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 Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.