ST. LOUIS — For the seventh-straight year, CBS Sports Network will distribute a package of Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball games, including the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals and eight regular-season contests, MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson announced today.

The CBS Television Network, which has shown every title game of the MVC Tournament since 2006, will televise the 2022 championship tilt on March 6, with coverage also available to stream live on Paramount+. 

In 2018, CBS Sports and the MVC agreed to a multi-year extension to televise MVC men’s basketball games on the CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network.  The deal, which continues through 2023-24, is through a sublicense

agreement with ESPN. 

“Dating back to the 2006 State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament title game and throughout the COVID-challenged year that was the 2020-21 season, CBS Sports continues its unswerving commitment to our institutions,” said Jackson who is in his first year.

“Last season, CBS Sports adapted to our unique two-game series scheduling format, and when asked, was willing to shift our clearance windows for the semifinals of our men’s basketball tournament in mid-February to provide the best student-athlete experience possible for our membership.  Cooperation like that illustrates the great partnership that we have with CBS Sports.”

The 2021-22 regular-season package of games on CBS Sports Network begins on Nov. 23-24 with Illinois State’s participation in the Cancun Challenge.  The Redbirds open the event against Saint Louis (Nov. 23) and will play either Stephen F. Austin or Buffalo the following day.

Additional non-conference action occurs on Saturday, Dec. 4, as Missouri State plays host to Brigham Young in a non-conference contest.

Loyola, which advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, is featured when the Conference portion of the CBS Sports Network schedule starts in January.

Illinois State plays host to Loyola on Wednesday, Jan. 5 and January’s remaining slate has 2020 MVC regular-season champion Northern Iowa at Missouri State (Jan. 8), Valparaiso at Loyola (Jan. 11), Loyola at Indiana State (Jan. 15) and Missouri State at Loyola (Jan. 22).

There are two contests slated for February, as 2019 and 2020 MVC Tournament champion Bradley plays host to Loyola (Feb. 9) and Southern Illinois travels to Drake (Feb. 26).Drake received an at-large 2021 NCAA Tournament bid and defeated Wichita State in the opening round.

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2022 State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament — known uniquely as “Arch Madness” — will include the semifinals on March 5 on CBS Sports Network.  The championship contest on March 6 will air at 1 p.m. Central on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live on Paramount+.

The 2022 tournament — the 32nd consecutive in St. Louis — will mark the 17th-straight year that CBS Sports has televised the title game.

In 2020, the Missouri Valley joined the Big East (New York City) as the only Division I athletics conferences to conduct their men’s basketball tournaments in the same city for 30 or more consecutive years.