Big East Men's Basketball Schedule Includes Every League Game on Television for Second Straight Year

By the Big East
Posted Thursday, September 4, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the second straight season, the BIG EAST Conference men’s basketball schedule includes a record number of national television appearances and all 144 regular-season league games on television.

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.

A record 44 conference contests will be carried on ESPN or ESPN2. CBS Sports will televise 10 more games involving BIG EAST teams. ESPN will continue to televise The BIG EAST Championship from Madison Square Garden in New York . The dates are March 10-14.

In total, 48 of the 144 regular-season BIG EAST games (or 32 percent) will be on national television. The remaining games will be carried on ESPNU, ESPN360 or ESPN Regional/BIG EAST Network.

“We’re tremendously excited about this year’s schedule,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Michael Tranghese. “For all 144 conference games to be televised again is terrific for BIG EAST basketball fans. We also have some very exciting intersectional matchups. We believe we’re going to have plenty of teams that will be worthy of national attention.”

The BIG EAST has always been acknowledged as a leader in college sports television. Twelve of the 16 conference schools are located in the top 34 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 Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

In addition, the BIG EAST and ESPN Regional Television will present 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 2008-09 schedule include:

Big Monday – All eight BIG EAST teams that earned berths in the NCAA Tournament last year will make appearances. The first Monday appearance is Georgetown at Connecticut on Dec. 29. Notre Dame plays at Louisville on Jan. 12. The Big Monday series concludes with Villanova at Notre Dame on March 2. No other conference appears on Mondays on ESPN more than the BIG EAST. The Big Monday package also includes Louisville at Georgetown on Feb. 23. That game will be a rematch of last season’s regular-season finale that decided the league’s regular-season champion. Georgetown took the regular-season league crown. Louisville advanced the farthest in the NCAA tourney, reaching the Elite Eight.

Wednesdays -- ESPN or ESPN2 will show 10 games involving BIG EAST teams during the 10-week conference season. The weekly Wednesday schedule includes a BIG EAST staple, Syracuse at Georgetown on Jan. 14.

Thursdays -- ESPN or ESPN2 will televise nine games that will include 11 BIG EAST squads. The weekly Thursday night package begins with Connecticut at St. John’s on Jan. 15.

Saturdays -- Fifteen games will include BIG EAST teams during the conference season on ESPN or ESPN2. Also, the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week package continues, mostly at noon, Eastern time. The Game of the Week package reaches over one-third of the nation and is the largest syndicated college basketball package in the nation.

CBS Sports Sports -- The 10-game schedule on CBS Sports, which includes four league contests, will showcase nine BIG EAST teams. The CBS Sports slate starts with Georgetown hosting Memphis on Dec. 13. The first league game on CBS Sports will be Villanova at Syracuse on Feb. 22. The BIG EAST/CBS Sports schedule concludes with Connecticut at Pittsburgh on March 7. 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 production to the BIG EAST twice, the only conference that will have two campus appearances. Notre Dame hosts Connecticut on Jan. 24 and West Virginia hosts Louisville on March 7.

ESPN Rivalry Week – No conference will appear more times than the BIG EAST. A league team will appear every night between Feb. 9 and Feb. 16, which will encompass eight league games. On Feb. 9, West Virginia travels to Pittsburgh . The week concludes with Pittsburgh at Connecticut on Feb. 16.

Holiday Week – The BIG EAST league schedule begins in late December with Georgetown traveling to Connecticut Dec. 29. On New Year’s Eve, DePaul hosts Notre Dame. On New Year’s Day, it is Villanova at Marquette . Each game will be carried on ESPN or ESPN2.

Jimmy V Classic – The BIG EAST will participate in both games of the doubleheader at the Jimmy V Classic, Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden . ESPN will show West Virginia vs. Davidson at 7 p.m. followed by Villanova vs. Texas .

SEC/BIG EAST Invitational – The second annual meeting between the two conferences will be carried by ESPN and ESPN2. On Dec. 16 in Nashville , USF plays Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. followed by Marquette versus Tennessee . On Dec. 18 in Cincinnati , Louisville battles Mississippi at 7 p.m. followed by Cincinnati against Mississippi State .

NBA All-Star Weekend Game – Again, the BIG EAST will be featured on the Friday of the NBA All-Star Weekend when Villanova visits West Virginia in a battle of NCAA Sweet 16 teams from last year, on Feb. 13 at 9 p.m.

Saturday, January 17 – A prime example of a day loaded with BIG EAST action. Notre Dame at Syracuse on ESPN at noon. Georgetown at Duke on CBS Sports at 1:30 p.m. In the evening, Pittsburgh at Louisville at 6 p.m. on ESPN and Marquette at Providence at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The BIG EAST Game of the Week selection will be made at a later date.

ESPNU, ESPN360 and BIG EAST Network local telecast schedules will be announced in the near future.

 

2008-09 BIG EAST CONFERENCE COMPOSITE MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Monday, Dec. 29

Georgetown at Connecticut 7 p.m. ESPN2

 

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Seton Hall at Syracuse

 

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Notre Dame at DePaul 8 p.m. ESPN2

St. John ’s at Providence

Pittsburgh at Rutgers

 

Thursday, Jan. 1

Villanova at Marquette 2:30 p.m. ESPN

 

Friday, Jan. 2

Syracuse at USF 8:30 p.m. ESPN

 

Saturday, Jan. 3

Pittsburgh at Georgetown ESPN

Rutgers at Connecticut 7 p.m.

DePaul at Providence

Notre Dame at St. John’s

West Virginia at Seton Hall

 

Sunday, Jan. 4

Cincinnati at Marquette

 

Monday, Jan. 5

Georgetown at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Tuesday, Jan. 6

Villanova at Seton Hall

Connecticut at West Virginia

 

Wednesday, Jan. 7

Louisville at USF 7 p.m. ESPN2

Providence at Cincinnati

Marquette at Rutgers

DePaul at Syracuse

 

Saturday, Jan. 10

Louisville at Villanova ESPN

Connecticut at Cincinnati

USF at DePaul

West Virginia at Marquette

Seton Hall at Notre Dame

Syracuse at Rutgers

 

Sunday, Jan. 11

St. John ’s at Pittsburgh

Providence at Georgetown

 

Monday, Jan. 12

Notre Dame at Louisville 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Wednesday, Jan. 14

Syracuse at Georgetown 7 p.m. ESPN2

Rutgers at Cincinnati

USF at Pittsburgh

 

Thursday, Jan. 15

Connecticut at St. John ’s 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Jan. 17

Notre Dame at Syracuse Noon ESPN

Pittsburgh at Louisville 6 p.m. ESPN

Marquette at Providence 9 p.m. ESPN2

Cincinnati at DePaul

USF at West Virginia

 

Sunday, Jan. 18

St. John ’s at Villanova

Seton Hall at Connecticut

 

Monday, Jan. 19

Syracuse at Pittsburgh 7 p.m. ESPN

Cincinnati at Providence

 

Wednesday, Jan. 21

Villanova at Connecticut 7 p.m. ESPN

Louisville at Rutgers

DePaul at USF

 

Thursday, Jan. 22

West Virginia at Georgetown 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

Cincinnati at St. John’s

Providence at Seton Hall

 

Saturday, Jan. 24

Villanova at USF

DePaul at Marquette 2 p.m. ESPN2

Connecticut at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN

Rutgers at St. John’s

 

Sunday, Jan. 25

Georgetown at Seton Hall

Louisville at Syracuse

Pittsburgh at West Virginia

 

Monday, Jan. 26

Marquette at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Wednesday, Jan. 28

Pittsburgh at Villanova

Georgetown at Cincinnati

Connecticut at DePaul

USF at Louisville

Syracuse at Providence

St. John ’s at West Virginia

 

Thursday, Jan. 29

Rutgers at Seton Hall 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Jan. 31

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh Noon ESPN

Providence at Connecticut

West Virginia at Louisville

Georgetown at Marquette

DePaul at Rutgers

 

Sunday, Feb. 1

USF at St. John’s

Cincinnati at Villanova

 

Monday, Feb. 2

Connecticut at Louisville 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 3

Marquette at DePaul

Rutgers at Georgetown

 

Wednesday, Feb. 4

West Virginia at Syracuse 7 p.m. ESPN

Notre Dame at Cincinnati

Villanova at Providence

 

Thursday, Feb. 5

St. John’s at Seton Hall 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Friday, Feb. 6

Marquette at USF

 

Saturday, Feb. 7

Cincinnati at Georgetown

Syracuse at Villanova Noon ESPN

Pittsburgh at DePaul

Providence at West Virginia

 

Sunday, Feb. 8

Seton Hall at Rutgers

Louisville at St. John’s

 

Monday, Feb. 9

West Virginia at Pittsburgh 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 10

Marquette at Villanova 7:30 p.m. ESPN2

Seton Hall at DePaul

Providence at USF

 

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Syracuse at Connecticut 7 p.m. ESPN

St. John ’s at Cincinnati

 

Thursday, Feb. 12

Louisville at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Friday, Feb. 13

Villanova at West Virginia 9 p.m. ESPN

 

Saturday, Feb. 14

Georgetown at Syracuse Noon ESPN

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 4 p.m. ESPN

St. John ’s at Marquette

Rutgers at Providence

Connecticut at Seton Hall

 

Sunday, Feb. 15

DePaul at Louisville

USF at Notre Dame

 

Monday, Feb. 16

Pittsburgh at Connecticut 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 17

Seton Hall at Marquette

 

Wednesday, Feb. 18

Notre Dame at West Virginia 7:30 p.m. ESPN2

Providence at Louisville

Georgetown at USF

 

Thursday, Feb. 19

Rutgers at Villanova 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Feb. 21

Marquette at Georgetown

Louisville at Cincinnati

USF at Connecticut

DePaul at Pittsburgh

Notre Dame at Providence

 

Sunday, Feb. 22

Villanova at Syracuse 1 p.m. CBS Sports

West Virginia at Rutgers

Seton Hall at St. John’s

 

Monday, Feb. 23

Louisville at Georgetown 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 24

Pittsburgh at Providence

Syracuse at St. John’s

 

Wednesday, Feb. 25

Connecticut at Marquette 7 p.m. ESPN

Villanova at DePaul

Rutgers at Notre Dame

USF at Seton Hall

 

Thursday, Feb. 26

West Virginia at Cincinnati 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Feb. 28

Georgetown at Villanova Noon ESPN

Notre Dame at Connecticut 2 p.m. CBS Sports

St. John ’s at DePaul

Pittsburgh at Seton Hall

 

Sunday, March 1

Marquette at Louisville Noon CBS Sports

Providence at Rutgers

West Virginia at USF

Cincinnati at Syracuse

 

Monday, March 2

Villanova at Notre Dame 7 p.m. ESPN

 

Tuesday, March 3

Georgetown at St. John’s

Rutgers at Syracuse

 

Wednesday, March 4

Marquette at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. ESPN2

Seton Hall at Louisville

Cincinnati at USF

DePaul at West Virginia

 

Thursday, March 5

Providence at Villanova 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Friday, March 6

St. John ’s at Notre Dame

 

Saturday, March 7

Connecticut at Pittsburgh Noon CBS Sports

Louisville at West Virginia ESPN 9 p.m.

Seton Hall at Cincinnati

DePaul at Georgetown

Syracuse at Marquette

USF at Rutgers

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.

2008-09 BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL NONCONFERENCE GAMES ON CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 AND FSN

Monday, Nov. 24

Notre Dame vs. Indiana 5:30 p.m. ESPN2 Maui Invitational

 

Thursday, Nov. 27

Georgetown vs. Wichita State 2 p.m. ESPN2 Old Spice Classic

Providence vs. Baylor 11:30 p.m. ESPN2 Anaheim Classic

 

Tuesday, Dec. 9

West Virginia vs. Davidson 7 p.m. ESPN Jimmy V Classic

Villanova vs. Texas 9 p.m. ESPN Jimmy V Classic

 

Thursday, Dec. 11

St. Joseph ’s at Villanova TBA ESPN2

 

Saturday, Dec. 13

Memphis at Georgetown 2 p.m. CBS Sports

Xavier at Cincinnati 8 p.m. ESPN2

 

Tuesday, Dec. 16

USF vs. Vanderbilt 7 p.m. ESPN2 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational

Marquette vs. Tennessee 9:30 p.m. ESPN SEC/BIG EAST Invitational

 

Wednesday, Dec. 17

Siena at Pittsburgh 9:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

Thursday, Dec. 18

Cincinnati vs. Mississippi State 6:30 p.m. ESPN2 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational

Louisville vs. Mississippi 9 p.m. ESPN SEC/BIG EAST Invitational

 

Saturday, Dec. 20

Louisville vs. Minnesota 2 p.m. FSN

Connecticut at Gonzaga 4 p.m. CBS Sports

Syracuse at Memphis 6 p.m. ESPN

 

Sunday, Dec. 21

Pittsburgh at Florida State 5:30 p.m. FSN

 

Saturday, Dec. 27

Alabama-Birmingham at Louisville 4 p.m. ESPN2

West Virginia at Ohio State 4 p.m. CBS Sports

 

Sunday, Dec. 28

Rutgers at North Carolina 7:45 p.m. FSN

 

Monday, Dec. 29

Cincinnati at Memphis 9 p.m. ESPN2

 

Wednesday, Dec. 31

UNLV at Louisville 6 p.m. ESPN2

 

Sunday, Jan. 4

Kentucky at Louisville 4:30 p.m. CBS Sports

 

Saturday, Jan. 17

Georgetown at Duke 1:30 p.m. CBS Sports

 

Saturday, Feb. 7

Notre Dame at UCLA 1 p.m. CBS Sports

Michigan at Connecticut 6 p.m. ESPN

 

Thursday, Feb. 19

Duke at St. John ’s 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

 

All times Eastern

 

 

 

---