RIO GRANDE VALLEY – History will be made on April 17 as ESPNU is set to televise the baseball game between The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and Southeastern at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
This is the first time a UTRGV home game in any sport will be carried on a linear national network. The game also represents the first regular season Southland baseball conference game to air on an ESPN linear platform.
ESPNU is available in approximately 36 million households in the United States on channel 208 on DirecTV, channel 141 on Dish Network, and channels 151 on Spectrum and 605 (SD)/1605 (HD) on AT&T U-verse in the Rio Grande Valley.
ESPNU is also available through the ESPN app as well as FuboTV, Hulu+ Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.
"This is a major milestone for our university and region as we get three hours to highlight UTRGV and the Valley on a national stage," UTRGV Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "I want to thank the Southland Conference and Commissioner Chris Grant for their support, and I am confident we will once again rally the Valley and showcase our program and the strength of the Southland Conference."
This is the first time a UTRGV home game has been on linear television since 2017 when 28 home games were carried state-wide on Spectrum Sports, including four games that were distributed to various markets around the country via American Sports Network.
Fans can guarantee their seats by purchasing season tickets or mini plans online at UTRGVTickets.com.
"I'm fired up for this big opportunity to show everyone what our team is capable of," UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock said. "Both us and Southeastern were among the last teams out of the NCAA Tournament last year. Having us face off on national television will show the country the strength of our teams and our conference as we look to return to the NCAA Regionals."
UTRGV and Southeastern were co-Southland Conference Champions in 2025. The matchup underscores the strength of Southland baseball on the national stage, as the Southland ranked ninth nationally in conference RPI last season, reinforcing its status as one of the premier mid-major baseball conferences in the country.
Last season, UTRGV shattered its program attendance record by welcoming 82,258 fans for 26 home dates, the 32nd most in the NCAA and a program record average of 3,164 per game, which ranked 28th in the NCAA.
UTRGV brought in four of the seven largest crowds in program history last season, including three crowds of over 6,000 punctuated by a program record 6,537 on April 12 for a game against Stephen F. Austin.
UTRGV also welcomed 14 of the program's 26 largest crowds since moving into UTRGV Baseball Stadium in 2002.
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