The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) has incrementally rolled out a rebrand in summer 2024, and the makeover continued Monday, when the league announced the formation of the UMAC Sports Network.
 
With the UMAC Sports Network, fans of the conference and its member schools will now have a one-stop shop to find all of the online video streams of the members' sporting events. The UMAC Sports Network is available online and also available to download as an app for mobile devices on IOS and Android as well as TVs through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire and Roku.
 
Fans of UW-Superior will be able to find nearly every Yellowjacket home sporting event on the UMAC Network in 2024-25, while the men's and women's hockey teams will have their games streamed on the WIAC Network, a service that began in 2022-23.
 
One change in the experience for viewers will come in how Yellowjacket sporting events are delivered. Going back to 2005, the majority of Yellowjacket home games were streamed to the masses via the iFan Sports Network. That will change in 2024, as, in conjunction with the launch of the UMAC Network, UW-Superior will begin streaming on Yellowjacket TV.
 
"We have been very fortunate in that, for nearly two decades, we didn't have to give much thought to our video stream, from a technology perspective to an on-air talent perspective and everything in between. Craig, Don, Dave and everyone at iFan took care of every aspect of it, and we're extremely grateful for all they did for our department, our teams and our student-athletes," said Jon Garver, Director of Athletic Communications at UW-Superior. "We knew there would always be a time where the stream would come in house, and with the launch of the UMAC Network, we had discussions internally and the timing seemed right to move forward with Yellowjacket TV."
 
Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, multi-camera feeds and commentary on nearly every broadcast, the iFan Sports Network provided viewers with a first-class viewing experience. Fans of the Yellowjackets can rest assured that the quality of the stream on Yellowjacket TV will not diminish in quality.
 
"We have made a substantial investment in terms of equipment and technology, and we're confident the product we offer day in and day out will do right by our teams and student-athletes," Garver said. "As a communications team, we have had lengthy discussions about the video stream and we think we have put ourselves in place to be able to offer a tremendous viewing experience that will be among the best, not only in the UMAC, but within the entire region. It also opens up possibilities for us to potentially broadcast other university events down the road, which is also exciting.
 
"We are very excited to take this step and launch Yellowjacket TV on the UMAC Network and WIAC Network."
 
The first sports broadcast on Yellowjacket TV will come Friday, Aug. 30 when the Yellowjacket women's soccer team hosts UW-La Crosse. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.