Big Ten Network to Deliver Postseason Hoops to a National Audience

Big Ten Tournament coverage begins Wednesday night from Indianapolis

March 3, 2008, CHICAGO – Beginning this week, the Big Ten Network brings the drama and excitement of postseason basketball to a national audience. The network will televise at least 41 hours of live coverage from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis during the Big Ten Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments.

"For college basketball fans, it doesn't get any better than this," Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said. "The Big Ten Network is the place to find wall-to-wall postseason basketball coverage."

For the first time in history, the entire women's basketball tournament will be available to a national audience. Big Ten Network coverage begins at 11 PM ET on Wednesday during BIG TEN TONIGHT. At 11:30 AM ET on Thursday, Mike Hall and former Purdue All-American Stephanie White host the Big Ten Tournament Pre-Game Show, a 30-minute program leading into the tournament's first game between seventh-seeded Michigan and 10th-seeded Penn State. Mark Neely will handle play-by-play duties throughout the week alongside former Indiana assistant coach Vera Jones and former Wisconsin head coach Mary Murphy.

During the first two days of the tournament, the Big Ten Network will average about 11 hours of live coverage per day. In all, the network will televise nine Big Ten Women's Tournament games, including both semifinal match-ups on Saturday. A complete broadcast schedule is listed below.

Big Ten Network coverage of the men's tournament begins at 10 PM ET on Wednesday, March 12, during a one-hour edition of BIG TEN TONIGHT. Northwestern graduate Dave Revsine, legendary former Purdue coach Gene Keady and Ohio State's former two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Jim Jackson will break down the key match-ups from Conseco Fieldhouse and preview the tournament's first day.

Coverage continues at 11:30 AM ET on Thursday when the Big Ten Network studio crew returns for more pre-tournament analysis. Wayne Larrivee and former Northwestern star Shon Morris will call the first game of the tournament at noon ET on Thursday, March 13, a match-up between the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams. The network will also carry both Friday night quarterfinal games involving the second- and third-seeded teams. Brackets will be announced on Sunday, March 9.

All Big Ten Network games will be produced in high definition.

Game Broadcast Schedule: The Big Ten Network will present exclusive live coverage of nine Big Ten Women's Tournament games and three Big Ten Men's Tournament games.

WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT
Game Date Time (ET) Match-up Play-by-play /
Analyst Producer /
Director
1 3/6 Noon #7 Michigan vs. #10 Penn State Mark Neely /
Mary Murphy Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
2 3/6 2:25pm* #6 Indiana vs. #11 Northwestern Mark Neely /
Mary Murphy Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
3 3/6 5:50pm* #8 Wisconsin vs. #9 Illinois Mark Neely /
Mary Murphy Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
4 3/7 11:30am #2 Iowa vs. Game 1 winner Mark Neely /
Mary Murphy Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
5 3/7 1:55pm* #3 Purdue vs. Game 2 winner Mark Neely /
Mary Murphy Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
6 3/7 6:00pm #1 Ohio State vs. Game 3 winner Mark Neely /
Vera Jones Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
7 3/7 8:25pm* #4 Minnesota vs. #5 Michigan State Mark Neely /
Vera Jones Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
8 3/8 6:00pm Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner Mark Neely /
Vera Jones Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius
9 3/8 8:25pm* Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner Mark Neely /
Vera Jones Bryan Carter /
Dennis Lanius

*Scheduled to begin 25 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding game

MEN'S TOURNAMENT
Game Date Time (ET) Match-up Play-by-play /
Analyst Producer /
Director
1 3/13 Noon #8 vs. #9
Wayne Larrivee /
Shon Morris Terry Ewert /
Dennis Lanius
6 3/14 6:30pm #2 vs. Winner of #7 vs. #10 Wayne Larrivee /
Shon Morris Terry Ewert /
Dennis Lanius
7 3/14 9:00pm* #3 vs. Winner of #6 vs. #11
Wayne Larrivee /
Shon Morris Terry Ewert /
Dennis Lanius

*Scheduled to begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding game

The Big Ten Network became the first network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million homes within its first 30 days. The network is available through DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-Verse, Insight Communications, WideOpenWest, RCN, Service Electric and more than 220 other cable operators.

About the Big Ten Network: The Big Ten Network is dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions. The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more major men's and women's events than ever before, along with news, highlights and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The network is available to all cable and satellite carriers and television distributors nationwide, with most programs offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks.

For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit BigTenNetwork.com.

Source: Big Ten Network

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