Fairleigh Dickinson signs multi-game broadcast deal with YES Network

Fairleigh Dickinson captured the nation’s attention last March.

The Knights knocked off No. 1 seed Purdue, pulling off just the second 16-over-1 upset in NCAA history. But their path to the NCAA tournament was fascinating. Fairleigh Dickinson received the nod because it made the NEC title game and fell to Merrimack, which was ineligible for the tournament as it made the jump from Division II to Division I.

Just to squeeze into the Round of 64, the Knights had to beat Texas Southern in the First Four to win the right to be the No. 16 seed. The run eventually ended in the second round, falling to Florida Atlantic which made it to the the Final Four.

The program has now secured an eight-game broadcast agreement with the YES Network. The deal calls for six men’s and two women’s basketball games to air live on the YES Network and the YES App during the upcoming 2023-24 season.

“After our men’s basketball team captivated the nation during March Madness and our women’s basketball program reached the WNIT for the second-straight season, we’re thrilled to seize the moment and highlight our exceptional student-athletes, coaches and institution on a network with the prestige of YES,” FDU athletic director Bradford Hurlbut said in a statement.

A historic deal for FDU, it’s the first school-specific media agreement for the institution. It’s a major win for its basketball programs, which will allow home nonconference games to be on linear TV. The YES Network is the regional sports network for the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty.

Fittingly, the first FDU game that will be televised on YES will feature a matchup of bracket-busters. The Knights are set to host local rival Saint Peter’s in a nonconference matchup on Nov. 15. The Peacocks were the Cinderella team of 2022, knocking off Purdue and Kentucky in their march to the Elite Eight.

The broadcast deal is further evidence of the impact a March Madness run can have on a Cinderella Team.