• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, January 4, 2007

It appears to be high time for low-profile sports conferences. With cable networks battling each other to secure the rights to as many live college games as possible, small conferences are suddenly in demand. The latest: the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), which has inked a deal with ESPNU through 2010.

The agreement allows the network to broadcast at least eight of the conference's regular-season men's basketball games a year.

It would be an understatement to say that MAAC schools such as Rider, Marist and Canisius are off the radar for both the media and fans--especially when it comes to conferences like the Big Ten and ACC.

But as 2-year-old ESPNU looks to boost distribution and fight off challenger CSTV--not to mention the yet-to-launch America Channel--conferences that might have settled for airing on public-access channels now have some appeal for broadcast executives.

ESPNU's deal with the MAAC comes several weeks after the America Channel said it had reached deals with eight low- to mid-tier conferences to cover games starting this fall.

The deals give the mostly regional conferences exposure to a national audience and a new marketing platform.

Also, in another sign that sports-rights deals are increasingly multifaceted, the ESPN umbrella will be able to offer MAAC games on platforms such as ESPN360 (broadband streaming), VOD and pay-per-view.