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Courtesy: BIG EAST Conference Above: The center jump from the sixth overtime of the Syracuse vs. UConn game in the 2009 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Championship quarterfinal. The BIG EAST announced its 2009-10 schedule today.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The 2009-10 men’s basketball schedule was announced today, and the BIG EAST will have each and every one of the 144 league games televised in some fashion.
But that’s old news.
As the BIG EAST Conference and ESPN both embark on their 30th year of existence, it seems only fitting that each has helped the other to expand and grow exponentially since both were born in 1979.
This season is the third straight in which the league has boasted that all of its games will be broadcast on CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Regional (BIG EAST Network) and ESPN360.com. ESPN or ESPN2 will carry 44 conference contests, and the expanded reach of ESPNU into over 47 million homes following its newly announced agreement with Comcast, combined the continued growth of the ESPN Regional syndication package, having each of the 144 league contests on television means more now than ever.
In addition to the 44 games on ESPN or ESPN2, five league games will be broadcast on CBS. Beyond that, the BIG EAST is expected to announce a significant presence on ESPNU at a later date – once again solidifying itself as one of the most nationally televised conferences in the country.
“Over the past three decades, the terms BIG EAST Conference basketball and national television exposure have become synonymous in many ways, and this year is certainly no exception,” stated BIG EAST Conference Commissioner John Marinatto. “Our 16 member schools represent nearly one-third of the nation’s television households -- a fact that drives our ability to reach the many alumni, fans and constituents within our membership. We are very proud of our longstanding and comprehensive partnerships with both CBS Sports and ESPN, which continue to provide our schools with unparalleled exposure as all 144 of our Conference games will be televised for the third consecutive season.”
In the second year of its expanded 18-game schedule format in 2008-09, the BIG EAST Conference experienced one of its most successful seasons in history. Two teams, Villanova and Connecticut, reached the Final Four, and a record five conference teams reached the Sweet 16. Pittsburgh and Villanova squared off in a classic Elite 8 contest that went down to the final second. In addition, a record nine BIG EAST teams were ranked in the same AP poll during the regular season, six of which finished among the nation’s top 25.
Here are some of the details of the 2009-10 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball schedule announcement:
ESPN will continue to televise the BIG EAST Championship from Madison Square Garden in New York. The dates for the 2010 event are March 9-13.
ESPN and the BIG EAST again will partner in the network’s Big Monday format. The league also will make regular appearances on ESPN and ESPN2 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Big Monday – All seven BIG EAST teams that earned berths in the 2009 NCAA Championship will make appearances. The first Monday game is Pittsburgh at Cincinnati on Jan. 4. Villanova travels to Louisville on Jan. 11. No other conference appears on Mondays on ESPN more than the BIG EAST. The Big Monday package also includes Connecticut at Villanova, a battle of the two league squads that advanced to the NCAA Final Four last year, on Feb. 15. The Big Monday series concludes with Georgetown at West Virginia on March 1. All games on the Big Monday schedule will be available on ESPN.360.
Wednesdays -- ESPN or ESPN2 will show nine Wednesday games involving BIG EAST teams during the 10-week conference season. The Wednesday schedule includes Connecticut at Syracuse on Feb. 10 as part of ESPN Rivalry Week. Those two clubs played an unforgettable six-overtime game in the quarterfinals of The BIG EAST Championship.
Thursdays -- ESPN or ESPN2 will televise 11 Thursday games that will include 13 BIG EAST squads. The weekly Thursday night package starts when ESPN2 carries St. John’s at Georgetown on Dec. 31. The final Thursday of the season, March 4, includes two telecasts on ESPN or ESPN2 – Seton Hall at Rutgers and Providence at Pittsburgh.
Saturdays – ESPN or ESPN2 will telecast 10 BIG EAST games during the conference season, including the final game at storied Freedom Hall March 6, when Syracuse visits Louisville. Also, the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week package continues, mostly at noon, ET. The Game of the Week package reaches over one-third of the nation and is the largest syndicated college basketball package in the nation. The Saturday schedule will be announced at a later date. There is one Sunday telecast on ESPN, Louisville at Syracuse on Feb. 14.
CBS Sports -- The 11-game schedule on CBS Sports, which includes five league contests, will feature eight BIG EAST teams. The CBS Sports slate begins with one of college basketball’s great intersectional rivalries, UCLA at Notre Dame, on Dec. 19. The first league game of the season will be on CBS Sports when West Virginia visits Seton Hall on Dec. 26. On Feb. 21, Pittsburgh will host Villanova, a contest that figures to spark memories of their game in the 2009 NCAA Elite Eight in Boston. The Wildcats won at the buzzer 78-76. The BIG EAST/CBS Sports schedule concludes with West Virginia at Villanova on March 6. 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 series to a BIG EAST campus again. Syracuse will host Villanova and the GameDay crew at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 27.
ESPN Rivalry Week – No conference will appear more times on Rivalry Week than the BIG EAST. The week begins on Feb. 8 with Villanova at West Virginia in a Big Monday battle. Rivalry Week concludes the following Monday, Feb. 15, with Connecticut at Villanova. In all, seven BIG EAST games will be televised.
Holiday Week – The BIG EAST league schedule on ESPN and ESPN2 begins in late December with Connecticut traveling to Cincinnati on Dec. 30. On New Year’s Eve, St. John’s plays at Georgetown. Both games will be carried by ESPN2.
Jimmy V Classic – For a second straight year, the BIG EAST will participate in both games of the doubleheader at the Jimmy V Classic, Dec. 8 at Madison Square Garden. ESPN will show Georgetown versus Butler followed by Pittsburgh meeting Indiana.
SEC/BIG EAST Invitational – The third annual meeting between the two conferences will be carried by ESPN and ESPN2. On Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden, St. John’s battles Georgia on ESPN2 followed by Connecticut and Kentucky on ESPN. On Dec. 10 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., DePaul and Mississippi State square off on ESPN2 before Florida plays Syracuse on ESPN.
Between the Jimmy V Classic and the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational, as well as a pair of scheduled nonleague games involving Villanova and Cincinnati, eight BIG EAST teams will appear on either ESPN or ESPN2 between Dec. 8-10.
NBA All-Star Weekend Game – The BIG EAST again will be featured on ESPN on the Friday night of the NBA All-Star Weekend when West Virginia plays at Pittsburgh on Feb. 12.
Saturday, January 30 – Although there are several days on the schedule with many attractive matchups, one of the better days may be Jan. 30. At noon, Louisville plays at West Virginia on ESPN. At 2 p.m. Georgetown will host Duke on CBS Sports. At 6 p.m., Notre Dame goes to Rutgers on ESPN2. Also, Marquette plays at Connecticut and Syracuse travels to DePaul.
Courtesy: BIG EAST Conference
