The High Point University men’s basketball team will get the most television coverage in program history this season as up to seven regular season games will be televised in 2013-14. Four of those games are guaranteed, including appearances on Fox Sports 1 and ESPNU, and the Panthers could get more TV appearances in the Big South Tournament.
During the non-conference season, the Panthers will be shown on Fox Sports 1 when they play at Georgetwon in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. It will be HPU’s first appearance on the new channel. High Point’s game at Syracuse on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. will air on ESPN3 and HPU’s Big South tilt at Coastal Carolina on Feb. 5 will be on ESPN3.
High Point will be featured on ESPNU when HPU hosts Radford on Friday, Jan. 10, at the Millis Center. It will be the first nationally-televised regular-season game ever hosted at the Millis Center.
The conference also has three games that are part of ESPNU’s “wildcard games.” At least three weeks before each contest, the network will select a Big South game on Feb. 1, Feb. 13 or March 1. Those dates include HPU’s home games against Winthrop, Charleston Southern and Campbell. If High Point’s season finale against Campbell on March 1 is selected, it will be moved to Feb. 28 to accommodate the TV schedule.
The Big South Tournament also features television opportunities: the league semifinals will be broadcasted on ESPN3 on March 8 and the Big South Championship will air on ESPN2 on March 9 from the HTC Center in Conway, S.C.
Prior to this season, the only time High Point was ever featured on national TV during the regular season was when HPU played at Purdue on the Big Ten Network on Nov. 14, 2011. The Panthers nearly upset the Boilermakers as then-senior Nick Barbour’s three-point attempt rimmed out in the final seconds of a 67-65 loss.
High Point opens the 2013-14 season at UNC Greensboro on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Panthers have a pair of events leading up to the opener: HPU hosts Panther Madness on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. and High Point hosts Bridgewater College in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.
High Point went 17-14 overall and 12-4 in Big South play last season, winning the North Division of the Big South Conference. The Panthers return all five starters from last year including All-Big South first-team selection John Brown, second team selection Allan Chaney and All-Freshman selection Adam Weary.
2013-14 HPU Basketball TV Schedule
DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME TV Thu. 12/5/13 Georgetown 9:00 p.m. Fox Sports 1 Fri. 12/20/13 Syracuse 7:00 p.m. ESPN3 Fri. 1/10/14 Radford 7:00 p.m. ESPNU Sat. 2/1/14 Winthrop TBA ESPNU# Wed. 2/5/14 Coastal Carolina 7:00 p.m. ESPN3 Thu. 2/13/14 Charleston Southern = TBA ESPNU# Sat. 3/1/14 Campbell TBA ESPNU# Sat. 3/8/14 Big South Semifinals TBA ESPN3 Sun. 3/9/14 Big South Championship TBA ESPN2