MountainWest Sports Network

The MountainWest Sports Network, also known as The Mtn. (stylized as the mtn.), was an American college sports television channel. Launched on September 1, 2006, it was dedicated to the Mountain West Conference (MWC), including studio programs following the conference, live events, and documentary-style programs profiling the conference's members.

It was the first such network of its kind in the United States, preceding similar efforts that would emerge from the Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC, and ACC. The network was a joint venture between the conference's two rightsholders, CBS Corporation and NBCUniversal (initially via parent company Comcast).

History

The MountainWest Sports Network launched as part of the conference's new television deals with CSTV and Versus (later known as CBS Sports Network and NBCSN, respectively), which jointly replaced ESPN.[1]

Programming

Live events

The network covered over 800 live sporting events in its first four years of operation. Details of football and basketball telecasts are listed in the events section below. Also on the schedule are current and former Olympic sports like baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, and track and field. The Mtn. aired pregame and post game shows from its suburban Denver, Colorado studios in support of most of the network's live event coverage, including football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball and softball. Halftime shows took place for all football and men's and women's basketball game telecasts.

Studio shows

All-22 — Each week, the MWC football coaches traded game video via web-based technology called DragonFly. The Mtn. had received access to this content, which provided a bird's-eye view of the field of play, enabling the studio analysts to dissect team strategies, performances and keys to success.
Around the Mountain — Brought together some of the best sportswriters and bloggers from across the Mountain West region for an entertaining discussion and debate about the latest developments and trends across the Conference and beyond.
It's a Numbers Game — Fantasy football players and stats enthusiasts alike will enjoy It's a Numbers Game as host Scott Sarra takes viewers past the highlights and deep into the trends and box scores.
Mountain Sports Report — Mountain Sports Report, presented by Dodge debuted Saturday, September 4, 2010. This 30-minute news program airs live Tuesday through Friday at 5:30 p.m. MT and on Saturdays at 10 p.m. MT or after the final game scheduled that evening. The program replays several times each evening, schedule permitting. Mountain Sports Report, presented by Dodge features scores and highlights plus provides previews and feature stories from across the Mountain West Conference. Network anchors Marius Payton and Bill Doleman along with Natalie Vickers host the program.
Mountain West Football Saturday — Airs at 11 a.m. MT every Saturday throughout the football season beginning in August with one full hour of features, stories and previews of the upcoming games of the day. Expert analysis along with in-depth reporting and compelling storylines break down the key match-ups and prepare viewers for all the upcoming action. Marius Payton and Bill Doleman host, with expert analysis provided on a rotating basis by Joe Glenn, Jay Leeuwenburg, Kelly Stouffer and Ted Sundquist.
Season and championship preview and reviews shows for all Mountain West Conference sanctioned sports air throughout the year.

Former shows

The Mountain View (final show 9/3/10), The Mountain Cap, Mountain Peak Performances (final show September 1, 2010) and On Campus Cam have been canceled. On Campus Cam, which featured a panel of students from different institutions across the Mountain West Conference, was rolled into Around the Mountain, presented by Jeep roughly once per month.

Documentaries/reality shows

A Day in the Life – Gave viewers the opportunity to look into the daily lives of student-athletes and other personalities from Conference institutions.
A Conversation with... – Combines interviews with participatory journalism with one-on-one interviews with prominent individuals from across the Mountain West Conference.
Legends – Profiles of former MWC players and coaches. Debuted August 27, the day of its DirecTV debut, with Lavell Edwards. Other "Legends" have included Jerry Tarkanian, Amy Van Dyken and Chad Hennings.
Rivalries – Looks at each Mountain West Conference institution's biggest rival from an athletic and casual fan's point of view across multiple sports.
Season Pass – The Mtn. presents an insider's look into the Colorado State men's basketball team and the UNLV women's basketball squad in 2011 with these two new original programs: Season Pass: Colorado State Men's Basketball and Season Pass: UNLV Women's Basketball. Both shows are a continuation under a more appropriate title of The Mtn.'s successful original program, Reaching the Peak, which in past seasons has featured the TCU baseball team, Colorado State men's basketball and football teams, and the Wyoming football team. Each show provides viewers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into athletic programs across the Mountain West Conference that delves into the lives of the student-athletes. Season Pass will follow both programs from the first days of practice through the 2011 Conoco Mountain West Conference basketball championships. Unique elements from the prior seasons will return in Season Pass: Colorado State Men's Basketball, including Miles a Minute, Player Profiles ("The Roster") and The Rams' Glossary. Player Profiles and the Lady Rebels Glossary will apply to Season Pass: UNLV Women's Basketball. Both shows will incorporate a player version of Coach 'em Up called This Is My Game, which features different players demonstrating a how-to on various on-court techniques. Additional web-only segments will be available throughout the season exclusively at themtn.tv.

launch date	September 1, 2006
closed date	May 31, 2012
owner	Mountain West Conference NBCUniversal Television Group CBS Corporation
country	United States
headquarters	Colorado Springs, Colorado