Entries Tagged 'Big Ten Network' ↓

By Adam Kiefaber

Sorry, I know that there are only 12 days until the football season kicks off. I swear that this will be the last time I mention the word ‘basketball’ until then.

However, last week the Big Ten Network released their schedule for basketball.

Unlike football, there are many big games that will be televised on the network.

Buckeye fans complained when they found out that they might have to go to a bar to watch the first two football games.

However, now you can say that about half of OSU men’s basketball games won’t be shown on cable.

Up until now, cable companies were just trying to figure out how to locally televise those early football games.

Now, they could have a bigger problem come this winter.

BIG TEN NETWORK CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Wednesday January 2 Wisconsin @ Michigan 7 EST
Wednesday January 2 Indiana @ Iowa 9 EST
Saturday January 5 Iowa @ Wisconsin 12 EST
Saturday January 5 Minnesota @ Michigan State 8 EST
Sunday January 6 Northwestern @ Ohio State 12 EST
Sunday January 6 Penn State @ Illinois 2 EST
Tuesday January 8 Purdue @ Michigan State 9 EST
Wednesday January 9 Iowa @ Ohio State 7 EST
Wednesday January 9 Northwestern @ Minnesota 9 EST
Saturday January 12 Minnesota @ Penn State 2 EST
Saturday January 12 Ohio State @ Purdue 4 EST
Saturday January 12 Michigan @ Northwestern 6:30 EST
Saturday January 12 Michigan State @ Iowa 8:30 EST
Tuesday January 15 Wisconsin @ Penn State 9 EST
Wednesday January 16 Purdue @ Iowa 7 EST
Wednesday January 16 Michigan @ Illinois 9 EST
Saturday January 19 Iowa @ Michigan 7 EST
Saturday January 19 Northwestern @ Wisconsin 9 EST
Sunday January 20 Penn State @ Indiana 2 EST
Sunday January 20 Michigan State @ Minnesota 4 EST
Tuesday January 22 Illinois @ Ohio State 9 EST
Wednesday January 23 Purdue @ Penn State 7 EST
Wednesday January 23 Iowa @ Indiana 9 EST
Saturday January 26 Penn State @ Iowa 6 EST
Saturday January 26 Minnesota @ Ohio State 8 EST
Sunday January 27 Northwestern @ Illinois 8 EST
Wednesday January 30 Iowa @ Purdue 7 EST
Wednesday January 30 Illinois @ Michigan State 9 EST
Thursday January 31 Minnesota @ Michigan 7 EST
Saturday February 2 Purdue @ Illinois 3:30 EST
Saturday February 2 Ohio State @ Iowa 6 EST
Saturday February 2 Michigan State @ Penn State 8 EST
Sunday February 3 Northwestern @ Indiana 12 EST
Sunday February 3 Wisconsin @ Minnesota 2 EST
Tuesday February 5 Penn State @ Purdue 9 EST
Wednesday February 6 Minnesota @ Northwestern 7 EST
Wednesday February 6 Wisconsin @ Iowa 9 EST
Saturday February 9 Penn State @ Michigan 4 EST
Saturday February 9 Northwestern @ Michigan State 7 EST
Saturday February 9 Purdue @ Wisconsin 9 EST
Tuesday February 12 Illinois @ Minnesota 9 EST
Wednesday February 13 Wisconsin @ Indiana 7 EST
Wednesday February 13 Ohio State @ Northwestern 9 EST
Saturday February 16 Minnesota @ Wisconsin 2 EST
Saturday February 16 Purdue @ Northwestern 4 EST
Saturday February 16 Illinois @ Penn State 7 EST
Tuesday February 19 Northwestern @ Iowa 9 EST
Wednesday February 20 Penn State @ Michigan State 7 EST
Wednesday February 20 Wisconsin @ Illinois 9 EST
Saturday February 23 TBD @ TBD 2 or 4 EST
Saturday February 23 Indiana @ Northwestern 8 EST
Sunday February 24 Penn State @ Minnesota 2 EST
Tuesday February 26 Northwestern @ Michigan 9 EST
Wednesday February 27 Iowa @ Penn State 7 EST
Wednesday February 27 Minnesota @ Purdue 9 EST
Saturday March 1 Northwestern @ Purdue 2 EST
Saturday March 1 TBD @ TBD 4 or 6 EST
Saturday March 1 Michigan @ Penn State 8 EST
Tues. / Thurs. March 4 or 6 TBD @ TBD 9 EST
Wednesday March 5 TBD @ TBD 7 EST
Wednesday March 5 TBD @ TBD 9 EST
Saturday March 8 Minnesota @ Illinois 1 EST
Saturday March 8 Purdue @ Michigan, or 3 EST
Saturday March 8 Indiana @ Penn State 3 EST
Saturday March 8 Wisconsin @ Northwestern 5 EST
Sunday March 9 Wisconsin @ Northwestern 12 EST

BIG TEN NETWORK CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Thursday March 13 #9-seed vs. #8-seed 12 EST
Friday March 14 #7-seed or #10-seed vs. #2-seed 6:40 EST
Friday March 14 #6-seed or #11-seed vs. #3-seed 9:10 EST

By Adam Kiefaber

With the college football season close to being a month away, the Big Ten Network situation still hasn’t been resolved with cable companies.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany recently created a national cable network that is devoted exclusively to Big Ten sports.

The Big Ten Network will launch in August. In its first year, the network features 35 football games and 105 men’s basketball games. Most of the games would have been broadcasted on ESPN Plus or gone un-televised.

The network agreed with one carrier in DirecTV, which has 16 million subscribers, but hasn’t reached an agreement with any of the major cable carriers.

Currently, the Big Ten is asking for $1.10 per cable subscriber in the conference’s eight states. Compare that to the NFL Network last year, which was asking for 70 cents. If you live outside of ‘Big Ten Country’ that cost will be 10 cents per cable subscriber.

Many argued the Big Ten Network’s astonishing $1.10 charge is ridiculous considering the network broadcasts “second-tier and third-tier” events. For example, one sport the channel will cover would be the Iowa women’s volleyball team.

Delany recently released a statement on the Big Ten Network’s website ( Big Ten Network - where you can actually check if your area by zip code gets the Big Ten Network: Here’s a hint- you don’t get it unless you have dish).

“Comcast recently has characterized events that will be on the Big Ten Network as ’second and third tier.’ I believe Comcast owes every Big Ten university an apology. The comments are an insult to Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin: To the universities, their students, their fans and alumni and their communities. There are no second-rate contests in the Big Ten.”

The network’s opening-weekend schedule includes the home openers for three of the most popular Big Ten schools. The Ohio State opener versus Youngstown State, Michigan’s versus Appalachian State and Penn State’s versus Florida International all will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.

“Games at Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State – I don’t care who the opponents are, those are not second-tier games,” said Delany.

During the first three weeks of the season, the Big Ten Network will air 17 games.

Saturday, September 1 Appalachian State at Michigan, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Youngstown State at Ohio State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Florida International at Penn State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Northeastern at Northwestern, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Bowling Green at Minnesota, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT
Indiana State at Indiana, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Saturday, September 8
Akron at Ohio State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Nevada at Northwestern, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Bowling Green at Michigan State, Noon EDT/11a.m. CDT
Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Eastern Illinois at Purdue, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Western Illinois at Illinois, 7 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. CDT
Syracuse at Iowa, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Saturday, September 15
The Citadel at Wisconsin, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Buffalo at Penn State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Akron at Indiana, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Duke at Northwestern, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Delany has to admit that most of those games will not be close. However, Buckeye fans will want to watch the Youngstown State and Akron games.

Something needs to done soon or there will be many angry Big Ten fans and many happy bar owners.

On Thursday, the Big Ten Network announced that play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman and analyst Charles Davis would lead its football broadcast team. Brennaman and Davis announced the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship game.

The prime-time games that I’m guessing Brennaman and Davis will broadcast include:

2007 Big Ten Network Prime-time Football Schedule:
Sept. 1 — Indiana State at Indiana, 8 p.m. EDT
Sept. 8 — Syracuse at Iowa, 7 p.m. CDT
Sept. 15 — Duke at Northwestern, 7 p.m. CDT
Oct. 13 — Indiana at Michigan State, 7 p.m. EDT
Nov. 3 — Illinois at Minnesota, 7 p.m. CDT

As a Buckeye fan I could care less about any those games.