The Big West Conference’s new second-tier deal with Fox Sports is expected to give the University of Hawaii more visibility and help preserve its local TV package, conference officials said.

Financial details of the multi-year agreement were not announced, but the conference is expected to receive upwards of $1 million.

The Big West, in which UH participates in most sports except football, is still in its negotiating window with ESPN on first-tier games.

Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said Fox will show 20 events in the 2012-13 school year and 32 for 2013-14. Most will be men’s basketball, but the package will also include women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and other sports. Coverage will be spread across Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket in California and Nevada, major recruiting and alumni areas for UH.

Rockne Freitas, UH acting athletic director, said members will be briefed on details of the agreement this week.

Previously, the Big West had paid as much as $271,000 in production costs to get its events shown on Fox.

Farrell said members will retain local rights to third-tier events. In the Mountain West, where UH is a football-only member, the school does not keep all its third-tier rights.

"We carved out an agreement with Fox that will protect Hawaii’s deal with Oceanic," Farrell said. "This is a great step forward and certainly raises our level of visibility as a conference."

He credited the addition of San Diego State, Hawaii and Boise State for the rise.

UH became a member in July, while San Diego State and Boise State join in 2013.