UCI gets top billing in Big West

Big West Conference Commissioner Dennis Farrell announced Tuesday a

television deal with Southern California local station KVMD-TV, Ch.

23, to air 14 Big West basketball games for the 2003-04 season.

The primarily Thursday night package will feature nine regular

season men’s games and one women’s game, in addition to all four

contests from the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Big West men’s

basketball tournament.

The first game of the package takes place on Jan. 8 as the UC

Irvine men make the first of a league-high six appearances with a

visit to Cal State Northridge. UC Irvine returns home the following

Thursday to entertain UC Riverside in the first of four TV

appearances at the Bren Center.

Cal State Northridge follows UCI for the most appearances on the

station with three. Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC

Riverside and Utah State are making two apiece. UC Santa Barbara,

Idaho and Pacific are each featured once.

The broadcasts in the Southern California region will give the

conference the most number of televised basketball games it has had

since the mid-1980s. The agreement is for three years.