Big Ten Network To Televise 55 Regular Season Women’s Basketball Games – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
New standard set for women’s basketball programming
CHICAGO The Big Ten Network will nationally televise more regular season women’s basketball games than any other network this season, conference and network officials announced Wednesday. The schedule includes 55 regular season games and nine Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament contests.
In all, the Big Ten will make approximately twice as many national television appearances than any other conference.
“When it comes to providing a national spotlight for women’s sports, the Big Ten leads the way,” network president Mark Silverman said. “The Big Ten Network is the platform from which these young women can become heroes and role models for future generations.”
“It is a pleasure to know that the Big Ten conference has developed a network to cater to its fans. It’s important for young girls to find role models in the sports world,” Lynn Martin, former United States Secretary of Labor and University of Illinois graduate, said. “Many of the traits possessed by successful athletes translate to success in both business, and in personal lives: commitment, dedication, perseverance, and teamwork. College athletics can be a cornerstone of these efforts.”
Each Big Ten team will make at least seven regular season appearances on the Big Ten Network.
The schedule tips off Sunday, Nov. 11 as Penn State hosts in-state rival Pittsburgh. The network will televise four games of the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Challenge, including Wake Forest at Northwestern and Georgia Tech at Iowa on Nov. 28, Clemson at Michigan State on Nov. 29 and Florida State at Indiana on Nov. 30.
The intra-conference schedule includes four games against the ACC and Big East, three against the Big 12, two against the SEC and one against the Pac-10.
Once conference action begins in late December, the Big Ten Network will televise games on Mondays, Thursdays and typically a Sunday double-header.
On March 6-8, 2008, the network will televise nine Big Ten Tournament games from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Big Ten Network will be the destination for all Big Ten basketball fans this winter. The network will televise more than 200 men’s and women’s games, including the postseason conference tournaments.
Through distribution partnerships with DIRECTV, DISH Network, WideOpenWest, RCN, AT&T U-Verse and more than 140 other cable operators, the Big Ten Network became the first new network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million homes in its first 30 days. In fact, no other new cable or satellite network has surpassed 30 million homes in its first year, and only five others have achieved that milestone within their first two years.
About the Big Ten Network: The Big Ten Network, dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions, launched August 30, 2007. The 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 companies, 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 http://www.bigtennetwork.com/.
2007-2008 BIG TEN NETWORK WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
All Times Eastern
| Sunday, November 11 | 4:00pm | Pittsburgh at Penn State |
| Wed., November 28 | 7:00pm | Wake Forest at Northwestern |
| 9:00pm | Georgia Tech at Iowa | |
| Thursday, November 29 | 8:00pm | Clemson at Michigan State |
| Friday, November 30 | 7:00pm | Florida State at Indiana |
| Wed., December 5 | 9:00pm | Oklahoma at Illinois |
| Thursday, December 6 | 8:00pm | Seton Hall at Northwestern |
| Saturday, December 8 | 4:00pm | Notre Dame at Purdue |
| Sunday, December 9 | 3:00pm | Georgetown at Penn State |
| Monday, December 10 | 6:00pm | Southern California at Michigan |
| Tuesday, December 11 | 8:00pm | UW-Green Bay at Wisconsin |
| Thursday, December 13 | 8:00pm | Ole Miss at Penn State |
| Sunday, December 16 | 12:00pm | Oklahoma at Michigan State |
| 2:00pm | Bowling Green at Indiana | |
| Friday, December 21 | 8:00pm | Iowa State at Minnesota |
| Thursday, December 27 | 8:00pm | Illinois at Northwestern |
| Friday, December 28 | 7:00pm | Wisconsin at Purdue |
| Sunday, December 30 | 12:00pm | Ohio State at Michigan State |
| 2:00pm | Purdue at Minnesota | |
| Monday, December 31 | 3:00pm | Indiana at Northwestern |
| Thursday, January 3 | 8:00pm | Purdue at Indiana |
| Sunday, January 6 | 4:00pm | Ohio State at Iowa |
| Monday, January 7 | 8:00pm | Minnesota at Wisconsin |
| Thursday, January 10 | 8:00pm | Iowa at Michigan State |
| Sunday, January 13 | 12:00pm | Michigan State at Michigan |
| 2:00pm | Penn State at Minnesota | |
| Monday, January 14 | 7:00pm | Indiana at Purdue |
| Thursday, January 17 | 8:00pm | Purdue at Penn State |
| Sunday, January 20 | 12:00pm | Wisconsin at Ohio State |
| Monday, January 21 | 8:00pm | Iowa at Illinois |
| Thursday, January 24 | 8:00pm | Ohio State at Minnesota |
| Sunday, January 27 | 1:00pm | Michigan State at Minnesota |
| 3:00pm | Michigan at Iowa | |
| 5:30pm | Northwestern at Wisconsin | |
| Monday, January 28 | 7:00pm | Penn State at Ohio State |
| Thursday, January 31 | 9:00pm | Iowa at Northwestern |
| Sunday, February 3 | 4:00pm | Minnesota at Ohio State |
| Monday, February 4 | 7:00pm | Illinois at Michigan |
| Thursday, February 7 | 8:00pm | Ohio State at Purdue |
| Sunday, February 10 | 12:00pm | Iowa at Penn State |
| 2:00pm | Indiana at Illinois | |
| Monday, February 11 | 7:00pm | Purdue at Michigan State |
| Thursday, February 14 | 8:00pm | Minnesota at Penn State |
| Sunday, February 17 | 12:00pm | Michigan at Indiana |
| 2:00pm | Michigan State at Penn State | |
| 4:30pm | Minnesota at Iowa | |
| Monday, February 18 | 9:00pm | Wisconsin at Northwestern |
| Thursday, February 21 | 8:00pm | Penn State at Illinois |
| Saturday, February 23 | 12:00pm | Wisconsin at Minnesota |
| Sunday, February 24 | 4:00pm | Penn State at Northwestern |
| 6:00pm | Michigan at Illinois | |
| Monday, February 25 | 7:00pm | Ohio State at Indiana |
| Thursday, February 28 | 8:00pm | Wisconsin at Michigan |
| Sunday, March 2 | 2 or 4pm | TBD |
2008 BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT ON BIG TEN NETWORK
| Thursday, March 6 | Game 1 | 12:00pm | Big Ten #10 vs. Big Ten #7 |
| Game 2 | 2:30pm | Big Ten #11 vs. Big Ten #6 | |
| Game 3 | 5:00pm | Big Ten #9 vs. Big Ten #8 | |
| Friday, March 7 | Game 4 | 11:30am | Game 1 Winner vs. Big Ten #2 |
| Game 5 | 2:00pm | Game 2 Winner vs. Big Ten #3 | |
| Game 6 | 6:00pm | Game 3 Winner vs. Big Ten #1 | |
| Game 7 | 8:30pm | Big Ten #5 vs. Big Ten #4 | |
| Saturday, March 8 | Game 8 | 6:00pm | Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner |
| Game 9 | 8:30pm | Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner |
What They’re Saying About The Big Ten Network:
“The Big Ten Network will be a big benefit for our program and will contribute to our efforts of making Illinois a prominent household name across the country. The fact that we will have several games aired nationally this year on the network will be great for the families of our players, for our recruits, and for our fans. The added exposure will only help us as we compete for Big Ten and national championships this year, and in the future.” Illinois head coach Jolette Law
“It’s great for our program to get additional exposure on television. During recruiting, my coaches are all over the country letting people know that Indiana women’s basketball is alive and well. The Big Ten Network is only going to enhance our ability to recruit nationally.” Indiana head coach Felisha Legette-Jack
“I think we will see the biggest benefit in recruiting. Almost anywhere in the country recruits can tune in and watch the Hawkeyes play. It’s going to be nice because we can tell parents they can watch their daughter’s collegiate career. The expanded Big Ten television package will be great exposure for us and the league.” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder
“The visibility the Big Ten is going to have to all the affiliates we’re dealing with is going to be huge. We’ve got eight games on television this year, which is big for our program. We’ll talk to our recruits and tell them to turn on the Big Ten Network and watch the games. It’s just a great advantage for everyone involved.” Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth
“The media exposure we’ll get from the Big Ten Network will be great for our fans and alumni, especially for our games on the road. It will also have a positive impact on recruiting. People from all over the nation can now see our games, and that can only help expand our recruiting base. It’s exciting that the Big Ten is targeting women’s sports. It shows the commitment the network has to women’s basketball and also some of the other women’s sports that haven’t had that exposure in the past.” Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant
“We are excited about the commitment the Big Ten Network has made to women’s basketball. Our Minnesota fans have put us among the top schools in the nation in home attendance every season and they are thrilled to have more opportunities to watch the team they love on the road. I’m sure that sentiment rings true for all the families, friends and fans of every team in the Big Ten.” Minnesota head coach Pam Borton
“It allows longtime women’s basketball fans an expanded opportunity to support the sport, while also allowing casual fans more of an opportunity to get hooked on our product.” Ohio State head coach Jim Foster
“The Big Ten Network is an awesome opportunity to showcase the great athletic programs here at Penn State. From a women’s basketball perspective, it is very exciting to have more than 55 games on the network this season, it just shows the Big Ten’s commitment to women’s basketball.” Penn State head coach Coquese Washington
“The exposure created by the number of women’s basketball games broadcast by the Big Ten Network sets us apart from any other conference. It is an advantage in recruiting and for our fans that Purdue, and the rest of the Big Ten schools, have a television network dedicated to the promotion of our institutions, both athletically and academically.” Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp
“The Big Ten Network provides national exposure. It is an opportunity for the University and Wisconsin Athletics to be showcased across the nation. We are also excited the Big Ten Network will televise more women’s basketball games, and also, fans across the country will be able to stay in tune with Badger athletics.” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone
“We’re extremely excited the Big Ten Network will expose Big Ten women’s basketball to more people and households than ever before. Illinois and Big Ten fans across the nation will have the opportunity to view more games than they’ve ever seen, giving our women’s basketball players unprecedented national coverage. Coach (Jolette) Law, who is in her first year here at Illinois, will certainly use this as she recruits the top players across the nation.” Illinois senior women’s administrator Susan Young
“I think this a wonderful opportunity for our women’s basketball program. The Big Ten Network is going to be an invaluable, wonderful asset for our conference and this is a tremendous first step.” Indiana senior women’s administrator Grace Calhoun
“The network will provide tremendous additional exposure and coverage for our women’s sports programs which continue the conference’s longtime commitment to equity. We are grateful for the increased coverage and we hope our loyal fans and supporters will enjoy watching all of our Spartan teams on the Big Ten Network in the years ahead.” Michigan State senior women’s administrator Shelley Appelbaum
“The Big Ten Network’s coverage of women’s basketball significantly raises the bar for national exposure of these events. It provides an opportunity to accommodate current fans with unheard of access to see their teams play and to introduce new fans to an exciting brand of basketball. It is truly groundbreaking.” Minnesota senior women’s administrator Regina Sullivan
“Having 55 games on the Big Ten Network is great for the growth of the sport of women’s basketball, as well as for our die-hard fans. The success that our league has enjoyed over the past two decades will only be enhanced now that we are the conference that televises the most women’s basketball games. It shows a real commitment to the sport.” Northwestern senior women’s administrator Noreen Morris
“We are very excited to promote our women’s basketball program with the newly formed Big Ten Network and its 55-game schedule. What a tribute to our student-athletes, coaches and each university to bring Big Ten women’s basketball viewing opportunities into many homes across the country. It is a great opportunity to showcase our conference and to educate viewers on our programs and accomplishments.” Wisconsin senior women’s administrator Terry Gawlik
“The Big Ten Network is the first network to make a significant commitment to broadcasting women’s sports. The Big Ten Network’s impact will be immediate in its exposure for women’s sports and long lasting in its positive effect on young girls and boys. Gopher fans will be able to watch their favorite teams all season long on the Big Ten Network.” Lindsay Whalen, Member of WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and former Golden Gopher Basketball All-American
“Indiana Sports Corporation is excited about the opportunities provided by the Big Ten Network to showcase Indianapolis as the host of the 2008-2012 Big Ten Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournaments. The Network’s broad reach will throw a bright spotlight on the premier conference tournaments in the nation’s basketball epicenter. In addition, the exposure that the Big Ten Network provides during the tournaments will further brand central Indiana as a great place to live, work and visit.” Susan Williams, President, Indiana Sports Corporation
