Dec. 20, 2006
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Center Valley, Pa. - The Patriot League has signed a multi-year deal with a new national-sports broadcaster, The America Channel, Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich announced Wednesday. The arrangement, which will begin with the 2007-08 academic year, will bring additional exposure to the Patriot League, specifically in the sports of football, women's basketball and women's volleyball.
"We are excited about the increased visibility that this partnership will generate for the Patriot League and its institutions," Schlie Femovich said. "In addition, The America Channel will provide the viewing audience with a real-life perspective on the students and student-athletes of the Patriot League and its mission toward balancing excellence in academics and athletics."
In addition to game coverage, The America Channel will also tell the Patriot League story from each of the campuses as part of its new SportsLife initiative. The America Channel along with the Patriot League and its constituents will create video content about the aspirations, achievements, challenges, adventures, community service and lifestyles of its scholar-athletes.
At least 50 percent of the sports programming will profile and showcase women students and women student-athletes. In addition to football, women's basketball and women's volleyball, the opportunity exists for other Patriot League sports to be televised on the network.
The Patriot League was joined by the Colonial Athletic Association, Big South, Southern, Big West, Big Sky, America East and Atlantic Sun Conferences in securing video broadcast rights to The America Channel.
"We're honored to have such a depth of cooperation with these leading Conferences," America Channel CEO Doron Gorshein said. "The initiative is unique with extraordinary creative potential. We expect that viewers and advertisers will embrace it. We also believe that young people will be enriched by the programming about the aspirations, challenges and achievements of students and student-athletes. We're proud to be working with the Conferences on this initiative which combines compelling and cutting edge content with positive social purpose."
The network is planning a late-summer, early-fall launch with its first game broadcasts coming in November 2007.
"Today's Scholar-Athletes, Tomorrow's Leaders" - The Patriot League continually demonstrates that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing its high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.