Athletics will again receive national television coverage in 2011-2012

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

8-2011

Campus Unit

University of North Dakota

Abstract

The University of North Dakota Athletics Department will make 41 live game appearances, along with 30 weekly episodes of Sioux Sports Extra, on national and regional television during the 2011-12 academic year.

All home men’s hockey games will be televised, including all four games of the Ice Breaker Tournament in October. The 2011-12 television schedule also includes five men’s and women’s basketball games, four women’s hockey games, three football games and two volleyball matches.

"Again, this year, our expanded schedule of live television efforts and Sioux Sports Extra will get Fighting Sioux Athletics in front of a potential audience of millions each week,” said UND Director of Athletics Brian Faison. “This is a true team effort between Forum Communications, the Fighting Sioux Sports Network, Midcontinent Communications, Fox College Sports and Ralph Engelstad Arena.”

UND games will be produced by Forum Communications, with veteran WDAZ sports director Pat Sweeney handling the majority of the play-by-play duties.

"WDAZ-TV, a division of Forum Communications, is pleased to continue the long tradition of covering Fighting Sioux athletics," said WDAZ-TV station manager Rob Horken. "Our production of UND coaches' shows dates to the 1970s, and we have regularly produced live coverage of UND Athletics events since the 1980s. We look forward to another exciting year on WDAZ-TV and the Fighting Sioux Sports Network."

UND games will also air nationally on Fox College Sports (FCS), and regionally on Fighting Sioux Sports Network (FSSN) and on Midcontinent Communications’ MidcoSN3.

The Fighting Sioux Sports Network consists of 20 locally-owned cable systems in North Dakota and Minnesota, Midcontinent Communications is seen in North and South Dakota, as well as northwestern Minnesota, and Fox College Sports is available on cable systems nationwide.

“FCS looks forward to another year of coverage of the University of North Dakota and its athletic programs,” said Trevor Arroyo, senior coordinator of programming and production for Fox College Sports. “The feedback we’ve received from UND alumni and fans from across the country has been consistently great every season and we’re excited to bring back the same coverage for the 2011-12 season.”

Midcontinent Communications’ MidcoSN3 is seen on channel 323 in North and South Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, and on channel 413 in International Falls and Fairmont, Minn.

“We couldn’t be happier to be presenting over 40 live UND broadcasts on MidcoSN3,” said Barry Buetel, general manager of Midco Sports Network. “Midco Sports Network’s coverage in the Dakotas and Minnesota will provide a home for fans to tune into for UND Athletics.”

Sioux Sports Extra, the popular weekly television show produced by WDAZ, will air nationally on Fox College Sports every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., and regionally every Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. on WDAZ in Grand Forks and WDAY in Fargo. The show will air every Sunday night at 11:30 p.m. on KBMY in Bismarck and KMCY in Minot.

The first episode of Sioux Sports Extra can be seen Sunday, Aug. 28 with 30 total shows, the final show airing on Sunday, March 25.

WDAY assistant sports director Scott Grodsky will begin his first year as host.

The first live game broadcast will feature the UND football opener against Drake on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. live from the Alerus Center.

Five days later on Tuesday, Sept. 6, the two-time defending Great West Conference champion UND volleyball team hosts North Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center at 7 p.m.

It’s the first of two UND-NDSU televised matchups, with the Sioux men’s basketball team taking on NDSU on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena at 7 p.m.

The Sioux men’s hockey television schedule begins with UND’s exhibition game against the University of Regina on Saturday, Oct. 1.

UND will host the Ice Breaker Tournament on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8, and all four games of the tournament will be televised live. Boston College will face Michigan State in the first game on Friday at 4 p.m., with UND taking on the United States Air Force Academy at 7:30 p.m. The losers will play in the consolation game and the winners in the title game, with UND playing the late game on Saturday.

All 20 regular season men’s hockey home games, two exhibition games and the first round of the WCHA playoffs will air live.

The UND women’s hockey team, ranked No. 9 nationally at the end of the 2010-11 season, will play four games on television in 2011-12, including the series against Minnesota Dec. 2-3.

The following day, the UND women’s basketball team will begin its television schedule against future Big Sky Conference opponent Montana State at 4 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

2011-12 UND Broadcast Schedule

Date Sport Opponent Time

Sept. 1 FB Drake 7:00 p.m.

Sept. 6 VB North Dakota State 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 1 MHKY Regina (Exh.) 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 6 VB NJIT 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7 MHKY Ice Breaker Tournament

Michigan State vs. Boston College 4:00 p.m.

UND vs. Air Force 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 8 MHKY Ice Breaker Tournament

TBA 4:00 p.m.

UND vs. TBA 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 14 MHKY Maine 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 15 MHKY Maine 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 21 WHKY Ohio State 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 22 FB Cal Poly 1:00 p.m.

Oct. 28 MHKY St. Cloud State 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 29 MHKY St. Cloud State 7:00 p.m.

Nov. 19 FB South Dakota 1:00 p.m.

Nov. 23 MBB Montana 7:00 p.m.

Nov. 25 MHKY Colorado College 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 26 MHKY Colorado College 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 2 WHKY Minnesota 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 3 WHKY Minnesota 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 4 WBB Montana State 4:00 p.m.

Dec. 9 MHKY Nebraska Omaha 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 10 MHKY Nebraska Omaha 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 17 MHKY Russian Red Stars (Exh.) 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 30 MHKY Harvard 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 31 MHKY Harvard 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 13 MHKY Minnesota 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 14 MHKY Minnesota 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 17 MBB North Dakota State 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 21 WBB Utah Valley 2:00 p.m.

Jan. 26 MBB NJIT 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 27 MHKY Wisconsin 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 28 MHKY Wisconsin 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 2 WBB Houston Baptist 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 3 WHKY Bemidji State 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 9 WBB Chicago State 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 11 WBB NJIT 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 17 MHKY Michigan Tech 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 18 MHKY Michigan Tech 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 23 MBB Texas-Pan American 7:00 p.m.

Feb. 25 MBB Houston Baptist 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 2 MHKY Minnesota State University, Mankato 7:30 p.m.

Mar. 3 MHKY Minnesota State University, Mankato 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 9 MHKY WCHA Playoffs, First Round 7:30 p.m.

Mar. 10 MHKY WCHA Playoffs, First Round 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 11 MHKY WCHA Playoffs, First Round (If nec.) 7:00 p.m.

Note: Time indicates broadcast start, not event start

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