PROVIDENCE, R.I. For the second straight season, the BIG EAST Conference men’s basketball schedule includes a record number of national television appearances and all 144 regular-season league games on television.
The league also announced its schedule of non-conference games which will be televised on national networks. At least 27 games will receive national exposure.
A record 45 conference contests will be carried on ESPN or ESPN2. CBS Sports will televise 10 more games involving BIG EAST teams. ESPN will continue to televise The BIG EAST Championship from Madison Square Garden in New York. The dates are March 10-14.
In total, 49 of the 144 regular-season BIG EAST games (or 34 percent) will be on national television. The remaining games will be carried on ESPNU, ESPN360 or ESPN Regional/BIG EAST Network.
“We’re tremendously excited about this year’s schedule,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Michael Tranghese. “For all 144 conference games to be televised again is terrific for BIG EAST basketball fans. We also have some very exciting intersectional matchups. We believe we’re going to have plenty of teams that will be worthy of national attention.”
The BIG EAST has always been acknowledged as a leader in college sports television. Twelve of the 16 conference schools are located in the top 34 media markets in the country.
ESPN and the BIG EAST again will partner in the network’s Big Monday format. The league also will make regular appearances on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
In addition, the BIG EAST and ESPN Regional Television will present the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week on Saturdays, mostly at noon, Eastern time. The syndicated package, the largest in college basketball, reaches more than one-third of the nation’s homes.
Some of the highlights of the 2008-09 schedule include:
Big Monday All eight BIG EAST teams that earned berths in the NCAA Tournament last year will make appearances. The first Monday appearance is Georgetown at Connecticut on Dec. 29. Notre Dame plays at Louisville on Jan. 12. The Big Monday series concludes with Villanova at Notre Dame on March 2. No other conference appears on Mondays on ESPN more than the BIG EAST. The Big Monday package also includes Louisville at Georgetown on Feb. 23. That game will be a rematch of last season’s regular-season finale that decided the league’s regular-season champion. Georgetown took the regular-season league crown. Louisville advanced the farthest in the NCAA tourney, reaching the Elite Eight.
Wednesdays -- ESPN or ESPN2 will show 10 games involving BIG EAST teams during the 10-week conference season. The weekly Wednesday schedule includes a BIG EAST staple, Syracuse at Georgetown on Jan. 14.
Thursdays -- ESPN or ESPN2 will televise nine games that will include 11 BIG EAST squads. The weekly Thursday night package begins with Connecticut at St. John’s on Jan. 15.
Saturdays -- Fifteen games will include BIG EAST teams during the conference season on ESPN or ESPN2. Also, the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week package continues, mostly at noon, Eastern time. The Game of the Week package reaches over one-third of the nation and is the largest syndicated college basketball package in the nation.
CBS Sports -- The 10-game schedule on CBS Sports, which includes four league contests, will showcase nine BIG EAST teams. The CBS Sports slate starts with Georgetown hosting Memphis on Dec. 13. The first league game on CBS Sports will be Villanova at Syracuse on Feb. 22. The BIG EAST/CBS Sports schedule concludes with Connecticut at Pittsburgh on March 7. The BIG EAST and CBS Sports have been formal television partners since 1985, the longest relationship of any conference and national network.
ESPN GameDay ESPN will take its signature GameDay production to the BIG EAST twice, the only conference that will have two campus appearances. Notre Dame hosts Connecticut on Jan. 24 and West Virginia hosts Louisville on March 7.
ESPN Rivalry Week No conference will appear more times than the BIG EAST. A league team will appear every night between Feb. 9 and Feb. 16, which will encompass eight league games. On Feb. 9, West Virginia travels to Pittsburgh. The week concludes with Pittsburgh at Connecticut on Feb. 16.
Holiday Week The BIG EAST league schedule begins in late December with Georgetown traveling to Connecticut Dec. 29. On New Year’s Eve, DePaul hosts Notre Dame. On New Year’s Day, it is Villanova at Marquette. Each game will be carried on ESPN or ESPN2.
Jimmy V Classic The BIG EAST will participate in both games of the doubleheader at the Jimmy V Classic, Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden. ESPN will show West Virginia vs. Davidson at 7 p.m. followed by Villanova vs. Texas.
SEC/BIG EAST Invitational The second annual meeting between the two conferences will be carried by ESPN and ESPN2. On Dec. 16 in Nashville, USF plays Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. followed by Marquette versus Tennessee. On Dec. 18 in Cincinnati, Louisville battles Mississippi at 7 p.m. followed by Cincinnati against Mississippi State.
NBA All-Star Weekend Game Again, the BIG EAST will be featured on the Friday of the NBA All-Star Weekend when Villanova visits West Virginia in a battle of NCAA Sweet 16 teams from last year, on Feb. 13 at 9 p.m.
Saturday, January 17 A prime example of a day loaded with BIG EAST action. Notre Dame at Syracuse on ESPN at noon. Georgetown at Duke on CBS Soprts at 1:30 p.m. In the evening, Pittsburgh at Louisville at 6 p.m. on ESPN and Marquette at Providence at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The BIG EAST Game of the Week selection will be made at a later date.
ESPNU, ESPN.360 and BIG EAST Network local telecast schedules will be announced in the near future.
2008-09 BIG EAST CONFERENCE COMPOSITE MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Monday, Dec. 29
Georgetown at Connecticut, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Seton Hall at Syracuse
Wednesday, Dec. 31
Notre Dame at DePaul, 8 p.m., ESPN2
St. John’s at Providence
Pittsburgh at Rutgers
Thursday, Jan. 1
Villanova at Marquette, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday, Jan. 2
Syracuse at USF, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Jan. 3
Pittsburgh at Georgetown, ESPN
Rutgers at Connecticut, 7 p.m.
DePaul at Providence
Notre Dame at St. John’s
West Virginia at Seton Hall
Sunday, Jan. 4
Cincinnati at Marquette
Monday, Jan. 5
Georgetown at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Jan. 6
Villanova at Seton Hall
Connecticut at West Virginia
Wednesday, Jan. 7
Louisville at USF, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Providence at Cincinnati
Marquette at Rutgers
DePaul at Syracuse
Saturday, Jan. 10
Louisville at Villanova, ESPN
Connecticut at Cincinnati
USF at DePaul
West Virginia at Marquette
Seton Hall at Notre Dame
Syracuse at Rutgers
Sunday, Jan. 11
St. John’s at Pittsburgh
Providence at Georgetown
Monday, Jan. 12
Notre Dame at Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Syracuse at Georgetown, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Rutgers at Cincinnati
USF at Pittsburgh
Thursday, Jan. 15
Connecticut at St. John’s, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 17
Notre Dame at Syracuse, Noon, ESPN
Pittsburgh at Louisville, 6 p.m., ESPN
Marquette at Providence, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Cincinnati at DePaul
USF at West Virginia
Sunday, Jan. 18
St. John’s at Villanova
Seton Hall at Connecticut
Monday, Jan. 19
Syracuse at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m., ESPN
Cincinnati at Providence
Wednesday, Jan. 21
Villanova at Connecticut, 7 p.m., ESPN
Louisville at Rutgers
DePaul at USF
Thursday, Jan. 22
West Virginia at Georgetown, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Cincinnati at St. John’s
Providence at Seton Hall
Saturday, Jan. 24
Villanova at USF
DePaul at Marquette, 2 p.m., ESPN2
Connecticut at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN
Rutgers at St. John’s
Sunday, Jan. 25
Georgetown at Seton Hall
Louisville at Syracuse
Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Monday, Jan. 26
Marquette at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday, Jan. 28
Pittsburgh at Villanova
Georgetown at Cincinnati
Connecticut at DePaul
USF at Louisville
Syracuse at Providence
St. John’s at West Virginia
Thursday, Jan. 29
Rutgers at Seton Hall, 9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 31
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, Noon, ESPN
Providence at Connecticut
West Virginia at Louisville
Georgetown at Marquette
DePaul at Rutgers
Sunday, Feb. 1
USF at St. John’s
Cincinnati at Villanova
Monday, Feb. 2
Connecticut at Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Marquette at DePaul
Rutgers at Georgetown
Wednesday, Feb. 4
West Virginia at Syracuse, 7 p.m., ESPN
Notre Dame at Cincinnati
Villanova at Providence
Thursday, Feb. 5
St. John’s at Seton Hall, 9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Friday, Feb. 6
Marquette at USF
Saturday, Feb. 7
Cincinnati at Georgetown
Syracuse at Villanova, Noon, ESPN
Pittsburgh at DePaul
Providence at West Virginia
Sunday, Feb. 8
Seton Hall at Rutgers
Louisville at St. John’s
Monday, Feb. 9
West Virginia at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Marquette at Villanova, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Seton Hall at DePaul
Providence at USF
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Syracuse at Connecticut, 7 p.m., ESPN
St. John’s at Cincinnati
Thursday, Feb. 12
Louisville at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Friday, Feb. 13
Villanova at West Virginia, 9 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 14
Georgetown at Syracuse, Noon, ESPN
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m., ESPN
St. John’s at Marquette
Rutgers at Providence
Connecticut at Seton Hall
Sunday, Feb. 15
DePaul at Louisville
USF at Notre Dame
Monday, Feb. 16
Pittsburgh at Connecticut, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Seton Hall at Marquette
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Notre Dame at West Virginia, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Providence at Louisville
Georgetown at USF
Thursday, Feb. 19
Rutgers at Villanova, 9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 21
Marquette at Georgetown
Louisville at Cincinnati
USF at Connecticut
DePaul at Pittsburgh
Notre Dame at Providence
Sunday, Feb. 22
Villanova at Syracuse, 1 p.m., CBS Sports
West Virginia at Rutgers
Seton Hall at St. John’s
Monday, Feb. 23
Louisville at Georgetown, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Pittsburgh at Providence
Syracuse at St. John’s
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Connecticut at Marquette, 7 p.m., ESPN
Villanova at DePaul
Rutgers at Notre Dame
USF at Seton Hall
Thursday, Feb. 26
West Virginia at Cincinnati, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 28
Georgetown at Villanova, Noon, ESPN
Notre Dame at Connecticut, 2 p.m., CBS Sports
St. John’s at DePaul
Pittsburgh at Seton Hall
Sunday, March 1
Marquette at Louisville, Noon, CBS Sports
Providence at Rutgers
West Virginia at USF
Cincinnati at Syracuse
Monday, March 2
Villanova at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, March 3
Georgetown at St. John’s
Rutgers at Syracuse
Wednesday, March 4
Marquette at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Seton Hall at Louisville
Cincinnati at USF
DePaul at West Virginia
Thursday, March 5
Providence at Villanova, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Friday, March 6
St. John’s at Notre Dame
Saturday, March 7
Connecticut at Pittsburgh, Noon, CBS Sports
Louisville at West Virginia, ESPN, 9 p.m.
Seton Hall at Cincinnati
DePaul at Georgetown
Syracuse at Marquette
USF at Rutgers
Note: All conference games not listed with CBS Sports, ESPN or ESPN2 above will be televised either by ESPNU, ESPN Regional/BIG EAST Network, or ESPN 360. Games listed as ESPN/ESPN2’ will be selected to either ESPN or ESPN2, but the start time will not change.
2008-09 BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL NONCONFERENCE GAMES ON CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 AND FSN
Monday, Nov. 24
Notre Dame vs. Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2, Maui Invitational
Thursday, Nov. 27
Georgetown vs. Wichita State, 2 p.m., ESPN2, Old Spice Classic
Providence vs. Baylor, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2, Anaheim Classic
Tuesday, Dec. 9
West Virginia vs. Davidson, 7 p.m., ESPN, Jimmy V Classic
Villanova vs. Texas, 9 p.m., ESPN, Jimmy V Classic
Thursday, Dec. 11
St. Joseph’s at Villanova, TBA, ESPN2
Saturday, Dec. 13
Memphis at Georgetown, 2 p.m., CBS Sports
Xavier at Cincinnati, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday, Dec. 16
USF vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN2, SEC/BIG EAST Invitational
Marquette vs. Tennessee, 9:30 p.m., ESPN, SEC/BIG EAST Invitational
Wednesday, Dec. 17
Siena at Pittsburgh, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Thursday, Dec. 18
Cincinnati vs. Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2, SEC/BIG EAST Invitational
Louisville vs. Mississippi, 9 p.m., ESPN, SEC/BIG EAST Invitational
Saturday, Dec. 20
Louisville vs. Minnesota, 2 p.m., FSN
Connecticut at Gonzaga, 4 p.m., CBS Sports
Syracuse at Memphis, 6 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 21
Pittsburgh at Florida State, 5:30 p.m., FSN
Saturday, Dec. 27
Alabama-Birmingham at Louisville, 4 p.m., ESPN2
West Virginia at Ohio State, 4 p.m., CBS Sports
Sunday, Dec. 28
Rutgers at North Carolina, 7:45 p.m., FSN
Monday, Dec. 29
Cincinnati at Memphis, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Wednesday, Dec. 31
UNLV at Louisville, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Sunday, Jan. 4
Kentucky at Louisville, 4:30 p.m., CBS Sports
Saturday, Jan. 17
Georgetown at Duke, 1:30 p.m., CBS Sports
Saturday, Feb. 7
Notre Dame at UCLA, 1 p.m,. CBS Sports
Michigan at Connecticut, 6 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, Feb. 19
Duke at St. John’s 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
Courtesy: BIG EAST Conference
