Cowboys Going National

By Jim Gazzolo

The investments are paying dividends.

All the money that has poured into the McNeese basketball program over the past couple of years is working.

This past week, the Cowboys learned they will receive significant television exposure thanks to their winning ways over the last two seasons.

McNeese has gone 58-11 over the last two years, losing just once at home while capturing back-to-back Southland Conference championships. Last spring, when the Pokes won their first NCAA Tournament game in program history, the school’s website went down as folks from all over the country tried to grab a look.

It was that victory over Clemson that pushed the envelope for both the university and the athletic program. Two days after beating Clemson, McNeese lost to Purdue. Both games were on CBS, giving the Cowboys unprecedented national exposure.

Now, on the verge of a new season and with a new head coach, Bill Armstrong, the Cowboys are finding out they are still good television. 

So much so that they learned this week that they will play at least three regular-season games on linear TV, with two of those games held at Townsley Law Arena.

It hasn’t even been a month since the law firm signed a 15-year, $4.5 million rights deal to rename the Cowboys’ home gym, and it's already worth it.

When you consider two of the SLC’s men’s tournament games and the women’s championship match will also be televised on linear television, you can see the Townsley firm is already getting what they paid for.

Two of the Cowboy games will be on the CBS Sports Network. The first one will be broadcast on Friday, Jan. 2, when McNeese hosts Lamar. The two teams met last season in the SLC title game.

McNeese will finish the regular season on CBSSN as well, playing at Nicholls on March 2.

The Cowboys will also appear on ESPNU on Saturday, Feb. 21, when they travel to Corpus Christi to face the Islanders.

It is all part of the program’s growth, as McNeese continues to be one of the fastest-rising mid-major programs in the country.

“Learning that McNeese will play three linear games on ESPN and CBS Sports is simply incredible,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “This is an amazing opportunity to showcase our great university and further enhance our brand. McNeese Athletics has never been broadcast nationally on television to this extent (in the regular season), and it's humbling and thrilling to think about how far we've come in such a short span of time.

“These opportunities are a win for our entire community. When the university rises, so does Southwest Louisiana, and that's been our goal since day one. It's a great day to be a Cowboy.”

Especially if you like being on television.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He is also the host of Poke Nation, which airs weekly on CBS-Lake Charles.

ESPN Linear Schedule (2026) 

Saturday, Feb. 21 – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at McNeese (ESPNU)

Tuesday, March 10 – Southland Men's Semifinal #1, 6 p.m. (TBD)

Wednesday, March 11 – Southland Men's Championship, 4 p.m. (TBD)

Thursday, March 12 – Southland Women's Championship, 4 p.m. (TBD) 

CBS Sports Network Southland Schedule (2026) 

Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 – Lamar at McNeese, 6 p.m. CT (CBSSN) 

Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 – Northwestern State at SFA, 8 p.m. CT (CBSSN) 

Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 – UIW at Texas A&M–CC, 8 p.m. CT (CBSSN) 

Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 – Nicholls at Lamar, 6 p.m. CT (CBSSN) 

Monday, March 2, 2026 – McNeese at Nicholls, 6:30 p.m. CT (CBSSN)