BTN.com staff, March 11, 2014

CHICAGO - The unpredictable nature of the 2013-14 Big Ten men?s basketball season sets the tone for what should be an exciting Big Ten Tournament for the nation?s most competitive men?s basketball conference. BTN will be there every step of the way, featuring three of the four nationally ranked Big Ten teams and offering complete coverage throughout with pre- and post-game analysis, highlights and more.

BTN?s men?s basketball tournament coverage, presented by Buick, begins at 6 PM ET Wednesday with #BTNLive: B1G Tournament Preview from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Host Dave Revsine will be joined by analysts Jim Jackson, Stephen Bardo and Shon Morris to discuss expectations and the keys to each team?s success.

Thursday (all times ET)
Time Event
11:30 AM Big Ten Tip-Off Show
Noon No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Illinois
2:30 PM No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Purdue
4:30 PM Big Ten Finale
11 PM Big Ten Finale
Friday
Time Event
6:00 PM Big Ten Tip-Off Show
6:30 PM No.7 Minnesota/No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 2 Wisconsin
9:00 PM No.6 Iowa/No. 11 Northwestern vs. No. 2 Michigan State
11 PM Big Ten Finale
Saturday
Time Event
1 PM Big Ten Tip-Off Show
6 PM Big Ten Finale
Sunday
Time Event
3 PM Big Ten Tip-Off Show
7 PM Big Ten Basketball & Beyond: Selection Sunday Special

On Thursday, coverage of first-round games begins at 11:30 AM ET with the Big Ten Tip-Off Show, followed by No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Illinois and No. 5 Ohio State (AP 24) vs. No. 12 Purdue at approximately 2:30 PM ET. Kevin Kugler and Bardo will have the call for both games, with Stephanie White reporting from the sideline. Friday?s game action on BTN begins at 6:30 PM ET with No. 2 Wisconsin (AP 12) vs. the winner of No. 7 Minnesota/No. 10 Penn State, followed by No. 3 Michigan State (AP 22) vs. the winner of No. 6 Iowa/No. 11 Northwestern at approximately 9 PM ET. Eric Collins and Shon Morris will have the call for Friday?s games, with White reporting from the sideline.

Daily airings of the Big Ten Tip-Off Show will help prepare fans for the upcoming action. Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy will join Revsine, Jackson, Bardo and Morris to preview the matchups. After each day?s final buzzer, the Big Ten Finale, presented by Reese?s, will have complete highlights and analysis.

BTN will also provide complimentary live coverage of all post-game press conferences on the Big Ten Digital Network.

On Sunday, after a Big Ten Tournament champion is crowned, and NCAA Tournament bids are received, the network will air Big Ten Basketball & Beyond: Selection Sunday Special at 7 PM ET. Revsine, Jackson and Mike Hall will discuss the bracket and the road to the Final Four for each of the Big Ten squads.

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. BTN2Go is the 24/7 simulcast of BTN that delivers live and on-demand programming via the internet, smartphones and tablets to customers of participating video providers. Events include football, men?s and women?s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events; studio 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 in more than 52 million homes across the United States and Canada, including carriage by all the major video distributors, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, Rogers Cable, Shaw and Shaw Direct (Canada) and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. For additional information, go to http://www.BTN.com.