CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University athletics will enter more than the first nine-team Gateway Conference this fall.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Salukis' radio home will not only grow sixfold, but enter two new states. SIU and Learfield Communications will announce today that the Salukis' men's basketball and football games will move from River Radio's Magic 95.1 FM to six new stations beginning this fall.

Mike Reis and company will still man the broadcasts, Saluki Sports Properties general manager Will Patterson said, as designated in a deal completed Feb. 15 with the multimedia giant that will pay SIU $5 million.

Herrin's WVZA-FM (92.7 FM) will become the new flagship of Salukis athletics. Stations in Centralia (WRXX-FM), Metropolis (WMOK-AM), Carmi (WRUL-FM), Harrisburg (WEBQ-FM) and Cape Girardeau (KYRX-FM) will stretch the network from north of Salem all the way south of Paducah.

"We're taking a Carbondale product, and turning it into a Southern Illinois product," Patterson said Thursday. "We're ecstatic about the expanded coverage, and you're now going to be able to hear the Salukis if you're in Centralia, or Mount Vernon, or Marion, or Cairo, or Cape Girardeau. It's going to be a true Southern Illinois product."

Saluki Sports Properties, a division of Learfield Sports, will handle SIU's sports marketing during the five-year deal. Patterson said SIU will have a new-look Web site targeted to open Aug. 1, and the two are close to a deal to broadcast all of the Saluki softball team's games over the internet.

Women's basketball and baseball will also get a boost from the expansion, as all of their games will be carried beginning this school year. Patterson said not all six stations would carry those two sports, and that the details of which stations would broadcast which sports were still being worked out.

Julie Beck will be the color analyst for the women's basketball broadcasts, Patterson said, but the play-by-play man or woman was still being discussed. The play-by-play talent for softball was also still undecided Thursday.

River Radio has broadcast Saluki sports almost every year for the last 30, according to general manager Steve Falat. Falat, who recently had back surgery, said through a text message Thursday he could not comment at this time.

Reis said the deal could change SIU's profile forever.

"What's changed the landscape is the marketing opportunities available by this deal," he said. "It's the top entertainment event in Southern Illinois, from Effingham south, and even from a business standpoint."

SIU athletic director Mario Moccia said the expansion gives the Salukis a bigger audience and a bigger presence, regionally, with recruiting.

"Our university is called Southern Illinois for a reason," Moccia said. "There are a lot of Saluki fans, average or rabid, that will have more access to the games. For us, to expand the affiliates was very attractive."

Learfield currently manages 40 universities, including Stanford, Wisconsin, Xavier, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Missouri and North Carolina. SIU is the fifth Football Championship Subdivision school to contract with the multimedia company. The Salukis are the first team from the Missouri Valley Conference to land a marketing contract with the company.

Moccia said future plans include a weekly radio show with men's basketball coach Chris Lowery and football coach Dale Lennon.

Patterson said to grow SIU's radio presence is critical to growing the school's reputation nationwide.

"I think it's a viable product," he said. "I'm not from here, but people in this city, in this town, love the Salukis. They'll listen to men's basketball. They'll listen to football. They'll listen to women's basketball and baseball. It's all about networking, and expanding the amount of coverage. We want to expand coverage of all sports."

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087