"Tailgate 48" Debuts at 7 p.m. ET Thursday

CHICAGO - Face paint, chants, cheerleaders, marching bands, pep rallies, grilling and die-hard fans are all part of the excitement surrounding Big Ten football. BTN gives fans an inside look at how Big Ten campuses prepare for game day with its new show Tailgate 48, presented by Omaha Steaks. Tailgate 48 kicks off with a trip to Camp Randall Stadium to capture the pregame festivities and party atmosphere as Wisconsin hosted Nebraska in the Huskers? Big Ten debut. The new eight-episode series airs at 7 PM ET Thursdays beginning tomorrow.

Hosts Julie Alexandria and Jason Fisher will travel to a different university each week to chronicle the 48 hours leading up to the conference?s biggest games.

?Tailgate 48 goes beyond the grill, bringing you an inside look into the campuses, students, coaches and fans that are the Big Ten,? Alexandria said.

The show also celebrates the fan experience as Alexandria and Fisher judge a bratwurst-eating contest in Madison before giving viewers a sideline pass to watch their interactions with cheerleaders, marching bands and fans throughout the game.

In addition, Wisconsin Athletic Director and Nebraska graduate Barry Alvarez offers his thoughts on hosting his alma mater. The show also includes a one-on-one interview with Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor. Fisher gets some tips on how to cradle the football from 1999 Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne.

An Ohio native, Fisher understands the excitement of Big Ten football and has hosted a range of sports television programs including Browns Blitz, including appearances on the MLB All-Star Game and the Daytona 500. Alexandria is no stranger to the gridiron, having covered ?The Heisman Tour? for Sports Illustrated.  She also has hosted shows on MTV, SNY and Spike.

About BTN: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 800 events, all in HD, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. Events include football, men?s and women?s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; studio shows; coaches? shows; and classic games. The network televises and streams more Olympic sporting events and women?s sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation?s finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is available to more than 80 million homes across the United States and Canada, and currently has agreements with more than 300 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Atlantic Broadband, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Rogers Cable (Canada), Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct (Canada), Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information, go to www.BTN.com.