need some info ...please?

[Shari]

My husband is in the Army and we just relocated to Tampa in July....I am getting settled but as basketball season is near... I need someone who resides in the area or nearby to tell me......do we get to see the My games that are televised on FSS?...Verizon is my provider and this has never been a problem for me before. I am unable to have Direct TV or dish due to rental restrictions. I know that I am gonna be one unhappy camper if I can't see my cats. Also......would love to be able to take my 10 year old to Gainesville on Mar 8th to watch the cats play...any tips on the best way to secure tickets.... Thanks guys...I am excited about the season.

[Doc]

I live in FL as well and what you need is the FOX network and ESPN full court. Doing so will allow you to miss few games although with the new SEC network, I'm not as sure as I was. I've had that above since Direct TV first came out which was 1996 or so. Key comes how do you get Fox networks and ESPN fullcourt. FSS typically is not blacked out in the southeastern US

One thing to consider, is your restriction on Direct TV due to your landlord or your homeowners association? If its the HOA, forget it. They legally can not restrict unless its a historic building or a safety issue (meaning placing on a fire escape etc....). You could go with the "fake rock". These are man made hallow rock/boulders designed to cover a dished in the ground.

[Doc]

UF tickets are usually thru ticketmaster and general admission have yet to go on sale.

[BarristerCat]

Doc, the new (real) SEC Network doesn't start until next year and it should eliminate the Fox Sports South problem. The "SEC Network" that will show games this year is still just the syndicated broadcast package like the old JP Sports "network."

Shari, check with your provider to see whether they carry Fox Sports South. If they do, you will get the games (provided you subscribe to a package with Fox Sports South on it, of course). The most recent channel lineup I can find (2009) says Verizon Fios subscribers in Tampa get Fox Sports Florida instead of Fox Sports South, but some providers do carry more than one Fox Sports regional network, so maybe that has changed. If DirecTV or Dish really aren't an option, you're pretty much just stuck with whatever the cable company offers you.

ESPN Full Court lists Verizon as a carrier, so that might make a good option for you. I have no experience with that package so I'll leave that to others.

This might be the toughest year ever to predict whether fans outside the Lexington TV market will get to see the "lesser" matchups on the schedule. In a quick glance at the schedule I saw games listed as being on FSS (Fox Sports South), Fox Sports One, FSN (no idea what that means), and CSS (Comcast Sports Southeast), in addition to CBS and the usual ESPN networks. Things should get much better next year as -- if I understand the new setup correctly -- the new SEC Network will swallow up the games that currently end up on the Fox networks and CSS.

[Doc]

Also keep in mind that many games will be streamed to your computer by ESPN 3.

[Shari]

Thanks guys! I plan on jumping through any and all the hoops that I have to. Kentucky basketball has got me through many a lonely deployment.....