Tuesday, December 29, 2009

MACON, Ga. – In advance of the full-fledged conference play portion of the basketball season, the Atlantic Sun announced that Cox Sports Television will carry 16 league games broadcast on CSS. The partnership increases viewer availability in the state of Georgia to include homes in and around Macon, home of Mercer University and the Atlantic Sun Conference office.

The package, which includes 11 men’s regular-season games as well as five women’s games, starts with the Friday, Jan. 8 contest between UNF and FGCU. The game, set for a 7:00 p.m. tip, airs on CST at 11:00 p.m. that night, in a same-day delay.

The Friday, Feb. 12th game between Kennesaw State and ETSU and the Monday, Feb. 22nd women’s game featuring USC Upstate and ETSU air live on the channel. Eight of the 16 games will air on CST on same-day delay, while five will air tape delayed the day after the scheduled contest.

""We are excited to have an outstanding partner in Cox Sports Television, who will bring the good name of the Atlantic Sun Conference into expanded markets in the Southeast,” RMG President John Zarzycki said. This expanded distribution of the fine A-Sun basketball product will demonstrate the consistent quality of the game and broadcast. We are thankful for such a good partner in Cox Sports".

The addition of Cox Sports Television’s 1.5 million viewers boosts the total number of cable subscribers able to view Atlantic Sun action to more than eight million.

“Having the Atlantic Sun programming on our air just increases our reach to the Southern part of Georgia and by having a Cox System in Macon it makes perfect sense to be part of the league,” said, Rod Mickler, VP Regional Sports and Network Head of CST. “We continue to be excited to have quality A-Sun programming on CST.,”

Fans can follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and on Facebook. Visit twitter.com/AtlanticSun to begin receiving updates on conference news, weekly awards, and from A-Sun championships. Atlantic Sun followers with a Facebook account can become a "fan" of the conference by visiting facebook.com/AtlanticSunConference.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Cox Sports Television, the exclusive regional sports network home of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets, NFL's New Orleans Saints and national college power LSU Tigers, is an innovative 24-hour local sports network that delivers exclusive programming, including both professional and collegiate sporting events and is available to over 1,500,000 viewers in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and North/Central Florida. CST televises over 350 events per year. For more information about CST, please visit www.coxsportstv.com.