Southland TV Selections Announced for First Four Weeks

FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference’s 2019 football television plans for the first four weeks of the season include more than two dozen matchups set for coverage across ESPN platforms, Cox Sports Television, Pluto TV and other outlets.

Beginning in the fifth weekend of the season, the Southland will reveal its television selections 12 days prior to kickoff, allowing for the best matchups to be selected each week for various broadcast partners.

“We are again very pleased to announce an expanded broadcast schedule for Southland football,” league commissioner Tom Burnett said.  “As has been the case in recent years, the 2019 football season will ultimately feature more telecasts of Southland teams than ever before, and we are excited to work with our broadcast partners to provide more action for the fans of our teams.”

The Southland television schedule kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 29, with four games on the broadcast schedule. Three of the four games are set for coverage on ESPN+, the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service. Things kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT as Central Arkansas goes on the road to play Western Kentucky, while Northwestern State visits UT Martin. Southeastern Louisiana welcomes No. 6 Jacksonville State to Hammond, La., for a 7 p.m. start on ESPN+. Lamar hosts Bethel (Tenn.) for a 7 p.m. kick on ESPN3.

The first Saturday of the season features five games exclusively on ESPN platforms, and another on Cox Sports TV (CST). The day begins with UIW at UTSA at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN3. McNeese plays host to Southern for a 6 p.m. kickoff on CST. Outside CST’s territory, coverage of the Cowboys’ opener will be available on ESPN+. Nicholls, after posting a season-opening 26-23 victory at Kansas last season, will try to repeat its success in a 6 p.m. kickoff at Kansas State on ESPN+.  Also, ESPN+ will carry Baylor’s home game with Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian’s road game at North Texas and the Houston Baptist opener at UTEP.

On Sept. 7, Central Arkansas visits Austin Peay for a 2 p.m. CT contest on ESPN+.  Six other games featuring Southland teams will begin at 6 p.m., including Stephen F. Austin playing host to Tarleton State on ESPN3, while ESPN+ will feature the Mississippi Valley State at Lamar, Texas Southern at UIW, McNeese at Oklahoma State, Arizona Christian at Abilene Christian, and Oklahoma Panhandle State at Sam Houston State games.

Conference play opens on Sept. 15 in Week 3 featuring Abilene Christian at Central Arkansas for a 6 p.m. kick on ESPN3.  Southland teams will face three SEC opponents that day, with Lamar playing at Texas A&M at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU, and Southeastern Louisiana visiting Ole Miss and Northwestern State taking on LSU, both on the SEC Network. Sam Houston State will appear on Pluto TV, a free app-based streaming service, as the Bearkats travel to face North Dakota at 4 p.m. CT.

Week 4 features four conference games, including a trio of games on ESPN+, Nicholls at SFA, McNeese at Abilene Christian and Lamar at Southeastern Louisiana.  The league opener between UIW and Sam Houston State will be available on ESPN3.  Additionally, the Central Arkansas at Hawaii contest will be televised on Spectrum Sports.

The schedule is subject to change. Additional early games may be selected at a later date.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE FOOTBALL: EARLY SEASON TV SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES CENTRAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

WEEK 1
Thursday, August 29
Central Arkansas at Western Kentucky, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+

Northwestern State at UT Martin, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Bethel (Tenn.) at Lamar, 7 p.m., ESPN3
Jacksonville State at Southeastern Louisiana, 7 p.m., ESPN+

Saturday, August 31
UIW at UTSA, 5 p.m., ESPN3
Stephen F. Austin at Baylor, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Nicholls at Kansas State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Southern at McNeese, 6 p.m., Cox Sports TV/ESPN+ **
Abilene Christian at North Texas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Houston Baptist at UTEP, 7 p.m., ESPN+

WEEK 2
Saturday, September 7
Central Arkansas at Austin Peay, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Mississippi Valley State at Lamar, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Tarleton State at Stephen F. Austin, 6 p.m., ESPN3
McNeese at Oklahoma State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Texas Southern at UIW, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Arizona Christian at Abilene Christian, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Oklahoma Panhandle at Sam Houston State, 6 p.m., ESPN+

WEEK 3
Saturday, September 14
Houston Baptist at South Dakota, 2 p.m., ESPN+

Southeastern Louisiana at Ole Miss, 3 p.m., SEC Network
Sam Houston State at North Dakota, 4 p.m., Pluto TV
Lamar at Texas A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU

*Abilene Christian at Central Arkansas, 6 p.m., ESPN3
Northwestern State at LSU, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network

WEEK 4
Saturday, September 21
*Nicholls at Stephen F. Austin, 6 p.m., ESPN+
*McNeese at Abilene Christian, 6 p.m., ESPN+
*UIW at Sam Houston State, 6 p.m., ESPN3
*Lamar at Southeastern Louisiana, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Central Arkansas at Hawaii, 11 p.m., Spectrum Sports

**ESPN availability outside of CST territory only

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