Bates basketball set to be webcast on BatesCast.com

Bates College Director of Athletics Suzanne Coffey announces that the college will sponsor its first-ever audio webcasts of athletic contests, beginning with the men’s basketball team’s home game against Colby College on Saturday, Jan. 7.

Working in collaboration with D3Cast.com, Bates will offer live Internet broadcasts of a handful of basketball games this season, with an eye on later adding other Bates teams and video components to the college’s webcast offerings.

“We’re very excited to enter a new phase of athletic communications, with technology that will bring students, parents and alumni closer to games at Bates, no matter where they are in the world,” said Coffey. “We’re pleased to be among the first NESCAC schools to offer this.”

Also to be webcast, along with the Jan. 7 Colby game at 3 p.m., will be the Bates women’s basketball team’s home games against Bowdoin on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. and vs. Colby on Jan. 14 at 3 p.m.; and the men’s basketball team’s home games vs. Middlebury on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. and vs. Williams on Jan. 21 at 3 p.m.

Listeners who wish to tune in to the webcasts can go to BatesCast.com.

“We are delighted to have Bates become part of the D3Cast network,” said D3Cast president Steve Clay. “We’re looking forward to showcasing one of the best college basketball gyms in New England in our first few webcasts, and we’re sure that the BatesCast audience will be able to hear – and hopefully soon see – the excitement and pandemonium of an Alumni Gym game.”

Bates senior Nathan Miley-Wills will host the webcasts, and will be joined in the booth by other students or faculty.

“It’s wonderful that this is student-initiated. Nate deserves a lot of credit, because he’s the one who really jump-started the idea,” Coffey said. “I think this opens another avenue of opportunity for Bates students who are curious about sports broadcasting and other media.”