VERMILLION, S.D.—The Summit League has partnered with Midco Sports to create The Summit League Network – a direct-to-consumer branded digital streaming platform that will showcase hundreds of regular season and postseason tournament games.
 
The announcement solidifies a long-term partnership between the regional sports network, the Summit League and its members. The three-year agreement includes a significant investment by Midco Sports and provides fans and alumni throughout the country the opportunity to cheer on their favorite Summit League teams on their own time and device from wherever they are.
 
It also means a different method is in place to watch South Dakota athletic events from afar starting now. The Summit League Network will be powered exclusively on the Midco Sports Plus app, which requires a subscription. The app will house all live and archived Coyote events for basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball. It will also feature Summit League Championship meets for cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field, and swimming and diving. This means games will no longer be streamed for free on GoYotes.com.
 
"Midco Sports has been a tremendous partner of ours for a long time and we are thrilled to see this new investment in our League," said USD athletic director David Herbster. "We were proud to offer home events for free these last several years, but the ability to watch all Summit League games home and away on one platform and at any time will be a huge draw. We are happy to take this next step with Midco."
 
South Dakota football is not impacted by this agreement. The Coyotes compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which partners with ESPN. All Coyote football games can be found on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. Five of South Dakota's six home games in 2023 will be broadcast by Midco Sports and those broadcasts will also be carried on Midco Sports Plus.
 
CBS Sports Network
Included in today's Summit League announcement was also news of a corresponding three-year deal with CBS Sports which will boost the profile of the conference by providing more nationally televised basketball games than ever before. Starting with the upcoming basketball season, CBS Sports Network will televise at least six Summit League regular-season men's basketball games with an opportunity to add an additional six men's or women's games. The schedule of regular season contests to air on CBS Sports Network will be released in the fall.
 
In addition to the regular season, CBS Sports Network will televise select games during the 2024 Summit League Basketball Championships. The Women's Championship semifinals and final, along with the Men's Championship final will air on CBS Sports Network in the traditional tournament slots. This is the first time in the history of the Summit League that the semifinals will be televised nationally.
 
Answers to other frequently asked questions follow:
 
Who is Midco?
Midco is a leading high-speed internet provider. The communications company also delivers TV services including Midco Sports (a regional sports network), phone, data center and advertising services, plus wholesale networking solutions. Midco serves 490,000 homes and businesses in 400 communities in Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
 
What is Midco Sports Plus?
Midco Sports Plus is a streaming app that features live games and original shows on demand or on a supported mobile or connected TV device. Midco Sports Plus is available in mobile/tablet apps (iOS and Android), connected TV device apps (AppleTV, FireTV, and Roku), and a web-based browser interface.
 
How much will it cost to stream the Summit League Network (SLN)?
$9.99 a month or $79.99 for 12 months. If customers sign up for the annual subscription, they'll save $40.00 a year versus monthly subscription pricing. Current Midco Sports Plus customers are paying $5.99 a month. The monthly fee is going up due to the large volume of SLN games. If you're a current customer who has set up payment through MidcoSportsPlus.com, app stores will process the change in September automatically. Current customers will receive notification about the price change that will happen in early September. Based on the billing cycle and within three-to-five business days of the September payment, customers will receive a refund of the prorated amount if they didn't receive a full month of access at the $5.99 price.
 
How can I subscribe to SLN?
Go to www.midcosportsplus.com from a desktop or mobile device. Click Subscribe at the top of the page and complete the necessary information required.
 
How can I manage my subscription?
Go to www.midcosportsplus.com from a desktop or mobile device. Click Log In at the top of the page to access your Midco Sports Plus account. Click Account Settings from the menu in the top right corner. Scroll down to Subscriptions to view the status of your subscription. Click Cancel or Subscribe, depending on the action you wish to take. If you do not see either of these options, you will need to manage your subscription through the App Store in which you subscribed (Apple App Store, Google Play, Roku or Amazon).
 
What live events will be aired on the SLN?
SLN broadcasts will include all home regular-season conference and non-conference games, excluding an event chosen by the Summit League's national linear partner, for the sports of volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, softball, and baseball. Exhibition games are not required to be streamed on SLN, however, schools may produce for SLN at their discretion.
 
Summit League championships in each of team sports along with the cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field, and swimming and diving championships will also be available on the SLN.
 
What other content will be available on Summit League Network/Midco Sports Plus?
Replays, highlights, interviews and special feature stories will be available on Summit League Network/Midco Sports Plus. That content will be produced by the member schools, The Summit League and Midco Sports.
 
Are Summit League Championships a part of the monthly/yearly subscription fee?
Yes. All Summit League championships will be a part of the monthly/yearly subscription fee, outside of an event chosen by the Summit League's national linear partners.
 
Will the content's level of production differ?
Yes. Given much of the content will be produced by the member schools, the production level will vary. You'll see a "Produced by XX school" indicated on the content.
 
Will SLN games have play-by-play calls and color commentary?
All games will have play-by-play. Summit League games produced by Midco Sports will have play-by-play calls and color commentary. When the member schools produce the games, it will be up to the home school if they have color commentary.
 
How will I find out if a game has been delayed or canceled?
Follow The Summit League's social media channels or the member school's social media channels for the latest information on game postponements or cancelations.
 
About CBS Sports Network
CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is widely available through all major cable, satellite, and telco distributors as well as via OTT streaming service providers YouTube TV, fuboTV, DirecTV and Hulu. Additionally, a live CBS Sports Network stream is available through CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App by authenticating with select providers. For more information, including a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.