MVC officials say CBS cut away from tight final
MVC officials say CBS cut away from tight tournament final for start of Indiana-Michigan game
The Creighton team celebrates after beating Wichita State 68-65 in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, March 10, 2013 in St. Louis to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Missouri Valley Conference officials say CBS cut away from the final few minutes of Sunday's tournament championship game to televise the start of the Indiana-Michigan regular-season finale, with viewers in Omaha, Neb., and Wichita, Kan., among a very limited audience for the finish of Creighton's 68-65 victory over Wichita State.
Valley commissioner Doug Elgin said in a statement it was "incredibly disappointing" and "disrespectful" to the schools involved and the conference to learn that CBS had made the switch. Watkins said CBS also cut away from the finish of last year's Valley tournament final, a Creighton overtime victory against Illinois State, for the start of a Michigan State-Ohio State regular-season game.
Valley associate commissioner Jack Watkins said ESPN purchases the rights to the game and then sells it to CBS.
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CBS is a subsidiary of CBS Corp.; ESPN is owned by The Walt Disney Co.
