NAIA and NeuLion Announce Video-streaming schedule for 2011 Spring Championships
April 22, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced today a partnership with NeuLion to exclusively stream live video and audio of the 2011 Softball National Championship and the Avista-NAIA World Series. This is the first time that the Softball National Championship will be made available and the Avista-NAIA World Series will be streamed for the sixth-straight year. NeuLion is the NAIA’s Digital Media Partner and official video-streaming company of 10 select NAIA National Championship events.
The softball event is hosted for the first time by the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission, in conjunction with the University of Mobile (Ala.). The National Championship opens May 19 with pool play, with live streaming occurring May 23-25 when six teams remain in the 32-team field. There is the opportunity for the final seven games to be streamed, with the final one being the “if necessary” contest as part of the double-elimination bracket.
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) will serve as the Avista-NAIA World Series host for the 12th-consecutive year and 20th overall. Harris Field welcomes 32 teams in the double-elimination format event. The entire championship involves up to 19 games, with the last contest being the “if necessary” one on June 3.
"The NAIA is excited to announce that the Softball National Championship will be streamed live for the first time,” NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr said. “The continuing partnership with NeuLion is one that allows all NAIA fans the opportunity to watch the exciting action at our baseball and softball events. The exceptional skill of the student-athletes will be on display and fans can see that for themselves in this quality broadcast.”
A person can subscribe by clicking here . For the Avista-NAIA World Series, there are two options of a per-day subscription fee (up to four games) of $8.95, or an event fee of $24.95 that shows all seven days of action. For the Softball National Championship, there are two options of a per-day subscription fee (up to three games) of $5.95, or an event fee of $19.95 that shows action from May 23-25.
Users must have the latest version of Windows Media Player, which you can download for free here . Before a user subscribes to any package, make sure to test your computer, which you can do by clicking here . For any technical assistance, please click here .
“The NAIA is an important partner and we’re pleased to add live audio and video streaming of this year’s Softball National Championship and Avista-NAIA World Series to our roster of live events that we deliver to college sports fans,” Senior Vice President of NeuLion’s College Division Steven Brown said.
NeuLion is a global leader in delivering live and on-demand multimedia content via the Internet on any Internet enabled device. The College Division of NeuLion is devoted exclusively to college athletics. With over 150 collegiate partnerships, NeuLion’s technology provides colleges and universities the ability to connect with fans through a suite of digital services including web hosting, integrated video player, fan support, digital marketing, ticketing solutions, live streaming services and many others.
The live video stream is available for the following 2011 NAIA spring National Championships:
May 22-25 (7 games) – this is select games of the event
31st Annual Softball National Championship – Gulf Shores Sportsplex, Gulf Shores, Ala.
May 27-June 3 (19 games)
55th Annual Avista-NAIA World Series – Harris Field, Lewiston, Idaho
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The Association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.
Today, the NAIA strengthens its commitment to student-athletes and strives to enrich their college experience by supporting academic achievement and character development. NAIA Champions of Character is the association's innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves. To learn more visit www.NAIA.org.
