Men's Basketball Tabbed for Two CBS Sports Network Games

By Greg Hartlage

Press Release

Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina's mid-February men's basketball matchup against chromatic rival Furman on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center was among two Catamount games earmarked for national television as part of the Southern Conference's 19-game regular-season broadcast schedule announced Thursday, just days before the opening of the 2026-27 regular season.

The SoCon package features a modern-era high of 15 regular-season men's basketball games between the ESPN networks and the CBS Sports Network this season, marking the league's most robust national television coverage in at least two decades.

All 11 SoCon teams will appear in at least one contest, with each game taking place after students return to their respective campuses to create the most exciting atmosphere for fans and viewers. Seven contests are scheduled for January, while the other eight are in February ahead of the conference tournament in Asheville, N.C.

"We are incredibly proud to showcase Southern Conference men's basketball on a record 15 national linear television games this upcoming regular season. With five games on ESPN2 and ESPNU combined and 10 games on CBS Sports Network, this unprecedented level of exposure reflects the strength of our programs, the quality of our student-athletes and coaches, and the excitement surrounding SoCon basketball," said interim SoCon Commissioner Geoff Cabe. "These national platforms provide an outstanding opportunity to elevate our member institutions, connect with fans across the country and continue to grow the profile of our conference."

Western Carolina's first of two national broadcasts is Sunday, Feb. 7, with a visit to Birmingham, Ala., for a matchup against Samford. The Catamounts and Bulldogs will tip off at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network, moving off its originally scheduled Saturday date to accommodate the TV broadcast.

WCU's second national broadcast comes just six days later with a unique morning game time on the CBS Sports Network. The Catamounts host chromatic rival Furman with a special 10 a.m. tip-off on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.

Produced by the home conference school, each game in the broadcast package will also air concurrently on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Additionally, a combined six women's basketball programs, along with nine men's teams, will be featured at some point during the season.

SoCon athletic departments and longtime partners at ESPN and CBS Sports worked together to identify unique scheduling windows that will attract more viewers than ever before to the league's product. SoCon games this year will air on six different days of the week and at eight different times. The league's flexibility and the network's creativity will set a record for ESPN2 exposure and maximize games played when audiences will find the product.

The first of the modern-era record national TV broadcasts comes with Mercer hosting Samford on Monday, Jan. 11, in the first of five ESPN broadcasts for the league on ESPN2. The first of 10 regular-season telecasts on CBS Sports Network comes five days later with VMI hosting The Citadel at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16.