CBS and the Big East have a new extension on the TV contract.

In a multi-year contract extension between the BIG EAST and CBS, the two entities agreed to increase the number of contests involving conference teams from a minimum of 11 to 14 each season, allowing fans to watch even more BIG EAST men’s basketball games featuring the nation’s best teams on CBS. The agreement will begin in 2007-08 and continue through 2012-13.

CBS, which holds the exclusive rights to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship through at least 2011, fueled the BIG EAST’s rapid ascent on the national college basketball scene when it began telecasting games involving conference teams in 1981-82, just the third year of existence for the league.

The 2006-07 season will be the 21st consecutive year the league has had a continuous agreement to have its games televised on CBS, and the new contract extension ensures that a strong relationship will continue to at least 27 years. The BIG EAST is proud to have the longest standing continuous relationship with CBS of any conference in the country.

“We’re very pleased to maintain our partnership with CBS,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Michael Tranghese. “BIG EAST teams have enjoyed outstanding exposure through the years on CBS. The length of this agreement guarantees that BIG EAST teams will have a high profile on national broadcast network television well into the future.”

“This agreement assures that BIG EAST basketball will remain a central component of CBS Sports’ basketball schedule, as it has been for over 25 years,” said Mike Aresco, Vice President of Programming for CBS Sports. “We are pleased to continue broadcasting BIG EAST Conference games.”

Nothing on the actual money being paid. Not sure how impressed the number of games goes from 11 to 14, especially with the overall increase in the size of the Big East. I guess that’s an okay amount considering CBS doesn’t really start airing many games until after January and only on the weekend afternoons.