Channel 610. Dish Network, another favorite
of college hockey fans, has not indicated any plans to add CSTV
to its lineup. CSTV's availability on cable is extremely limited,
although it hopes to expand its reach thanks to the growth of
digital cable.
The game of
the week came about thanks to the cooperation of CSTV and the
Ice Hockey Collegiate Commissioners' Association (IHCCA), which
consists of the commissioners from each of the six Division I
conferences.
"(Getting
a nationally televised game of the week) was one of our goals
when we established the group," said Tom Anastos, commissioner
of the CCHA and president of the IHCCA. "Our primary objective
was to raise the awareness of the game. Obviously the timing of
a college sports television network is something we didn't have
any part in, but we're trying to do our part."
The efforts
of some of the commissioners demonstrate that they expect good
things from CSTV. Hockey East had to revisit its agreement with
Fox Sports New England, which included an exclusivity clause,
and the WCHA had to develop a structure for the league to represent
its schools with regards to television rights.
Anastos indicated
that the original plan called for a Thursday night game of the
week, to allow fans headed to other games on Friday night to see
the nationally televised contest. That plan was scrapped, however,
since the NHL's agreement with ESPN calls for a nationally televised
game each Thursday. The college game moved to Friday to avoid
competition with another hockey game.
The detailed
schedule of which games will appear on the game of the week, to
be determined by CSTV, will be released at a later date.
