All NSU Football Games To Stream on ESPN Platforms in 2018

NSU SPARTANS ATHLETICS

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Thanks to a multi-year agreement between the MEAC and ESPN announced Friday, the Norfolk State football team will have its entire schedule of games streamed live on either ESPN3 or ESPN+ for the first time in program history this year.

The Spartans' game against Virginia State Saturday will be one of the first two MEAC games to be featured this season on ESPN3 as pa  rt of the new agreement. NSU and Virginia State will kick off at 6:05 p.m. Saturday in the Union Bank & Trust Labor Day Classic at William "Dick" Price Stadium. Florida A&M will also broadcast its game Saturday on the network.

All eight of NSU's games against MEAC opponents, in addition to the home game on Sept. 8 against FCS power James Madison, will be streamed on either ESPN3 or ESPN+, the network's new subscription-based service. The exact streaming service will be announced on a week-to-week basis. Spartan home games will include the NSU Sports Network commentary of play-by-play voice Ross Gordon and color commentator Glen Mason.

Liberty University announced earlier this week that its game against NSU on Sept. 15 will also be broadcast on ESPN3.

"I am elated to utilize ESPN3 and ESPN+ in continuing to grow the MEAC's relationship with ESPN," said MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas. "Both ESPN3 and ESPN+ are innovative digital platforms upon which we can better serve our member institutions and our fans, while also expanding our reach both from a conference perspective and at the institutional level. This is an exciting time for college sports, with the expansion of digital content, and I am pleased that the MEAC is on the forefront with ESPN3 and ESPN+."

"This agreement reflects another significant step in our relationship with the MEAC and for the opportunity to continue to enhance our already robust ESPN3 and ESPN+ offerings with quality HBCU competition," said Burke Magnus, ESPN executive vice president of programming and scheduling.

ESPN3 is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the ESPN app. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider.

Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ on ESPN.com or through the ESPN App for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year).

The agreement adds additional exposure to the MEAC, which has collaborated with ESPN since 2005. The ESPN+ football contests add to an already impressive lineup as the ESPN networks carry multiple men's basketball, baseball and softball regular-season contests. The men's and women's basketball tournament championship, volleyball and bowling finals are also televised on ESPNU.

The MEAC also has two weekends, Nov. 3 and 17, where it can move a "wildcard" conference game that impacts the league championship race to ESPNU television.

ABOUT ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of live events annually. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected-TV devices through the ESPN App. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military broadband and W-Fi networks.

ABOUT ESPN+
ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company's Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredevise and more), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN's award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans -- delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN's incredible content around each fan's individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS