The Big East released its hoop schedule today and here’s the official release.
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.
Forty-four conference contests will be carried on ESPN or ESPN2. ESPNU, which has increased its reach to over 47 million homes, will carry approximately 20 league games. CBS Sports will televise 11 more games involving BIG EAST teams. 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.
In total, 69 of the 144 regular-season BIG EAST games (or 48 percent) will likely be on national television. The remaining games will be carried on ESPN360 or ESPN Regional/BIG EAST Network. When The BIG EAST Championship games are added, more than half of all games played between BIG EAST teams will be televised nationally.
“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.”
The BIG EAST has always enjoyed a leadership position in college sports television. Twelve of the 16 conference schools are located in the top 35 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 ESPN and ESPN2 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
In addition, the BIG EAST and ESPN Regional Television will carry 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 2009-10 schedule include:
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.
The BIG EAST Game of the Week selections will be made at a later date.
The ESPN360 and BIG EAST Network local telecast schedules will be announced in the near future.
-BIG EAST-
2009-10 BIG EAST CONFERENCE COMPOSITE MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Saturday, Dec. 26
West Virginia at Seton Hall 3:30 p.m. CBS Sports
Monday, Dec. 28
DePaul at Pittsburgh
Tuesday, Dec. 29
Syracuse at Seton Hall
Marquette at West Virginia
Wednesday, Dec. 30
Connecticut at Cincinnati 7 p.m. ESPN2
USF at Louisville
Providence at Notre Dame
Thursday, Dec. 31
St. John’s at Georgetown 8 p.m. ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 2
Notre Dame at Connecticut
Pittsburgh at Syracuse
Villanova at Marquette 3:30 p.m. ESPN2
Cincinnati at Rutgers
Sunday, Jan. 3
Providence at St. John’s
Georgetown at DePaul
Monday, Jan. 4
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati 7 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, Jan. 5
Notre Dame at USF
Wednesday, Jan. 6
Louisville at Providence
Seton Hall at Connecticut
Georgetown at Marquette
DePaul at Villanova
Rutgers at West Virginia
Saturday, Jan. 9
Connecticut at Georgetown Noon ESPN
Marquette at Villanova
St. John’s at Louisville
Cincinnati at Seton Hall
West Virginia at Notre Dame
Rutgers at Providence
Sunday, Jan. 10
USF at Syracuse
Monday, Jan. 11
Villanova at Louisville 7 p.m. ESPN
Wednesday, Jan. 13
Pittsburgh at Connecticut 7 p.m. ESPN2
Cincinnati at St. John’s
West Virginia at USF
Syracuse at Rutgers
Thursday, Jan. 14
Seton Hall at Georgetown 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Providence at DePaul 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 16
Louisville at Pittsburgh
Syracuse at West Virginia Noon ESPN
Notre Dame at Cincinnati
Rutgers at USF
Sunday, Jan. 17
Georgetown at Villanova
DePaul at St. John’s
Providence at Marquette
Monday, Jan. 18
Syracuse at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN
Wednesday, Jan. 20
USF at Cincinnati 7 p.m. ESPN2
Georgetown at Pittsburgh
St. John’s at Connecticut
Marquette at DePaul
Villanova at Rutgers
Thursday, Jan. 21
Louisville at Seton Hall 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 23
Rutgers at Georgetown
Villanova at St. John’s Noon ESPN
Marquette at Syracuse
DePaul at Notre Dame
USF at Providence
Sunday, Jan. 24
Cincinnati at Louisville
Pittsburgh at Seton Hall
Monday, Jan. 25
Georgetown at Syracuse 7 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Rutgers at Marquette
West Virginia at DePaul
Wednesday, Jan. 27
Connecticut at Providence
Notre Dame at Villanova 7 p.m. ESPN
Thursday, Jan. 28
St. John’s at Pittsburgh
Seton Hall at USF 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 30
Syracuse at DePaul
Louisville at West Virginia Noon ESPN
Marquette at Connecticut
Notre Dame at Rutgers 6 p.m. ESPN2
Providence at Cincinnati
Sunday, Jan. 31
Pittsburgh at USF
Monday, Feb. 1
Connecticut at Louisville 7 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 2
Seton Hall at Villanova
St. John’s at Rutgers
Providence at Syracuse
Wednesday, Feb. 3
DePaul at Marquette 7 p.m. ESPN2
USF at Georgetown
Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Thursday, Feb. 4
Cincinnati at Notre Dame 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 6
Villanova at Georgetown Noon ESPN
Marquette at Providence
West Virginia at St. John’s
Rutgers at Louisville
Seton Hall at Pittsburgh
DePaul at Connecticut
Sunday, Feb. 7
Syracuse at Cincinnati
USF at Notre Dame
Monday, Feb. 8
Villanova at West Virginia 7 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Georgetown at Providence 7 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Connecticut at Syracuse 7 p.m. ESPN
Thursday, Feb. 11
Louisville at St. John’s 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Notre Dame at Seton Hall
Friday, Feb. 12
West Virginia at Pittsburgh 9 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 13
Cincinnati at Connecticut
Providence at Villanova
USF at Marquette
Sunday, Feb. 14
DePaul at Seton Hall
Louisville at Syracuse 1 p.m. ESPN
Georgetown at Rutgers
St. John’s at Notre Dame
Monday, Feb. 15
Connecticut at Villanova 7 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 16
Rutgers at DePaul
Cincinnati at USF
Wednesday, Feb. 17
Notre Dame at Louisville 7 p.m. ESPN2
West Virginia at Providence
Seton Hall at St. John’s
Thursday, Feb. 18
Syracuse at Georgetown 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Pittsburgh at Marquette 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 20
St. John’s at USF
Seton Hall at West Virginia Noon ESPN
Louisville at DePaul
Connecticut at Rutgers
Sunday, Feb. 21
Villanova at Pittsburgh Noon CBS Sports
Marquette at Cincinnati
Monday, Feb. 22
West Virginia at Connecticut 7 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 23
Georgetown at Louisville 7 p.m. ESPN2
Rutgers at Seton Hall
Syracuse at Providence
Wednesday, Feb. 24
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN2
DePaul at Cincinnati
Marquette at St. John’s
USF at Villanova
Saturday, Feb. 27
Notre Dame at Georgetown Noon CBS Sports
Pittsburgh at St. John’s
Cincinnati at West Virginia
DePaul at Rutgers
Providence at USF
Villanova at Syracuse 9 p.m. ESPN
Sunday, Feb. 28
Marquette at Seton Hall
Louisville at Connecticut 2 p.m. CBS Sports
Monday, March 1
Georgetown at West Virginia 7 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, March 2
Villanova at Cincinnati 7 p.m. ESPN2
Louisville at Marquette
USF at DePaul
St. John’s at Syracuse
Wednesday, March 3
Connecticut at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN
Thursday, March 4
Seton Hall at Rutgers 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Providence at Pittsburgh 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Friday, March 5
St. John’s at DePaul
Saturday, March 6
Cincinnati at Georgetown
West Virginia at Villanova Noon CBS Sports
Syracuse at Louisville 2 p.m. ESPN
Notre Dame at Marquette
Rutgers at Pittsburgh
Seton Hall at Providence
Connecticut at USF
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.
2009-10 BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL NONCONFERENCE GAMES ON CBS SPORTS, ESPN, ESPN2 VERSUS AND FSN
Monday, Nov. 9
Albany at Syracuse 9 p.m. ESPNU 2K Sports Classic
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Robert Morris at Syracuse 7 p.m. ESPNU 2K Sports Classic
Monday, Nov. 16
Colgate at Connecticut 9 p.m. ESPNU NIT Season Tip-Off
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Louisville vs. Arkansas 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 Hall of Fame Showcase
Thursday, Nov. 19
Villanova vs George Mason 2 p.m. ESPNU O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off
Syracuse vs. California 7 p.m. ESPN2 2K Sports Classic
Friday, Nov. 20
Villanova vs. Dayton/Georgia Tech 1 p.m./3 p.m. ESPNU O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off
Syracuse vs. North Carolina/Ohio State 5 p.m./7 p.m. ESPN2 2K Sports Classic
Sunday, Nov. 22
Villanova vs. TBD TBD ESPN2/ESPNU O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off
Monday, Nov. 23
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt 5 p.m. ESPN2 EA Sports Maui Invitational
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Cincinnati vs. Maryland/Chaminade 1:30 p.m./7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2 EA Sports Maui Invitational
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Connecticut vs. TBD TBD ESPN2 NIT Season Tip-Off
Cincinnati vs. TBD TBD ESPN/ESPN2/ EA Sports Maui Invitational
ESPNU
Thursday, Nov. 26
Marquette vs. Xavier 2 p.m. ESPN2 Old Spice Classic
West Virginia vs. Long Beach State 2 p.m. ESPNU 76 Classic
Friday, Nov. 27
Marquette vs. Michigan/Creighton Noon/2:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPNU Old Spice Classic
West Virginia vs. Texas A&M/Clemson 2:30 p.m./5 p.m. ESPN/ESPNU 76 Classic
Connecticut vs. TBD 2:30 p.m./5 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2 NIT Season Tip-Off
Saturday, Nov. 28
La Salle at Villanova 3:30 p.m. ESPN2
Louisville at UNLV 4 p.m. Versus
Sunday, Nov. 29
Marquette vs. TBD TBD ESPN2/ESPNU Old Spice Classic
West Virginia vs. TBD TBD ESPN2/ESPNU 76 Classic
Saturday, Dec. 5
St. John’s at Duke 3:30 p.m. ESPN2
Sunday, Dec. 6
Villanova vs. Maryland 7:30 p.m. FSN BB&T Classic
Tuesday, Dec. 8
Georgetown vs. Butler 7 p.m. ESPN Jimmy V Classic
Pittsburgh vs. Indiana 9 p.m. ESPN Jimmy V Classic
Wednesday, Dec. 9
St. John’s vs. Georgia 7 p.m. ESPN2 SEC-BIG EAST Invitational
Villanova at Saint Joseph’s 9 p.m. ESPN2
Connecticut vs. Kentucky 9:30 p.m. ESPN SEC-BIG EAST Invitational
Thursday, Dec. 10
DePaul vs. Mississippi State 6:30 p.m. ESPN2 SEC-BIG EAST Invitational
Miami (Ohio) at Cincinnati 8:30 p.m. ESPN2
Syracuse vs. Florida 9 p.m. ESPN SEC-BIG EAST Invitational
Saturday, Dec. 12
Georgetown vs. Washington 2 p.m. FSN Wooden Classic
Marquette at Wisconsin 5 p.m. ESPN2
Sunday, Dec. 13
Cincinnati at Xavier 7 p.m. ESPNU
Saturday, Dec. 19
UCLA at Notre Dame 2 p.m. CBS Sports
Western Kentucky at Louisville 4 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday, Dec. 23
Mississippi at West Virginia 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Monday, Dec. 28
Rutgers at North Carolina 8:30 p.m. ESPN2
Friday, Jan. 1
West Virginia at Purdue 2:30 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, Jan. 2
Louisville at Kentucky 3:30 p.m. CBS Sports
Seton Hall vs. Virginia Tech 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday, Jan. 6
Memphis at Syracuse 7 p.m. ESPN2
Sunday, Jan. 17
Connecticut at Michigan 4:30 p.m. CBS Sports
Saturday, Jan. 23
Ohio State at West Virginia 2 p.m. CBS Sports
Texas at Connecticut 4 p.m. CBS Sports
Saturday, Jan. 30
Duke at Georgetown 1 p.m. CBS Sports
All times Eastern
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