Big East Men’s basketball schedule announced

Courtesy: The Big East Conference

BIG EAST MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

INCLUDES EVERY LEAGUE GAME ON TELEVISION FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The BIG EAST Conference’s 2009-10 men’s basketball schedule again includes a record number of national television appearances.  Additionally, for the third straight season, all 144 regular-season league games will be televised.
        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.
        Forty-four conference contests will be carried on ESPN or ESPN2.  ESPNU, which has increased its reach to over 47 million homes, will carry approximately 20 league games.  CBS Sports will televise 11 more games involving BIG EAST teams.  ESPN will continue to televise The BIG EAST Championship from Madison Square Garden in New York.  The dates for the 2010 event are March 9-13.
        In total, 69 of the 144 regular-season BIG EAST games (or 48 percent) will likely be on national television.  The remaining games will be carried on ESPN360 or ESPN Regional/BIG EAST Network.  When The BIG EAST Championship games are added, more than half of all games played between BIG EAST teams will be televised nationally.
        “Over the past three decades, the terms BIG EAST Conference basketball and national television exposure have become synonymous in many ways, and this year is certainly no exception,” stated BIG EAST Conference Commissioner John Marinatto. “Our 16 member schools represent nearly one-third of the nation’s television households—a fact that drives our ability to reach the many alumni, fans and constituents within our membership. We are very proud of our longstanding and comprehensive partnerships with both CBS Sports and ESPN, which continue to provide our schools with unparalleled exposure as all 144 of our Conference games will be televised for the third consecutive season.”

The BIG EAST has always enjoyed a leadership position in college sports television.  Twelve of the 16 conference schools are located in the top 35 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 ESPN and ESPN2 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 
        In addition, the BIG EAST and ESPN Regional Television will carry 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 2009-10 schedule include:

        Big Monday – All seven BIG EAST teams that earned berths in the 2009 NCAA Championship will make appearances.  The first Monday game is Pittsburgh at Cincinnati on Jan. 4.  Villanova travels to Louisville on Jan. 11.  No other conference appears on Mondays on ESPN more than the BIG EAST.  The Big Monday package also includes Connecticut at Villanova, a battle of the two league squads that advanced to the NCAA Final Four last year, on Feb. 15.  The Big Monday series concludes with Georgetown at West Virginia on March 1.  All games on the Big Monday schedule will be available on ESPN.360. 

 

        Wednesdays—ESPN or ESPN2 will show nine Wednesday games involving BIG EAST teams during the 10-week conference season.  The Wednesday schedule includes Connecticut at Syracuse on Feb. 10 as part of ESPN Rivalry Week.  Those two clubs played an unforgettable six-overtime game in the quarterfinals of The BIG EAST Championship. 

 

Thursdays—ESPN or ESPN2 will televise 11 Thursday games that will include 13 BIG EAST squads.  The weekly Thursday night package starts when ESPN2 carries St. John’s at Georgetown on Dec. 31.  The final Thursday of the season, March 4, includes two telecasts on ESPN or ESPN2 – Seton Hall at Rutgers and Providence at Pittsburgh. 

 

        Saturdays – ESPN or ESPN2 will telecast 10 BIG EAST games during the conference season, including the final game at storied Freedom Hall March 6, when Syracuse visits Louisville.  Also, the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week package continues, mostly at noon, ET.  The Game of the Week package reaches over one-third of the nation and is the largest syndicated college basketball package in the nation.  The Saturday schedule will be announced at a later date.  There is one Sunday telecast on ESPN, Louisville at Syracuse on Feb. 14. 

 

        CBS Sports—The 11-game schedule on CBS Sports, which includes five league contests, will feature eight BIG EAST teams.  The CBS Sports slate begins with one of college basketball’s great intersectional rivalries, UCLA at Notre Dame, on Dec. 19.  The first league game of the season will be on CBS Sports when West Virginia visits Seton Hall on Dec. 26.  On Feb. 21, Pittsburgh will host Villanova, a contest that figures to spark memories of their game in the 2009 NCAA Elite Eight in Boston.  The Wildcats won at the buzzer 78-76.  The BIG EAST/CBS Sports schedule concludes with West Virginia at Villanova on March 6.  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 series to a BIG EAST campus again.  Syracuse will host Villanova and the GameDay crew at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 27.

 

        ESPN Rivalry Week – No conference will appear more times on Rivalry Week than the BIG EAST.  The week begins on Feb. 8 with Villanova at West Virginia in a Big Monday battle.  Rivalry Week concludes the following Monday, Feb. 15, with Connecticut at Villanova.  In all, seven BIG EAST games will be televised.

 

        Holiday Week – The BIG EAST league schedule on ESPN and ESPN2 begins in late December with Connecticut traveling to Cincinnati on Dec. 30.  On New Year’s Eve, St. John’s plays at Georgetown.  Both games will be carried by ESPN2.

 

        Jimmy V Classic – For a second straight year, the BIG EAST will participate in both games of the doubleheader at the Jimmy V Classic, Dec. 8 at Madison Square Garden.  ESPN will show Georgetown versus Butler followed by Pittsburgh meeting Indiana.

 

        SEC/BIG EAST Invitational – The third annual meeting between the two conferences will be carried by ESPN and ESPN2.  On Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden, St. John’s battles Georgia on ESPN2 followed by Connecticut and Kentucky on ESPN.  On Dec. 10 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., DePaul and Mississippi State square off on ESPN2 before Florida plays Syracuse on ESPN.

 

        Between the Jimmy V Classic and the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational, as well as a pair of scheduled nonleague games involving Villanova and Cincinnati, eight BIG EAST teams will appear on either ESPN or ESPN2 between Dec. 8-10.

 

        NBA All-Star Weekend Game – The BIG EAST again will be featured on ESPN on the Friday night of the NBA All-Star Weekend when West Virginia plays at Pittsburgh on Feb. 12.

 

        Saturday, January 30 – Although there are several days on the schedule with many attractive matchups, one of the better days may be Jan. 30.  At noon, Louisville plays at West Virginia on ESPN.  At 2 p.m. Georgetown will host Duke on CBS Sports.  At 6 p.m., Notre Dame goes to Rutgers on ESPN2. Also, Marquette plays at Connecticut and Syracuse travels to DePaul. 

 

The BIG EAST Game of the Week selections will be made at a later date. 

 

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

 

-BIG EAST-

 

2009-10 BIG EAST CONFERENCE COMPOSITE MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

 

Saturday, Dec. 26

        West Virginia at Seton Hall               3:30 p.m.        CBS Sports

 

Monday, Dec. 28

        DePaul at Pittsburgh

 

Tuesday, Dec. 29

        Syracuse at Seton Hall

        Marquette at West Virginia

 

Wednesday, Dec. 30

        Connecticut at Cincinnati                   7 p.m.        ESPN2

        USF at Louisville

        Providence at Notre Dame

 

Thursday, Dec. 31

        St. John’s at Georgetown                   8 p.m.        ESPN2

 

Saturday, Jan. 2

        Notre Dame at Connecticut

        Pittsburgh at Syracuse

        Villanova at Marquette                   3:30 p.m.        ESPN2

        Cincinnati at Rutgers

 

Sunday, Jan. 3

        Providence at St. John’s

        Georgetown at DePaul

 

Monday, Jan. 4

        Pittsburgh at Cincinnati                     7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Tuesday, Jan. 5

        Notre Dame at USF

 

Wednesday, Jan. 6

        Louisville at Providence

        Seton Hall at Connecticut

        Georgetown at Marquette

        DePaul at Villanova

        Rutgers at West Virginia

 

Saturday, Jan. 9

        Connecticut at Georgetown                 Noon         ESPN

        Marquette at Villanova

        St. John’s at Louisville

        Cincinnati at Seton Hall

        West Virginia at Notre Dame

        Rutgers at Providence

 

Sunday, Jan. 10

        USF at Syracuse

 

Monday, Jan. 11

        Villanova at Louisville                       7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Wednesday, Jan. 13

        Pittsburgh at Connecticut                   7 p.m.        ESPN2

        Cincinnati at St. John’s

        West Virginia at USF

        Syracuse at Rutgers

 

Thursday, Jan. 14

        Seton Hall at Georgetown                   7 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

        Providence at DePaul                       9 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Jan. 16

        Louisville at Pittsburgh

        Syracuse at West Virginia                     Noon         ESPN

        Notre Dame at Cincinnati

        Rutgers at USF

 

Sunday, Jan. 17

        Georgetown at Villanova

        DePaul at St. John’s

        Providence at Marquette

 

Monday, Jan. 18

        Syracuse at Notre Dame                     7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Wednesday, Jan. 20

        USF at Cincinnati                           7 p.m.        ESPN2

        Georgetown at Pittsburgh

        St. John’s at Connecticut

        Marquette at DePaul

        Villanova at Rutgers

 

Thursday, Jan. 21

        Louisville at Seton Hall                       7 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Jan. 23

        Rutgers at Georgetown

        Villanova at St. John’s                       Noon         ESPN

        Marquette at Syracuse

        DePaul at Notre Dame

        USF at Providence

 

Sunday, Jan. 24

        Cincinnati at Louisville

        Pittsburgh at Seton Hall

 

Monday, Jan. 25

        Georgetown at Syracuse                   7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Tuesday, Jan. 26

        Rutgers at Marquette

        West Virginia at DePaul

 

Wednesday, Jan. 27

        Connecticut at Providence

        Notre Dame at Villanova                     7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Thursday, Jan. 28

        St. John’s at Pittsburgh

        Seton Hall at USF                           7 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Jan. 30

        Syracuse at DePaul

        Louisville at West Virginia                     Noon         ESPN

        Marquette at Connecticut

        Notre Dame at Rutgers                     6 p.m.        ESPN2

        Providence at Cincinnati

 

Sunday, Jan. 31

        Pittsburgh at USF

 

Monday, Feb. 1

        Connecticut at Louisville                     7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 2

        Seton Hall at Villanova

        St. John’s at Rutgers

        Providence at Syracuse

 

Wednesday, Feb. 3

        DePaul at Marquette                       7 p.m.        ESPN2

        USF at Georgetown

        Pittsburgh at West Virginia

 

Thursday, Feb. 4

        Cincinnati at Notre Dame                   9 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Feb. 6

        Villanova at Georgetown                     Noon         ESPN

        Marquette at Providence

        West Virginia at St. John’s

        Rutgers at Louisville

        Seton Hall at Pittsburgh

        DePaul at Connecticut

 

Sunday, Feb. 7

        Syracuse at Cincinnati

        USF at Notre Dame

 

Monday, Feb. 8

        Villanova at West Virginia                   7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 9

        Georgetown at Providence                 7 p.m.        ESPN2

 

Wednesday, Feb. 10

        Connecticut at Syracuse                     7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Thursday, Feb. 11

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

        Notre Dame at Seton Hall

 

Friday, Feb. 12

        West Virginia at Pittsburgh                   9 p.m.        ESPN

 

Saturday, Feb. 13

        Cincinnati at Connecticut

        Providence at Villanova

        USF at Marquette

 

Sunday, Feb. 14

        DePaul at Seton Hall

        Louisville at Syracuse                       1 p.m.        ESPN

        Georgetown at Rutgers

        St. John’s at Notre Dame

 

Monday, Feb. 15

        Connecticut at Villanova                     7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 16

        Rutgers at DePaul

        Cincinnati at USF

 

Wednesday, Feb. 17

        Notre Dame at Louisville                     7 p.m.        ESPN2

        West Virginia at Providence

        Seton Hall at St. John’s

 

Thursday, Feb. 18

        Syracuse at Georgetown                   7 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

        Pittsburgh at Marquette                     9 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

 

Saturday, Feb. 20

        St. John’s at USF

        Seton Hall at West Virginia                   Noon         ESPN

        Louisville at DePaul

        Connecticut at Rutgers

 

Sunday, Feb. 21

        Villanova at Pittsburgh                       Noon         CBS Sports

        Marquette at Cincinnati

 

Monday, Feb. 22

        West Virginia at Connecticut                 7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Tuesday, Feb. 23

        Georgetown at Louisville                     7 p.m.        ESPN2

        Rutgers at Seton Hall

        Syracuse at Providence

 

Wednesday, Feb. 24

        Pittsburgh at Notre Dame                   7 p.m.        ESPN2

        DePaul at Cincinnati

        Marquette at St. John’s

        USF at Villanova

 

Saturday, Feb. 27

        Notre Dame at Georgetown                 Noon         CBS Sports

        Pittsburgh at St. John’s

        Cincinnati at West Virginia

        DePaul at Rutgers

        Providence at USF

        Villanova at Syracuse                       9 p.m.        ESPN

 

Sunday, Feb. 28

        Marquette at Seton Hall

        Louisville at Connecticut                     2 p.m.        CBS Sports

 

Monday, March 1

        Georgetown at West Virginia               7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Tuesday, March 2

        Villanova at Cincinnati                       7 p.m.        ESPN2

        Louisville at Marquette

        USF at DePaul

        St. John’s at Syracuse

 

Wednesday, March 3

        Connecticut at Notre Dame                 7 p.m.        ESPN

 

Thursday, March 4

        Seton Hall at Rutgers                       7 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

        Providence at Pittsburgh                   9 p.m.        ESPN/ESPN2

 

Friday, March 5

        St. John’s at DePaul

 

Saturday, March 6

        Cincinnati at Georgetown

        West Virginia at Villanova                     Noon         CBS Sports

        Syracuse at Louisville                       2 p.m.        ESPN

        Notre Dame at Marquette

        Rutgers at Pittsburgh

        Seton Hall at Providence

        Connecticut at USF                              

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

2009-10 BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL NONCONFERENCE GAMES ON CBS SPORTS, ESPN, ESPN2 VERSUS AND FSN

 

Monday, Nov. 9

    Albany at Syracuse                             9 p.m.  ESPNU         2K Sports Classic

 

Wednesday, Nov. 11

    Robert Morris at Syracuse                       7 p.m.  ESPNU         2K Sports Classic

 

Monday, Nov. 16

    Colgate at Connecticut                         9 p.m.  ESPNU         NIT Season Tip-Off

 

Tuesday, Nov. 17

    Louisville vs. Arkansas                         7:30 p.m.  ESPN2         Hall of Fame Showcase

 

Thursday, Nov. 19

    Villanova vs George Mason                       2 p.m.  ESPNU         O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off

    Syracuse vs. California                           7 p.m.  ESPN2         2K Sports Classic

 

Friday, Nov. 20

    Villanova vs. Dayton/Georgia Tech         1 p.m./3 p.m.  ESPNU         O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off

    Syracuse vs. North Carolina/Ohio State     5 p.m./7 p.m.  ESPN2         2K Sports Classic

 

Sunday, Nov. 22

    Villanova vs. TBD                                 TBD   ESPN2/ESPNU O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off

 

Monday, Nov. 23

    Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt                         5 p.m.  ESPN2         EA Sports Maui Invitational

 

Tuesday, Nov. 24

    Cincinnati vs. Maryland/Chaminade     1:30 p.m./7 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2   EA Sports Maui Invitational

 

Wednesday, Nov. 25

    Connecticut vs. TBD                             TBD   ESPN2         NIT Season Tip-Off

    Cincinnati vs. TBD                                 TBD   ESPN/ESPN2/  EA Sports Maui Invitational

                                                          ESPNU

 

Thursday, Nov. 26

    Marquette vs. Xavier                           2 p.m.  ESPN2         Old Spice Classic

    West Virginia vs. Long Beach State               2 p.m.  ESPNU         76 Classic

 

Friday, Nov. 27

    Marquette vs. Michigan/Creighton       Noon/2:30 p.m.  ESPN/ESPNU   Old Spice Classic

    West Virginia vs. Texas A&M/Clemson   2:30 p.m./5 p.m.  ESPN/ESPNU   76 Classic

    Connecticut vs. TBD                 2:30 p.m./5 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2   NIT Season Tip-Off

 

Saturday, Nov. 28

    La Salle at Villanova                         3:30 p.m.  ESPN2

    Louisville at UNLV                               4 p.m.  Versus

 

Sunday, Nov. 29

    Marquette vs. TBD                               TBD   ESPN2/ESPNU Old Spice Classic

    West Virginia vs. TBD                             TBD   ESPN2/ESPNU 76 Classic

 

Saturday, Dec. 5

    St. John’s at Duke                           3:30 p.m.  ESPN2

 

Sunday, Dec. 6

    Villanova vs. Maryland                         7:30 p.m.  FSN           BB&T Classic

Tuesday, Dec. 8

    Georgetown vs. Butler                         7 p.m.  ESPN         Jimmy V Classic

    Pittsburgh vs. Indiana                           9 p.m.  ESPN         Jimmy V Classic

 

Wednesday, Dec. 9

    St. John’s vs. Georgia                           7 p.m.  ESPN2         SEC-BIG EAST Invitational

    Villanova at Saint Joseph’s                       9 p.m.  ESPN2

    Connecticut vs. Kentucky                     9:30 p.m.  ESPN         SEC-BIG EAST Invitational

 

Thursday, Dec. 10

    DePaul vs. Mississippi State                   6:30 p.m.  ESPN2         SEC-BIG EAST Invitational

    Miami (Ohio) at Cincinnati                     8:30 p.m.  ESPN2

    Syracuse vs. Florida                             9 p.m.  ESPN         SEC-BIG EAST Invitational

 

Saturday, Dec. 12

    Georgetown vs. Washington                     2 p.m.  FSN           Wooden Classic

    Marquette at Wisconsin                         5 p.m.  ESPN2

 

Sunday, Dec. 13

    Cincinnati at Xavier                             7 p.m.  ESPNU

 

Saturday, Dec. 19

    UCLA at Notre Dame                           2 p.m.  CBS Sports

    Western Kentucky at Louisville                   4 p.m.  ESPN2

 

Wednesday, Dec. 23

    Mississippi at West Virginia                   7:30 p.m.  ESPN2

 

Monday, Dec. 28

    Rutgers at North Carolina                     8:30 p.m.  ESPN2

 

Friday, Jan. 1

    West Virginia at Purdue                     2:30 p.m.  ESPN

 

Saturday, Jan. 2

    Louisville at Kentucky                         3:30 p.m.  CBS Sports

    Seton Hall vs. Virginia Tech                   7:30 p.m.  ESPN2

 

Wednesday, Jan. 6

    Memphis at Syracuse                           7 p.m.  ESPN2

 

Sunday, Jan. 17

    Connecticut at Michigan                     4:30 p.m.  CBS Sports

 

Saturday, Jan. 23

    Ohio State at West Virginia                     2 p.m.  CBS Sports

    Texas at Connecticut                           4 p.m.  CBS Sports

 

Saturday, Jan. 30

    Duke at Georgetown                           1 p.m.  CBS Sports

 

All times Eastern