With the Mountain’s West’s league-owned television network going dark at the end of this month, the conference has expanded its rights agreement with CBS Sports Network. With CBS Sports Network getting more games, it has sublicensed games to ESPN which is back airing Mountain West football games and to NBC Sports Network which has previously aired league contests.
ESPN hasn’t visited a Mountain West venue since 2005 when it lost the rights to the mtn.
Overall, CBS and CBS Sports Network will combine for 9 MWC games. NBC Sports Network will air 10 and ESPN/ESPN2/ABC will take four.
We have the official press release from the Mountain West Conference.
MOUNTAIN WEST ANNOUNCES 2012 FOOTBALL
NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULEMountain West and CBS Sports Network Increase National Television Exposure for Conference’s 2012 Football Season Through Deals with NBC Sports Network and ESPN
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West released its football national television schedule for the 2012 season today and it currently features a minimum of 25 games on a variety of nationally-distributed networks.
The Mountain West moves into a new era and television structure in 2012, with a new agreement with CBS Sports Network, to increase national exposure for the conference’s football programs. CBS Sports Network, the Conference’s rights holder, will sub-license games to NBC Sports Network and ESPN.
CBS Sports Network is scheduled to air eight games from the MW package and the CBS Television Network will broadcast the Navy at Air Force game on Saturday, Oct. 6 beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET. NBC Sports Network will televise 10 contests. ESPN or ESPN2 will telecast four games.
“This is the first phase of plans for the 2012-13 academic year,” said Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson. “We are working with CBS Sports Network and member institutions to map out regional and local plans for the remaining 2012 football inventory. We anticipate announcing additional telecasts from these efforts in the coming weeks.”
The Mountain West season kicks off on Thursday, August 30 with UNLV hosting Minnesota on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. PT. Newcomers Nevada and Hawai‘i will help open the Conference schedule in Honolulu on Saturday, Sept. 22 with a 10:30 p.m. ET telecast on NBC Sports Network.
The current national television schedule also includes two non-conference road games. On Friday, August 31, Boise State faces Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Service academy rivals Air Force and Army faceoff in West Point, N.Y., on Saturday, November 3 at Noon ET on CBS Sports Network. The MW anticipates additional television and kick time information for non-conference road games once those conferences finalize their schedules later this summer.
Mountain West Conference membership in the fall of 2012 will include the United States Air Force Academy, Boise State University, Colorado State University, Fresno State, University of Hawai‘i, University of Nevada, University of New Mexico, San Diego State University, UNLV and University of Wyoming.
Below is a listing of current Mountain West television games for the 2012 season.
2012 MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE
(as of May 3, 2012)Thursday, August 30 — Minnesota at UNLV, CBS Sports Network, 11 p.m. ET
Friday, August 31 — Boise State at Michigan State, ESPN, 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 8 — South Florida at Nevada, CBS Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 8 — Army at San Diego State, NBC Sports Network, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday, September 14 — Washington State at UNLV, ESPN, 9 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 15 — Miami-Ohio at Boise State, NBC Sports Network, 4 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 15 — Colorado at Fresno State, CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m. ET
Thursday, September 20 — BYU at Boise State, ESPN, TBD
Saturday, September 22 — Nevada at Hawai‘i*, NBC Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, October 6 — Navy at Air Force, CBS, 11:30 a.m. ET
Saturday, October 6 — Hawai‘i at San Diego State*, CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, October 13 — Fresno State at Boise State*, NBC Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, October 20 — UNLV at Boise State*, NBC Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, October 20 — San Diego State at Nevada*, CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET
Friday, October 26 — Nevada at Air Force*, CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, October 27 — Boise State at Wyoming*, CBS Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 3 — Air Force at Army, CBS Sports Network, Noon ET
Saturday, November 3 — San Diego State at Boise State*, CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 10 — Air Force at San Diego State*, NBC Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 10 — Boise State at Hawai‘i*, NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 10 — Fresno State at Nevada*, NBC Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET
Friday, November 16 — Hawai‘i at Air Force*, ESPN2, 9:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 17 — Colorado State at Boise State*, NBC Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 24 — Air Force at Fresno State*, NBC Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, December 1 — Boise State at Nevada*, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2, TBDAll dates and game times local to site and subject to change.
*Mountain West Game
That’s it.
