Missouri State institutional telecast schedule will feature 15 network games and six Mediacom bonus games
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State University has finalized its 2014-15 institutional television package for the upcoming basketball season, featuring its new television partner Nextstar Communications and local flagship stations KOLR-10 and KOZL.
Missouri State and Nexstar announced a five-year agreement
The 15-game package will be carried throughout most of the statewide Missouri State Basketball Television Network that includes affiliates in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia/Jefferson City, Lake of the Ozarks and Joplin.
“We are very excited about the new partnership with Nexstar and having our network games available in true HD for the first time ever,” said Kyle Moats, Missouri State director of athletics. “We’re excited about the prospects for our teams this season and growing our fan base throughout our local and regional markets.”
The games will be produced by Kansas City-based Niles Media Group in full 16:9 high definition. Niles is also the production unit used by the Missouri Valley Conference for its television package.
In addition to the network package, MSU’s radio and television rights holder — Missouri State Sports Properties, a property of Learfield Sports – has negotiated a bonus six-game package with Mediacom to provide additional telecasts of the Bears and Lady Bears on MC-22, the exclusive local sports channel on Mediacom’s multi-state cable platform. 
Network Affiliates
The 15 network games will be carried live throughout the Springfield market on cable providers such as AT&T U-verse, Mediacom and Suddenlink; on satellite carriers Dish Network and Direct TV; and over the air within the KOLR-10 and KOZL footprints. Games will be divided between the two stations (see below) based on other programming commitments, network requirements and the Bears’ and Lady Bears’ schedules themselves.
In addition to Springfield flagship stations KOLR-10 and KOZL, the Missouri State Basketball Television Network consists of Joplin affiliate KSNF, recently-launched KMOV.2 in St. Louis, Time Warner Sports Channel in Kansas City, Mediacom (MC-22) in Jefferson City/Columbia; and Lake TV in the six-county Lake of the Ozarks area.
KSNF, virtual channel 16, is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Joplin-Pittsburg market. “KSN” broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 46 and transmits from Joplin.
KMOV.2 launched Nov. 3 in St. Louis. Its primary partner station, KMOV, is the CBS affiliate for the St. Louis area and is one of the top over-the-air broadcast stations in the Gateway City. KMOV.2 will air on channel 181 on Charter in the metro market and 4.3 over the air.
The Columbia-Jefferson City market will tune to MC-22 on Mediacom in Boone, Cole and Callaway counties, while Lake TV is carried on Charter and the Co-Mo Connect fiber network in Camden, Miller, Morgan, Benton, Moniteau and Cooper counties.
Pregame Shows
A 30-minute pregame show will precede all network telecasts and carried live on many of the network affiliates, based on scheduling commitments. “Bears Basketball Courtside” and “Lady Bears Basketball Courtside” will include features, exclusive pregame interviews, in-depth analysis and live pregame coverage from the game site.
The pregame shows will be hosted and include content from KOLR-10 sports personnel Dan Lucy, Megan Rice and Daniel Shedd.
On-Air Talent
The announce team for this year’s Missouri State Television network will consist of play-by-play announcers Tom Ackerman and Don West, who will split men’s and women’s games throughout the season, and color analysts Kelby Stuckey (Bears) and Carly Stubblefield (Lady Bears).
Tom Ackerman is in his 18th year with KMOX radio in St. Louis and 12th year serving as a play-by-play announcer and sideline reporter for the Missouri Valley Conference network and FOX Sports Midwest. The St. Louis native has had announcing experience with the Cardinals postgame show, University of Missouri men’s basketball and football games and his various sports radio shows on KMOX, including “Sports Open Line.”
Don West has been a play-by-play announcer in Springfield for 29 years. He has covered nearly 3,000 games in 11 sports. He was the radio voice of the Missouri State Lady Bears basketball program for eight seasons, from 1986 to 1994, and covered the Bears and Lady Bears for six seasons on television from 2004 to 2010. Originally from Springfield, West has been an integral part of the local sports scene for nearly three decades covering high school, college and professional events throughout the Ozarks.
A native of St. Louis, Kelby Stuckey started all 93 Bears’ games over his last three seasons in a career which ran from 1985 to 1989. He played on the Bears’ first four Division I postseason teams, competing as a reserve for the 1985-86 NIT team and then starting on Missouri State NCAA tourney teams in 1987, 1988 and 1989 for coach Charlie Spoonhour. Stuckey owns the Bears’ career record for most winning games played (87) and finished his career with 1,188 points and 661 rebounds. He was on the Mid-Continent all-league first team as a junior and senior and got All-America honorable mention from Basketball Weekly as a senior. He later played pro basketball for 14 seasons overseas.
Originally from Warrensburg, Mo., Carly Deer Stubblefield was a four-year letterwinner at Missouri State from 1997 to 2001, playing on four straight NCAA Tournament teams for head coach Cheryl Burnett. The Lady Bears compiled an impressive 101-28 record during her career and reached the NCAA Division I Final Four in St. Louis in 2001. Stubblefield was named to the Missouri Valley Conference all-league team and picked up the Valley’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2001. She later spent five years on the Lady Bears’ coaching staff from 2007-12 under coach Nyla Milleson. She was also on Milleson’s staff at Drury University for four seasons and was an assistant at Portland State for a year.
Weekly Coaches Shows
The weekly highlight shows with head coaches Paul Lusk and Kellie Harper will air weekly, starting Dec. 6 and conclude March 7.
“Missouri State Basketball Highlights with Paul Lusk” will be hosted by KOLR-10 sports director Dan Lucy. The show will air at Noon each Saturday on KOZL with replays at 9:30 p.m. on Sundays and 4 a.m. on Mondays on KOZL as well as 10 a.m. Sunday on KOLR-10.
“Lady Bears Basketball Highlights with Kellie Harper” will follow the men’s show in the weekly listings. The show will be hosted by KOLR-10 sports personality Megan Rice and will air on Saturday’s at 12:30 p.m., Sundays at 10 p.m., and Mondays at 4:30 a.m as well as 10:30 a.m. on KOLR-10.
Schedule of Games
Bears on the Missouri State Basketball Television Network
· Nov. 22 at Texas Tech (KOLR-10), 7 p.m.
· Dec. 7 at Oral Roberts (KOZL), 3 p.m.
· Dec. 13 at Southeast Missouri State (KOZL), 6 p.m.
· Dec. 31 at Southern Illinois (KOLR-10), 5 p.m.
· Jan. 21 vs. Wichita State (KOZL), 7 p.m.
· Jan. 24 at Bradley (KOLR-10), 7 p.m.
· Jan. 31 vs. Southern Illinois (KOLR-10), 7 p.m.
· Feb. 10 at Evansville (KOZL), 7 p.m.
Lady Bears on the Missouri State Basketball Television Network
· Nov. 18 at Arkansas-Little Rock (KOZL), 7 p.m.
· Dec. 30 at Missouri-Kansas City (KOZL), 4 p.m.
· Jan. 25 vs. Illinois State (KOZL), 2 p.m.
· Jan. 30 at Drake (KOZL), 7 p.m.
· Feb. 8 at Wichita State (KOZL), 2 p.m.
· Feb. 15 vs. Loyola Chicago (KOZL), 7 p.m.
· March 1 vs. Drake (KOZL), 2 p.m.
Bonus Coverage of the Bears and Lady Bears on Mediacom (MC-22)
· Nov. 14 vs. Eastern Illinois (Bears), 7 p.m.
· Dec. 22 vs. Oral Roberts (Bears), 7 p.m.
· Jan. 2 vs. Evansville (Lady Bears), 7 p.m.
· Jan. 14 vs. Evansville (Bears), 7 p.m.
· Feb. 13 vs. Evansville (Lady Bears)
· Feb. 25 vs. Bradley (Bears) 7 p.m.
#MSUBears
About Nexstar Broadcasting
Nexstar Broadcasting Group is a leading diversified media company that leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers through its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Nexstar owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other services to 80 television stations and 20 related digital multicast signals reaching 46 markets or approximately 13.1 percent of all U.S. television households. Nexstar’s portfolio includes affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV, The CW, Telemundo, Bounce TV, Me-TV, Live Well, LATV and an independent station. Nexstar’s 48 community portal websites offer additional hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when and how they access content while creating new revenue opportunities.
About Learfield
In its four decades, Learfield has developed trusted, long-term relationships with some of the most revered institutions and associations in the world of collegiate athletics. Learfield Sports manages the exclusive multimedia rights to 99 collegiate properties in the country and has prominence in all of the major conferences. Learfield’s rights encompass all athletic department media and sponsorships components, including stadium signage and numerous content distribution platforms. Those platforms deliver the passion of college athletics over radio, television and digital networks to fans globally. Learfield also offers its college partners with licensing and trademark consulting, concessions and hospitality services and professional ticket sales. This marks the sixth consecutive year for the company to title the prestigious Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. To learn more, visit www.learfieldsports.com.