CAA inks TV deal with NBC Sports Network

The Colonial Athletic Association completed a deal with the NBC Sports Group on Monday that will give the league national coverage for its football and expanded national coverage in basketball.

The deal makes the CAA the first Football Championship Subdivision conference with a national TV package.

CAA commissioner Tom Yeager announced the deal Monday afternoon at a hastily called teleconference. NBC Sports purchased Versus six months ago and rebranded it five weeks ago, changing its name to NBC Sports Network. The NBC Sport Network can be found on channel 34 on Cox Cable (1034 in high definition).

The network will air five league games in the fall, and Yeager said "atmosphere and venue" along with "marketplace" will be huge in deciding which games will be telecast nationally.

ODU football coach Bobby Wilder said he feels "confident" the Monarchs will be considered for one or more of those games.

"I believe with the 21 consecutive sellouts we've had and the atmosphere at Foreman Field, we will be in the mix," Wilder said.

The CAA's national basketball coverage will also grow. The men's tournament semifinals and final will be shown on the NBC Sports Network.

Three women's tournament games will continue to be shown on the Comcast networks, and the league will remain vested with Comcast, which is part of the NBC Sport Group, for football and both men's and women's basketball.

"This is going to give our programs much-needed recognition," Yeager said. "It significantly enhances our position from where it's been."

Rich Radford, 757-446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com