The Jan. 31 Eastern Kentucky at Morehead State men's basketball game will be televised live by This TV, which is WYMT's newly-launched secondary channel. The contest will also be simulcast on the CW Lexington, which is WKYT's secondary channel.
The Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Johnson Arena will feature the MSU and EKU women at 2 p.m. ET, with the men to follow around 4:30 p.m. The Saturday twillbill is being dubbed a "Gold Rush" as the first 250 fans at each game receive a free t-shirt, courtesy of St. Claire Regional Medical Center.
"We are excited to have This TV and the CW Lexington on board," Morehead State Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs Brad Smith said. "Television opportunities are important for MSU. This telecast will be great exposure for our men's basketball program, athletic department and university as a whole."
This TV is expected to carry more than 40 live high school and college athletic events this school year. The list includes both football and basketball games. When not showing live events, the station offers a variety of movies, syndicated shows and the latest news/sports from WYMT.
This TV is distributed to more than 25 counties in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia. The CW Lexington, a branch of Gray Television which was recently rebranded, is available to viewers throughout most of Eastern, Northern and Southern Kentucky.
"WYMT is excited to have the EKU-MSU matchup as part of our 'Game of the Week' schedule on This TV," WYMT Vice President & General Manager Neil Middleton said. "We have a lot of students and graduates from both schools in our coverage area, and televising this outstanding matchup is just one more way we can server our viewers."
Tanner Hesterberg will call the play-by-play, while Jim Frasure serves as the analyst and Anthony Bersaglia covers the sidelines. Hesterberg is a news anchor/reporter at WYMT, while Frasure is a longtime sportscaster in Eastern Kentucky. Both are Morehead State graduates.
The announcement guarantees Morehead State at least nine TV appearances in 2014-15. The Eagles will play on ESPNU Feb. 11 and CBS Sports Network Feb. 26. The final two rounds of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament will be televised by ESPNU and ESPN2.
Morehead State entered this week 7-13 overall and 2-3 in league action. Eastern Kentucky began the week 11-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play. EKU owns a 106-76 advantage in the all-time series, but MSU registered an 86-79 victory in the last meeting on Feb. 8, 2014.
"Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky have a lot of history in men's basketball, and this year's series should add another exciting chapter," Smith added. "We are looking forward to Jan. 31. A great crowd, live television coverage and strong media presence will make it a quality event."
