September 4, 2011

Maroons' Events to be Aired on Cable TV

Valley Vision TV Partners with Roanoke for Games, Talk Show

SALEM, Va. --- For the first time since the 1980's, Roanoke College athletic events will be aired on cable television starting in September.  Games will be aired on Valley Vision Comcast 7.

“We’re pleased to have the opportunity to associate Roanoke College athletics with Comcast and Valley Vision,” said Roanoke Athletic Director Scott Allison. “The exposure for our teams and our student-athletes can only help us perpetuate our proud tradition. We’re excited as well to showcase the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete. These dedicated young men and women are truly special, as they prioritize success both on the field and in the classroom.”

The telecasts will be produced in partnership with Roanoke College and Greg Aldridge with Valley Vision TV (Comcast Channel 7). Brad Moore, director of athletic communications, will direct a group of proven broadcasters including Nick DeSanctis and Richmond Bramblet, along with technical director Reid Hall. Both DeSanctis and Hall are seniors at Roanoke while Bramblet will enter his first season in Salem.

Valley Vision TV is viewed on Comcast Cable channel 7 in Southwest Roanoke County, Botetourt County, Blacksburg, Pulaski County and Rockbridge County. The broadcast agreement for the 2011-12 school year is scheduled to cover 25 Roanoke athletic events as well as its sports talk show, which covers 18 episodes throughout the year. A complete TV schedule can be viewed at www.ValleyVisionTV.com .

While all of the events will be broadcast as tape-delay on Valley Vision TV (Comcast Channel 7), the Maroons will remain online with live webcasts at maroons.roanoke.edu as in years past. The broadcasts will enjoy new features with new streaming software, equipment and will introduce instant replay this year.

Tentatively scheduled for broadcast are five men’s soccer, eight men’s basketball, four women’s basketball and seven men’s lacrosse games. Valley Vision TV will also run “Maroons Tuesday Night Live,” which focuses on Roanoke Maroon sports programs. The bi-monthly hour-long program is hosted at Mac n’ Bobs Restaurant in Salem and produced by Roanoke College.

The men’s lacrosse program is coming off its ninth national semifinalist finish while claiming a conference-record 17th ODAC Championship last spring. The storied men’s basketball program enters its 99th season with nearly 1,300 program wins while women’s basketball advanced to their 18th ODAC Championship game, narrowly missing a 14th ODAC crown. The men’s soccer program finished with an undefeated home record for only the fourth time in the 65-year history of the sport at Roanoke. They finished 13-3-3 last fall as the defense tied a school-record with 14 shutouts.

Valley Vision TV is a unique network showcasing local programming in both entertainment and information where individuals as well as businesses can have their own programs on Television. Roanoke College Athletics will be the debut of sports on Valley Vision TV and will complement its other local programming as well as Valley Vision TV’s lineup of classic films, vintage television programs and community service programming. 

“I could not be more excited and pleased to be able to bring Roanoke College Sports to the community on TV,” says Valley Vision TV Vice President Greg Aldridge.  “Our company president Elizabeth Aldridge, a 2000 Roanoke graduate, has a personal interest in showcasing Roanoke College to our television audience.”

The games and talk show will be re-aired throughout each week of the school year. An audio broadcast for the men’s basketball games are available in addition to the broadcasts at ESPN 1240 AM Roanoke, and live in-game statistics will be available at maroons.roanoke.edu.

Roanoke College, a classic liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia, combines firsthand learning with valuable personal connections in a beautiful, undergraduate setting. Roanoke is one of just seven percent of colleges nationwide with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. The Princeton Review lists Roanoke as one of the "Best 376 Colleges" in its 2012 guidebook, which includes the top nine percent of colleges, and U.S. News & World Report ranks Roanoke the number seven "Up-and-coming National Liberal Arts College."

This release is courtesy of the Roanoke College sports information department.