The Miami (OH) RedHawks are in the midst of an extraordinary season. The RedHawks, led by head coach Travis Steele, are ranked 23rd in the AP poll and at 23-0 following Tuesday night’s win over the Buffalo Bulls, stand with the Arizona Wildcats as the nation’s final two unbeaten teams.
As unlikely as it is for a program that hasn’t been ranked in the AP since the 1998-99 season, when they were led by Wally Szczerbiak, or in the NCAA tournament since 2007, the Redhawks’ 23 wins to start the season stand as the best start to a campaign, and the longest win streak in MAC history.
As magical as the run has been for the RedHawks, fans have had to twist and turn for most of the season to catch them in action, with most MAC games being relegated to ESPN+. Although Comcast and YouTube TV customers who receive ESPN as part of their subscription expect to eventually have access to ESPN Unlimited, which would provide access to all ESPN+ broadcasts, such access has yet to materialize. Awful Announcing previously reported that the delays were centered on tech issues inherent to authenticating tens of millions of new users onto the platform.
The lack of wide access to one of the college basketball season’s best storylines has left many fans disappointed. However, the RedHawks’ win over Buffalo only increased the demand for national attention, with WKYC-TV 3 in Cleveland’s Nick Camino chiming in after the game.
Can’t we start putting them on regular TV, folks? https://t.co/iFsgbJTmm3
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) February 4, 2026
The calls are finally being answered.
The MAC announced on Wednesday that the RedHawks’ upcoming game on February 13th against the Ohio Bobcats in the “Battle of the Red Bricks” will be nationally televised, with ESPN flexing the game from ESPN+ to ESPN, knocking ESPN Films out of place following the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game.
RedHawks. Bobcats. ESPN. 🏀
Next Friday’s Battle of the Bricks has been flexed to ESPN and will now tip-off at 9PM ET from Millett Hall!
🗒️: https://t.co/RAxLhxWnWK | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/k0vlGAEtyA
— MACtion (@MACSports) February 4, 2026
It’ll be up to RedHawks to take care of business in the interim against the Marshall Thundering Herd on February 7th. But if they can get to 24-0, the entire country will have the opportunity to witness something special.
Whether it be timely shots from unsung heroes or bizarre superstitions, the Hawks keep finding ways to win. And if they keep it up, there’s no doubt that everyone in the nation will be able to watch them come March.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.