NEC Announces Basketball TV Package
SOMERSET, N.J. -- The Northeast Conference announced an 18-game basketball television package for the 2020-21 season that will feature Bryant Basketball twice.
The Jan. 14 Bryant Men's Basketball game at Saint Francis U will air on ESPN+, while the Jan. 15 Bryant Women's Basketball game against the Red Flash will air on ESPN3.
"We are so happy to be playing basketball again, and the opportunity to extend the NEC brand nationally through our association with ESPN is the icing on the cake," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "The same goes for our loyal regional partners, who enable us to increase our visibility within the conference footprint. This season has presented us with numerous challenges, and while the TV package may look a bit different than what fans are used to, the NEC's commitment to shining the spotlight on our talented and hard-working student-athletes and coaches in the league's marquee sport remains a top priority."
All NEC men's and women's teams will be featured once during the regular season with wildcard games on ESPN3 slated for February 25 (men) and February 28 (women).
When March rolls around, ESPN3 is set to carry the men's semifinals on Saturday, March 6 and the women's semis on Wednesday, March 10. As part of the network's Championship Week coverage, the NEC men's title game will be televised by ESPN2 for the 34th straight year on Tuesday, March 9th at 7:00 pm. For the 14th year in a row, ESPNU will air the NEC Women's Championship game. This year's final is scheduled for Sunday, March 14th at 2:00 pm.
Now in his 21st season, Dave Popkin serves as the primary play-by-play announcer on men's broadcasts, with Paul Dottino (22nd year) filling in. Tim Capstraw (22nd year) and Joe DeSantis (14th year) are slated to split color analyst duties.
Dottino and Craig D'Amico (12th year) will once again split play-by-play duties on women's telecasts. Pam Roecker is back for her 19th year as color analyst.
The NEC and ESPN will team up to bring games to fans through ESPN streaming services on web and via the ESPN App across smartphones, tablets and connected devices. Eleven NEC games will be streamed non-exclusively on ESPN3, available to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Five NEC games will be exclusively on ESPN+, the direct-to-consumer streaming service. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) - all for just $12.99/month.