OGDEN, Utah — Anchored by 12 conference games on ROOT SPORTS, more than 50 contests featuring Big Sky Conference football teams will be televised during the 2012 season.

The Big Sky Conference and DirecTV Sports begin the first year of a five-year contract with a 12-game schedule on ROOT Sports Northwest and ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain. The first telecast is Saturday, Sept. 22, when reigning co-Big Sky champion Montana plays host to Northern Arizona at 1:30 p.m. Mountain.

ROOT SPORTS’ coverage of Big Sky Conference football will begin this week with a 30-minute preview show. The show debuts on ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain Wednesday at 6 p.m. Mountain, and will air again on Friday at 5 p.m. Mountain. The preview will air Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Pacific on ROOT SPORTS Rocky Mountain.

Three weeks during the season, ROOT SPORTS will deliver a doubleheader. On Saturday, Sept. 29, league newcomer Southern Utah plays host to two-time co-reigning Big Sky champion. Montana State at 1:30 p.m., Mountain. At 4 p.m. Pacific, Montana battles Eastern Washington, the 2010 National Champion, at the Inferno in Cheney, Wash.

Twelve of the 13 Big Sky football-playing members will appear on ROOT SPORTS at least once, and ROOT SPORTS will broadcast from nine different conference stadiums.

ROOT SPORTS is available through many cable providers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, as well as parts of Nevada, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.

ROOT SPORTS Rocky Mountain and Northwest are also available through DirecTV and Dish Network. ROOT Sports Northwest is on DirecTV channel 687 and Dish Network channel 426. ROOT SPORTS Rocky Mountain is on DirecTV channel 683, and Dish Network channel 414.

All 12 of the ROOT SPORTS games will also air on DirecTV’s Audience Network, channel 101.

ROOT SPORTS will cap its first season of Big Sky coverage with the annual clash between Montana State and Montana from Missoula, Mont., on Nov. 17.

A total of 33 of the 52 conference games will be televised.

MidCo Sports Network out of South Dakota will show three of North Dakota’s conference games, as well as non-conference games against South Dakota Mines and Portland State.

Max Media of Montana will feature a six-game HD package featuring Montana and Montana State. The slate includes Montana State’s conference games against Northern Colorado and North Dakota, and Montana’s conference contest at home against Southern Utah.

Northern Arizona Television, along with Fox Sports Arizona Plus will show all four of the Lumberjacks’ conference games in HD, and five games in total.

SWX of Spokane, Wash., will once again televise Eastern Washington football. The Eagles’ home games against North Dakota, Sacramento State, Cal Poly and UC Davis.

KSBY of San Luis Obispo will bring Cal Poly football to the Central Coast of California, picking up all four of the Mustangs’ home conference games.

Comcast Sports Net Northwest will televise three Portland State games in the state of Oregon. The Vikings’ home opener against NAIA Carroll College will also be picked up by Comcast Sports Net.

Other entities that will televise Big Sky teams include ESPN3, ESPN Gameplan, the PAC-12 Network, FX, BYU-TV, Altitude and Utah’s KMYU.

— Big Sky Conference Information