July 21, 2005

NEW YORK - True to its mission of broadening the scope of college sports on television, CSTV: College Sports Television (www.collegesports.com), the fastest-growing independent cable network, is introducing the Festival of Championships this fall. This programming and marketing initiative will provide viewers with first-time exposure to collegiate championships in a capella, marching band, dodgeball, debate, karaoke and other underserved competitions.

"Our Festival of Championships will showcase college sports which have passionate fans and communities but haven't received the same exposure as traditional college sports," said Brian Bedol, president and CEO, CSTV. "Our viewers will experience first-time coverage of championships exhibiting the same level of competitiveness and drama as traditional sports."

CSTV's Festival of Championships Lineup:

National Collegiate A Capella Championship

A capella singing has been a focal part of college life for nearly one hundred years and the competition to be number one in the nation is extremely intense. Hundreds of college groups start out with one common objective - to make it to the championships, and they will sacrifice a tremendous amount of blood, sweat and tears to reach that goal. Collegiate a capella has a new home and a new championship on CSTV.

Defeat The Beat: National Collegiate Band Championship

You've read about their spectacularly animated foot-stomping, high-stepping performances, and now CSTV puts you front and center as top historically black colleges go head-to-head matching precision, showmanship and originality. The action is fast and furious as bands strut their stuff and pull out all the stops with the national championship on the line. Witness bands such as Grambling, Southern, Bethune-Cookman, Howard and Florida A&M as they take to the field in all their costumed finery.

National Collegiate Dodgeball Championship

Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn can play, but that's Hollywood and anything is possible. These Dodgeballers are real, and the top collegiate club teams in the nation pegging and dodging for the top prize on the court. Join CSTV next spring for the Collegiate Dodgeball Championship complete with knockdowns, near hits and those rubber balls from your grade school days.

National Collegiate Debate Championship

It's "Top Gun for Geeks." These mental fitness wizards, from 70 teams including Harvard, Northwestern, and Cal, train thousands of hours a year to vie for the national title. The National Collegiate Debate Championship rivals any on-field competition, as the brightest and most intense competitors from colleges and universities across the country come face-to-face in one room. CSTV's hour-long documentary gives viewers total access to the super-competitive environment of training, teamwork, preparation and competitiveness. Pro: Fierce debate action. Con: Only one hour.

National Collegiate Karaoke Championship

We've all been there -- Karaoke Night, and, no, we can't sing either. Don't worry, college students aren't any better, but they boast the moxie to get on stage in front of judges and strangers in their bid to capture the national college championship. While they don't experience the same adulation as their football and basketball brethren, rest assured that the desire and competitive fire burns deep within these students.

National Collegiate Cycling Championship

Lance who? No need to go to France to catch the best student-athletes on the 10-speed. Join CSTV on a nationwide tour and chronicle of the best riders in college cycling. Along the way, CSTV profiles the great American college cycling affairs including the Little 500.

UPA Ultimate Flying Disc Championship

All year the top Ultimate teams coast-to-coast huck, hammer and flick their game with the goal being the UPA College Ultimate Championship. The best-of-the-best in college flying disc face off for the title of the Ultimate in Ultimate.

USA Rugby National College Championship

Join the scrum for CSTV's exclusive coverage of the USA Rugby College Championships. National power Cal-Berkeley is an annual fixture in the men's game, and in the women's game, yes women's rugby, it's a crapshoot. Put in your mouthpiece and don't miss a ruck on CSTV's college rugby.

National Collegiate Sailing Championship

We've got your dinghies, laylines and sloops. Before they were America's Cup greats, Dennis Conner, Gary Jobson and Dawn Riley all excelled in sailing at the college level, and this year's championship competition could produce the next America's Cup skipper.

National Collegiate Rodeo Finals

The top collegiate men's and women's riders in the nation saddle up for the Collegiate National Finals Rodeo exclusively on CSTV. The rides, the throws and the falls are all here. Bring your face paint; now accepting applications for rodeo clowns.

College Sports TV, the fastest-growing independent cable network, is available to more than 20 million homes nationally on cable and satellite. The network is available on Time Warner, Adelphia and Insight cable systems, among others, and is also available on DirecTV (channel 610). For information on CSTV availability in particular markets, consumers can log on to www.collegesports.com/getcstv or call their cable or satellite operator.

CSTV is comprised of two primary business units: College Sports TV and CollegeSports.com. College Sports TV televises regular season and championship event coverage from every major collegiate athletic conference, in addition to nine NCAA Championships. The network also has a programming and marketing agreement with the U.S. Olympic Committee. CollegeSports.com, the most-trafficked college sports Web site, and its network of nearly 160 official athletic sites for top colleges, universities and athletic associations, are the number one online source for college sports news, information, scores and analysis.