ESPN3 airs four Lions games this season

Thanks to the Gulf South Conference’s new TV package with ESPN, Lions fans will be able to stream the first game of the season via ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

This is the first-ever exclusive agreement between the GSC and ESPN and will be the fourth-straight year the two have come together to bring GSC-TV to fans. GSC-TV is set to have 11 games this season available live on ESPN3, four of those featuring UNA. They will also broadcast the men’s and women’s basketball title games March 7.

“The Gulf South Conference package is usually on (Charter Sports Southeast), but the CSS is in some difficulty right now so they’re not going live,” said Athletic Director Mark Linder. “We had to make a decision as to what the right platform would be as we move forward.”

Under the new decision, Linder said he believes it will bring more exposure to not only UNA, but also the rest of the GSC.

“Whenever you can use the ESPN family, it can help with the recruiting,” Linder said.

Head football coach Bobby Wallace says the new agreement is good for both UNA fans and Shoals area residents.

“This kind of exposure is good for our program, players and recruiting,” he said. “This will also be good for our players’ families that aren’t always able to come see them play.”

With West Alabama as the only other school to have four appearances on ESPN3, the Lions will have their fair share of projecting their brand to other parts of the country. This is Wallace’s main objective, he said.

The ability to watch many football games a week in TV and on the Internet is something of the present and the future, Wallace said.

“Technology is getting more affordable and the ability to get access to the Internet is getting more affordable,” Linder said.

UNA is the defending GSC champion and is predicted to repeat as conference champions by the 2014 GSC Pre-Season Coaches Poll, which debuted Aug. 6.