Emporia State Athletics and the rest of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association are getting new publicity this year with the launch of the MIAA Broadcasting Network. A total of 10 MIAA football and basketball games will be shown live this season.
“Part of the (fan) experience is when you get on television,” said Don Weast, Emporia State’s Athletics Media Relations Assistant Athletic Director. “At our level, you want to be on television.”
ESU’s football team will be shown a total of three times this season, including the homecoming game against Truman State. This weekend’s conference opener against Central Missouri and the rivalry game at Washburn University on Nov. 6 will also be televised.
“This was a collective effort by the institutions,” said Larry House, the MIAA Assistant Commissioner of Championships and Business Development. “The goal is to cover every school’s home campus.”
In addition to the game, a 20-minute pregame program will feature the home team’s campus and highlights of the previous weeks MIAA conference football action.
The games are available on local cable networks in most of the MIAA areas as well as large alumni groups like Kansas City. The games will also appear on the regular host broadcast channels through satellite providers as well.
Unfortunately for Hornet fans, games will not be shown in the Cable One coverage areas, including Kirksville and Joplin. According to House, conversations remain open with Cable One, and there may be coverage yet.
“This isn’t a one time thing,” House said. “There is commitment to do this for the foreseeable future.”
Through this MIAA schools would be increasing publicity exposure and building corporate sponsors. The MIAA committee will determine future featured games, but for this first year, the television schedule is working around the individual schools’ schedules.
Garin Higgins, the head football coach for the Hornets, sees additional benefits that television exposure will bring.
“This is a good way for the kids to get about the games,” Higgins said. “It is also a good recruiting tool for the university.”
The football schedule has already been released, but the basketball schedule still has yet to be determined. There will be 10 games shown, with an even split between men’s and women’s games.
“It would be a terrible mistake if the women’s Emporia State/Washburn game at White Auditorium was not shown,” Weast said. “It will have the best atmosphere in the conference, and have the MIAA’s last two national champions.”
Chris Dvorak
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