CBS Sports Network The CBS Sports Network is a sports - oriented cable channel operated as a part of the sports division of CBS . It launched in 2002 as the National College Sports Network ( later CSTV ) , a multi - platform media brand which encompassed its TV network , " collegesports . com " , and a network of websites operated for the athletic departments of 215 college and universities . CSTV was acquired by CBS in 2005 , maintaining its original scope ( and re - branded as the CBS College Sports Network ) until 2011 , when it was re - branded as just the CBS Sports Network to position it as a competitor to other mainstream sports channels . History . The network ' s roots began in 1999 when Chris Bevilacqua approached co - founders of Classic Sports Network Brian Bedol and Stephen D . Greenberg – at that time , running Fusient Media Ventures , a New York - based sports and media company – with the idea for a network featuring all college sports all the time . Under the leadership of Bedol as CEO , the network launched as the National College Sports Network in June 2002 and was then renamed College Sports Television ( CSTV ) in February 2003 . From their headquarters and studio operations at Chelsea Piers in New York City , CSTV was the first independent cable channel to appear nationwide , on the DirecTV satellite system , at launch . In November 2005 , it was purchased by CBS Corporation for $ 325 million . On January 3 , 2008 , it was announced that CSTV would be integrated into CBS Sports , with Tony Petitti , executive vice president and executive producer of CBS Sports taking over operational day - to - day management of CSTV , which would be overseen by Sean McManus , president of CBS News and Sports . CSTV co - founder Brian Bedol would become a senior advisor to CBS Corporation president and CEO Leslie Moonves . Petitti has since left CBS to take on the same role for the MLB Network . In the fall of 2006 , CSTV launched more than 100 broadband channels dedicated to college sports , which feature more than 10 , 000 live events . The subscription / pay - per - view service , called CBS College Sports XXL , and its portfolio of broadband channels in its All - Access suite , include coverage of Notre Dame , Southern California , Kansas , Ohio State and North Carolina . CBS reorganization . On February 12 , 2008 , it was announced that , as part of the ongoing integration of CSTV into CBS Sports , that the network would be renamed the " CBS College Sports Network " on March 16 , 2008 , coinciding with CBS ' s coverage of the NCAA ' s basketball tournament . Studio shows were based at Chelsea Piers , and moved to the CBS Broadcast Center in 2012 . As part of the re - launch , the network added a new news program , " College Sports Tonight " . " College Sports Tonight " was canceled in 2010 , but other studio shows ( including " Inside College Football " , " Inside College Basketball " , and " NCAA March Madness Highlights " ) still originate from the Chelsea Piers location . On February 15 , 2011 , it was announced that CBS College Sports Network would rebrand itself as CBS Sports Network , effective April 4 , 2011 . The move was made in order to better compete against other mainstream sports services . High Definition . CBS Sports Network did not begin producing HD programming until August 2008 . The two NCAA tourney games in 2008 , which were in HD on CBS , were converted to a standard definition feed . The HD feed is letterboxed on the SD feed , similar to how CNN , HLN , Fox News Channel , and Fox Sports presents their programming . Programming . Since airing that first game , CBS Sports Network has televised thousands of hours of original programming , features , talk shows and documentaries as well as extensive women ’ s sports coverage . Its regular - season and championship event coverage draws from every major collegiate athletic conference and division , in addition to nine NCAA championships . CBS Sports Network televises 35 men ’ s and women ’ s college sports including football , basketball , baseball , Ultimate Frisbee , hockey , lacrosse , soccer , wrestling and volleyball from every major conference . The network holds multi - media and marketing rights for the Mountain West Conference , the Atlantic 10 Conference , Conference USA , the Big West Conference , the Patriot League , the Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCU ) , Army football , and Navy athletics . In April 2006 , the network organized the first Collegiate Nationals , a festival of championships dedicated to crowning champions in a wide variety of collegiate action sports such as snowboarding , wakeboarding , and beach volleyball . More than 1 , 000 competitors converged on Reno - Tahoe to compete , the largest number ever for an event of its kind . For its second installment in 2007 , the Collegiate Nationals added sports and other events such as national film and music competitions , as well as a second venue – San Diego . The third year , 2008 , brought further changes , as the winter sports events were moved to the Keystone Resort near Boulder , Colorado and competitive eating was added . In the fall of 2006 , CSTV and Comcast launched the MountainWest Sports Network ( colloquially known as " The Mtn . " ) , a network focusing exclusively on the Mountain West Conference . The relation with the network also gave CSTV exclusive online and broadcasting rights to Notre Dame ' s game at Air Force on November 11 , 2006which caused controversy since CSTV did not have carriage as wide as the other networks which have aired Notre Dame games . The Irish have not visited a Mountain West team since . On November 14 , 2011 , the National Lacrosse League announced that it had reached a two - year agreement with CBS Sports Network to televise eight regular - season and postseason games for the 2012 and 2013 seasons . The acquisition gives CBS Sports Network its first professional sports broadcast rights . April 3 , 2012 saw the premiere of " Rome " , a self - titled sports news and talk program hosted by nationally syndicated radio host Jim Rome . Rome had recently left ESPN and his previous show , " Jim Rome Is Burning " , after signing on a new contract with CBS Sports . On June 7 , 2012 , CBS Sports Network began to air the remaining games of the American Hockey League ' s 2012 Calder Cup Final between the Norfolk Admirals and the Toronto Marlies , starting with Game 3 . On July 26 , 2012 , the network signed a deal with the United Football League to televise its games for the 2012 season . The United Football League is a second - tier professional football league that began play in October 2009 . The UFL pays for all production expenses and receives no rights fee from CBS Sports Network for the broadcasts . The league lasted approximately four weeks on CBS Sports Network before suspending operations halfway through its 2012 season . In August 2012 , CBS Sports Network began to offer coverage of tennis ' s US Open , including classic matches , coverage of qualifying matches , a pre - game show , and coverage of third and fourth round matches not shown by CBS . On August 30 , 2012 , the network signed a deal with the NBA Development League to televise 12 regular games , as well as the 2013 NBA D - League Playoffs and Finals . The network will televise nineteen regular season and two playoff games from the Arena Football League in 2013 and 2014 . The ArenaBowl will air on CBS . Carriage . CBS Sports Network is available on cable and satellite systems across the country , including DirecTV , Dish Network , Verizon FiOS , Comcast , Time Warner Cable , Cox , Cablevision , Charter , Insight , Bright House Networks , Blue Ridge Communications , Mediacom , RCN , Advanced Cable , and Bresnan . In Canada , Rogers Cable started carrying CBS Sports Network on October 9 , 2008 , while Bell TV started carrying the channel on September 3 , 2009 . In late February 2009 , CBS Sports Network reached a new carriage deal with DirecTV , which allowed the satellite provider to move the channel from its add on " Sports Pack " to its base package " Choice Xtra " . The channel was moved to the lower level package on February 25 , 2009 . The new agreement gave the channel a distribution of 30 million viewers . On July 7 , 2009 , it was announced that Cox Cable will add the channel in Orange County , California and Arizona on August 1 , 2009 . On February 17 , 2010 , AT & T U - verse added the network . On August 1 , 2011 , Cable One added the network in select markets . Official athletic partnerships . In addition to their own website , CBS Sports Network also operates athletics websites for many college athletics organizations under its CBSSports . com College Network .