BTN.com staff, June 7, 2011

Media Contacts & Materials
Elizabeth Conlisk, VP/Communications & Mike Vest, Media Relations Manager: press@bigtennetwork.com

(Big Ten Network) – CHICAGO - BTN will air 15 Big Ten games during the first three weekends of the 2011 college football calendar, highlighted by the network?s first-ever college football tripleheaders on Sept. 10 and 17.

New in 2011, BTN has greater flexibility to schedule its football games throughout the day.

"The ability to schedule games with greater flexibility will enable Big Ten fans to catch more Big Ten football than ever before," BTN President Mark Silverman said. "Airing consecutive games instead of having four to five on at once will create a much better experience for our viewers."

BTN will kick off its football schedule with Michigan State, the defending conference tri-champion, hosting Youngstown State at 7:30pm ET on Friday, Sept. 2. The action kicks into high gear on Saturday with four games, including the season openers for Illinois, Iowa, Penn State and Purdue.

Eight of the conference?s 12 teams will play their home openers on BTN during first two weekends in September.

Every BTN football game telecast will once again be surrounded by Big Ten Football Saturday, the network?s pre-game, halftime and post-game show hosted by Dave Revsine and analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith.

The Big Ten and its television partners will announce the remaining matchups and game times either six or 12 days before each game.

Overall, the BTN will televise between 40 and 45 football games this fall.

When the BTN is producing simultaneous football games, the network will split the feeds to allow Big Ten fans to watch the game with the most regional interest. In addition, cable and satellite providers will be able to carry the additional games via ?Extra Football Game Channels.? Each week, fans can check local listings, their on-screen channel guide or http://www.BigTenNetwork.com channelfinder to find channel assignments for specific games.

Below is the 2011 BTN football schedule, including the previously announced primetime games. All times Eastern.

Friday, September 2

  • 7:30pm Youngstown State at Michigan State

Saturday, September 3

  • 12:00pm Indiana State at Penn State
  • 12:00pm Tennessee Tech at Iowa
  • 12:00pm Middle Tennessee State at Purdue
  • 3:30pm Arkansas State at Illinois

Saturday, September 10

  • 12:00pm Toledo at Ohio State
  • 12:00pm South Dakota State at Illinois
  • 3:30pm Eastern Illinois at Northwestern
  • 3:30pm New Mexico State at Minnesota
  • 7:00pm Virginia at Indiana

Saturday, September 17

  • 12:00pm Eastern Michigan at Michigan
  • 12:00pm Southeast Missouri State at Purdue
  • 3:30pm Miami, Ohio at Minnesota
  • 3:30pm South Carolina State at Indiana
  • 7:00pm Arizona State at Illinois

Saturday, September 24

  • 7:00pm North Dakota State at Minnesota
  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, October 1

  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, October 8

  • 7:00pm Michigan at Northwestern
  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, October 15

  • 7:00pm Northwestern at Iowa
  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, October 22

  • 7:00pm Penn State at Northwestern
  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, October 29

  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, November 5

  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, November 12

  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, November 19

  • Additional Games – TBD

Saturday, November 26

  • Additional Games – TBD

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 600 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 on BTN, go to http://www.BTN.com.