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The Southland Conference and ESPN announced a five-year agreement that will guarantee the league of the most extensive coverage in its 52-year history. The deal begins this season and will run through the 2019-20 academic year announced league officials Wednesday afternoon.

“The Southland Conference is very pleased to announce another new agreement with ESPN,” Burnett said. “The network has provided an opportunity for the league to increase its television exposure into the national mainstream, and we are appreciative of ESPN seeing value in partnering with the Southland and its member institutions.”

As a result of the agreement, a minimum of 120 Southland sporting events will be carried live on an ESPN platform over five years, including an annual telecast of the men’s basketball championship on ESPN or ESPN2. The new pact marks the Southland’s third consecutive five-year contract with ESPN and gives the network the first selection rights to home athletic contests within the league.

In addition to an ESPN3 game-of-the-week football package each season, the agreement will include an expansive schedule of regular season and tournament men’s basketball games, and continue coverage of soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball championship contests. Special programming, such as coverage from the league’s annual Football Media Day event on July 29, will also be included.

The Lamar University football team will have three games televised during the 2015 season, and all three will be in consecutive weeks away from Provost Umphrey Stadium. The Cardinals will take on Baylor Saturday, Sept. 12 in Waco, followed by games at Sam Houston State (Sept. 19) and Southeastern Louisiana (Oct. 1). The game at Baylor will be televised on the Fox Sports Network, while the two conference games will be on the American Sports Network.