By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
If the National Invitation Tournament’s decision to hold St. Bonaventure’s quarterfinal matchup against Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. rather than SBU’s Reilly Center accomplished anything, it placed about 5,000 more viewers in front of a television.
St. Bonaventure’s NIT quarterfinal matchup with Virginia was the most-watched Bonnies game this season with 693,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data compiled by Showbuzz Daily. The Bonnies’ Dec. 11 meeting with UConn was the previous high, drawing 354,000.
The Virginia matchup marked Bona’s second appearance on ESPN’s flagship network this season, the first coming in the Charleston Classic final against Marquette. The Marquette game, which competed with a Sunday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers, garnered 221,000 watchers.
Bona’s NIT semifinal contest against Xavier will be broadcast on ESPN, as will Thursday’s title game.
“It helps the school,” Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt remarked. “It helps everybody, admissions. We’re on ESPN; you can’t put a dollar figure on it. Not only our program, our players, it really helps our university which is most important.”
Most-watched St. Bonaventure men’s basketball games this season, according to Nielsen data compiled by Showbuzz Daily:
1. St. Bonaventure at Virginia, March 22 on ESPN: 693,000 viewers
2. St. Bonaventure vs. Connecticut, Dec. 11 on ESPN2: 354,000 viewers
3. St. Bonaventure vs. Marquette, Nov. 21 on ESPN: 221,000 viewers
T4. St. Bonaventure at Colorado, March 15 on ESPN2: 202,000 viewers
T4. St. Bonaventure vs. Virginia Tech, Dec. 17 on ESPN2: 202,000 viewers
6. St. Bonaventure at Richmond, Feb. 4 on ESPN2: 181,000 viewers
7. St. Bonaventure at Saint Louis, Feb. 11 on ESPN2: 180,000 viewers
8. St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State, Nov. 18 on ESPN2: 102,000 viewers
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