The University of Guam Triton Athletics Department and PBS Guam are partnering to bring live basketball to television in Guam as well as Saipan, Rota, and Tinian in fanuchånan 2019. The Triton Men’s Basketball League will have 11 games featured on the PBS Guam KGTF Channel 12 for the “Game of the Week."

“This is a new level of coverage for Triton Athletics and basketball in general on Guam," said UOG Athletics Director Doug Palmer. "From what I have been told, there has been no live basketball games on television for Guam since the 1980s. It will showcase some of the best basketball that the island can see, and now they can view it from the comfort of their living room."

The third season of the Triton Men’s Basketball League will tip-off on Monday, Oct. 14, with the first “Game of the Week." Six teams and perennial Guam basketball power, the Andersen KFC Bombers, have already committed to the league. Several other teams have been invited as well.

All games will be played in the UOG Calvo Field House.

The “Game of the Week” will include eight regular season games plus one game from each round of the playoffs to include the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the championship game. The championship contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec., 12. The UOG Tritons will be featured for each regular season game and at least the opening game in the playoffs.

Leo Payumo, the voice of K57 sports, will be the play-by-play announcer, and Triton Athletics will be looking for a color announcer as well. The games will air primarily from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday nights. The exact schedule will be released in the fall.

PBS Guam will receive a modest payment from Triton Athletics plus the opportunity to host events at the UOG Calvo Field House and soccer field. Also included is signage in the Field House main arena and lobby, free memberships to the Triton Fitness Center, and naming rights to a women’s basketball league, which will start in September and lead up to the start of the Triton Men’s Basketball League and live broadcasts.

Ina Carillo, station manager for PBS Guam KGTF Channel 12, said, “PBS Guam is excited to partner with the University of Guam’s Triton Athletics Department ... We are proud to add live local sports to our current programming line-up and look forward to working with other sport leagues on island to do the same.”

In the future, Palmer said the department hopes to add a women’s basketball league to the TV schedule and hopefully the new Triton women’s basketball team, which starts to compete in the fall.

UOG will feature some spots on the broadcast to promote different areas of the University to the public.

If there are some other basketball teams on the island that wish to participate in the league, contact Doug Palmer at (671) 735-2862 or email palmerd@triton.uog.edu. The entry fee is $1,000, and there will be some uniform standards and administrative details to meet. Each team have at least one broadcasted game, while some teams will join the Tritons on TV twice. The playoff rounds will give teams more chances to be seen.