The Big Ten agreed to a multi-year agreement with CBS Sports that will extend the network’s broadcast rights to the league’s basketball games through the 2016-17 season, according to a release.

The agreement begins with the 2011-12 season, when the network will broadcast at least 24 games featuring Big Ten men’s teams. CBS will still air the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinals and championship.

League commissioner Jim Delany said he is looking forward to continuing the conference’s relationship with CBS, which also covers the Big East, Pac-10, and Southestern conferences.

“The Big Ten Conference is happy to announce an extension to our CBS Sports agreement,” Delany said in the release. “CBS has been a great partner and has provided outstanding exposure to the Big Ten since 1991, giving our coaches and student-athletes opportunities to compete on a national stage.”

The sentiment was echoed by Mike Aresco, CBS Sports’ executive vice president of programming.

“We are delighted to extend our Big Ten basketball agreement, which has been a cornerstone of our regular-season NCAA basketball coverage,” he said. “We have an outstanding and longstanding relationship with the Big Ten and Commissioner Jim Delany, and look forward to many more seasons of broadcasting the rivalries, pageantry, and high-quality competition of the Big Ten.”

Financial terms of the agreement were not announced.

— by Seth Roberts