BTN Communications, September 26, 2012
CHICAGO - BTN will televise 67 men?s basketball conference matchups, including four Big Ten Men?s Basketball Tournament games and an additional number of non-conference games, the network announced Wednesday. Gus Johnson, one of America?s favorite sportscasters, returns to BTN for his fifth season.
For 10 straight weeks during conference play, BTN will air doubleheaders as part of its ?Super Wednesdays? lineup. The network will also have games on most Tuesdays and Thursdays and frequent doubleheaders on Saturdays and Sundays. Also built into the schedule are three wildcard dates late in the season as teams compete for the Big Ten title. The network will carry four tournament games, which include the first two games on Thursday and both Friday night quarterfinals.
[PDF: BigTen.org's 2012-13 Big Ten men's basketball TV schedule]
The Big Ten, which finished the 2011-12 season with five teams ranked in the top-25 and Ohio State in the Final Four, is widely expected to have several ranked teams heading into this season. Indiana returns its top five scorers from last season, including Cody Zeller and Christian Watford. The Hoosiers also welcome a consensus top 10 recruiting class. Michigan?s Trey Burke postponed his NBA career and returns to Ann Arbor where he, Tim Hardaway Jr. and a talented freshman class look to lead the Wolverines to the title. The perennial powerhouse programs of Ohio State and Michigan State are also among the conference elite.
[RELATED: Super-early 2012-13 Big Ten predictions | 'B1G' patch added to Big Ten jerseys]
Schedules and television/internet coverage arrangements are being finalized for non-conference and exhibition play. Those will be released individually by the schools as they are completed and posted on www.BTN.com.
All times ET
| Wednesday | January 2 | 6:30 PM | Nebraska | at | Ohio State |
| 8:30 PM | Illinois | at | Purdue | ||
| Thursday | January 3 | 6:30/8:30 PM | Penn State | at | Wisconsin |
| Saturday | January 5 | Noon | Purdue | at | Michigan State |
| 2:15 PM | Ohio State | at | Illinois | ||
| Sunday | January 6 | TBD | Wisconsin | at | Nebraska |
| TBD | Iowa | at | Michigan | ||
| TBD | Northwestern | at | Minnesota | ||
| Monday | January 7 | 7:00 PM | Indiana | at | Penn State |
| Wednesday | January 9 | 7:00 PM | Nebraska | at | Michigan |
| 9:00 PM | Minnesota | at | Illinois | ||
| Saturday | January 12 | Noon | Minnesota | at | Indiana |
| 2:15 PM | Illinois | at | Wisconsin | ||
| Sunday | January 13 | TBD | Nebraska | at | Michigan State |
| TBD | Penn State | at | Purdue | ||
| Wednesday | January 16 | 7:00 PM | Michigan State | at | Penn State |
| 9:00 PM | Purdue | at | Nebraska | ||
| Thursday | January 17 | 8:15 PM | Northwestern | at | Illinois |
| Saturday | January 19 | 8:00 PM | Wisconsin | at | Iowa |
| Sunday | January 20 | 1:00 PM | Indiana | at | Northwestern |
| Tuesday | January 22 | 6:30 PM | Iowa | at | Ohio State |
| 8:30 PM | Illinois | at | Nebraska | ||
| Wednesday | January 23 | 7:00 PM | Penn State | at | Indiana |
| 9:00 PM | Minnesota | at | Northwestern | ||
| Saturday | January 26 | 2:00 PM | Minnesota | at | Wisconsin |
| Sunday | January 27 | 3:30 PM | Iowa | at | Purdue |
| 6:00 PM | Michigan | at | Illinois | ||
| Tuesday | January 29 | 9:00 PM | Nebraska | at | Minnesota |
| Wednesday | January 30 | 6:30 PM | Northwestern | at | Michigan |
| 8:30 PM | Indiana | at | Purdue | ||
| Saturday | February 2 | 7:00 PM | Ohio State | at | Nebraska |
| Sunday | February 3 | 1:00 PM | Iowa | at | Minnesota |
| 3:30 PM | Wisconsin | at | Illinois | ||
| Tuesday | February 5 | 7:00 PM | Purdue | at | Penn State |
| Wednesday | February 6 | 7:00 PM | Minnesota | at | Michigan State |
| 9:00 PM | Iowa | at | Wisconsin | ||
| Saturday | February 9 | 4:30 PM | Northwestern | at | Iowa |
| 7:00 PM | Michigan State | at | Purdue | ||
| Sunday | February 10 | 6:00 PM | Illinois | at | Minnesota |
| Wednesday | February 13 | 7:00 PM | Nebraska | at | Indiana |
| 9:00 PM | Purdue | at | Illinois | ||
| Thursday | February 14 | 7:00 PM | Northwestern | at | Ohio State |
| Saturday | February 16 | 8:00 PM | Michigan State | at | Nebraska |
| Sunday | February 17 | Noon | Penn State | at | Michigan |
| 2:00 PM | Minnesota | at | Iowa | ||
| 7:30 PM | Illinois | at | Northwestern | ||
| Wednesday | February 20 | 7:00 PM | Minnesota | at | Ohio State |
| 9:00 PM | Wisconsin | at | Northwestern | ||
| Thursday | February 21 | 8:15 PM | Penn State | at | Illinois |
| Sunday | February 24 | 6:00 PM | Wildcard | at | Wildcard |
| Tuesday | February 26 | 9:00 PM | Nebraska | at | Wisconsin |
| Wednesday | February 27 | 6:30 PM | Michigan | at | Penn State |
| 8:30 PM | Purdue | at | Iowa | ||
| Saturday | March 2 | 3/5:15 PM | Nebraska | at | Illinois |
| 3/5:15 PM | Wildcard | at | Wildcard | ||
| 7:30 PM | Iowa | at | Indiana | ||
| Tuesday | March 5 | 7:00 PM | Illinois | at | Iowa |
| Wednesday | March 6 | 7:00 PM | Michigan | at | Purdue |
| 9:00 PM | Minnesota | at | Nebraska | ||
| Saturday | March 9 | Noon | Minnesota | at | Purdue |
| 2:15 PM | Nebraska | at | Iowa | ||
| Sunday | March 10 | Noon PM | Wisconsin | at | Penn State |
| 6:00 PM | Wildcard | at | Wildcard | ||
| Thursday | March 14 | 12:30 PM | Big Ten Tournament | – | Game #1 |
| 3:00 PM | Big Ten Tournament | – | Game #2 | ||
| Friday | March 15 | 6:30 PM | Big Ten Tournament | – | Quarterfinal #3 |
| 9:00 PM | Big Ten Tournament | – | Quarterfinal #4 |
