SPOKANE, Wash. (Oct. 12) – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference and FSN Northwest have jointly announced a new partnership that will include a nine-game television package for the 2010-11 college basketball season.
FSN will televise eight GNAC regular-season games along with the men’s GNAC Tournament championship game on Friday, Mar. 4. The winner of that game qualifies for the NCAA Division II West Regionals that begin Friday, Mar. 11.
The series will feature seven men’s games and one women’s game during the regular season, tipping off with the Jan. 5 men’s contest featuring Montana State Billings at Alaska Anchorage. The Seawolves will also play host to rival Alaska Fairbanks on FSN in the regular-season finale Feb. 23
The series will continue each Wednesday throughout the regular-season (except for one Tuesday game on Jan. 11 when Western Oregon visits Saint Martin’s). Other men’s games will feature Simon Fraser at Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 19, Western Washington at Seattle Pacific on Jan. 26, Seattle Pacific at Central Washington on Feb. 9, and Central Washington at Western Washington on Feb. 16.
The women’s game will match Seattle Pacific at Western Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference is a NCAA Division II Conference that includes 10 schools in five Northwest states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska) and one Canadian province (British Columbia). FSN Northwest’s regional territory services the same U.S. footprint as the GNAC, providing a tremendous opportunity for both the conference and the network.
In the conference’s nine-year history, three GNAC men’s teams and three GNAC women’s teams have qualified for the semifinals at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight national tournament.
“We are very excited about working with FSN Northwest to bring an exciting brand of college basketball to the network’s 3.4 million viewers across five states,” GNAC Commissioner Richard Hannan said. “Over the past nine years, the GNAC has proven itself to be one of the most competitive Division II conferences in the country, and this promises to another exciting season.”
“FSN Northwest provides an exceptional platform for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and its schools, and this partnership offers the network an opportunity to strengthen our already extensive local event schedule with new and exciting programming,” explained Mark Jorgensen, Senior Vice President/General Manager for FSN Northwest. “The GNAC has proven that they are dedicated to the participants and supporters of each of their programs and we look forward to now showcasing them to a new audience across the Northwest.”
2010-11 GNAC on FSN Schedule
(All Times Alaska)
Wednesday, Jan. 5 (Men) – Montana State Billings at Alaska Anchorage, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 11 (Men) – Western Oregon at Saint Martin’s, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 19 (Men) – Simon Fraser at Northwest Nazarene, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 26 (Men) – Western Washington at Seattle Pacific, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 2 (Women) – Seattle Pacific at Western Washington, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 9 (Men) – Seattle Pacific at Central Washington, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 16 (Men) – Central Washington at Western Washington, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 23 (Men) – Alaska Fairbanks at Alaska Anchorage, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 4 (Men) – GNAC Tournament Championship game, 4 p.m.
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Nate Sagan
Sports Information Director
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr. / Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-1295 / Fax: (907) 563-4565
GoSeawolves.com
