Football: Big East TV in 2007
July 17, 2007 10:12 AM | General
July 17, 2007
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The BIG EAST Conference will be among the nation's most televised conferences in 2007. The BIG EAST has agreements with ABC, ESPN and ESPN Regional Television that will once again give the conference extensive television exposure. In addition to games on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, a number of contests will also be on ESPNU, ESPN Classic and ESPN360, ESPN's online broadband network. The BIG EAST and ESPN have already agreed on a new six-year contract that will further enhance the league's exposure. The new football agreement will begin with the 2008 regular season and run through 2013.
Currently, ESPN reaches 94 million households across the nation, with ESPN2 close behind, reaching over 93 million households.
Of the 73 games played last past season involving BIG EAST teams, 29 of them were seen on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. In addition, 37 others were seen on ESPN Regional, ESPNU, ESPN360, FSN, CSTV or the NFL Network. In fact, every conference game during the 2006 season was televised.
ESPN Regional Television's BIG EAST Game of the Week package remains the largest regional college football network in the nation. The ERT BIG EAST Game of the Week reaches approximately 45 million homes across the United States (40 percent of the national television households). Currently, the BIG EAST Game of the Week has television affiliates available in at least 26 different states. In addition, nearly all games broadcast by ERT are offered as part of the ESPN GamePlan pay subscription service. ESPN Regional Television is the largest syndicator of college sports programming in the United States.
ESPNU, which was launched in 2005, features extensive studio programming and live coverage of games. ESPNU has secured distribution agreements with Charter, Cox, DIRECTV (Channel 609), Echostar's DISH Network (Channel 148), Insight Communications, Mediacom, Time Warner, and Verizon, along with many smaller affiliates, and is close to distribution agreements with others. By the start of the college football season, ESPNU will reach 20 million households. ESPN Classic, which continues to increase its live game coverage of collegiate sports, is available to 65 million households.
GamePlan Online will now be available to football fans nationwide on ESPN360 through their internet service provider. ESPN360 is currently available in 16 million homes and will grow to 20 million homes by the end of 2007.
This season, the BIG EAST already has an impressive number of games on its television slate. To date, 17 games are currently scheduled on ESPN or ESPN2. In addition, two games will be on ESPNU, two will be on ESPN360 and one is on ESPN Classic.
The national schedule starts on Friday, Aug. 31, when Syracuse hosts Washington on ESPN (8:00 p.m.). The next week, five games are slated for national television beginning on Thursday, Sept. 6, when Louisville hosts Middle Tennessee State on ESPN2 (7:00 p.m.) and Cincinnati hosts Oregon State on ESPN (7:30 p.m.). On Friday, Sept. 7, Rutgers hosts Navy on ESPN (7:30 p.m.). One day later - Saturday, Sept. 8 - the BIG EAST will have two games on ESPN2 with West Virginia playing at Marshall (11:00 a.m.) and USF traveling to Auburn (9:00 p.m.).
The first nationally televised conference game will take place on Friday, Sept. 28, when USF hosts West Virginia on ESPN2 (8:00 p.m.). The league will have six Thursday night contests this season on ESPN or ESPN2, including Thursday, Nov. 8 when Louisville plays at West Virginia on ESPN (7:30 p.m.) and Thursday, Nov. 29 when the Cardinals host Rutgers on ESPN (7:30 p.m.). In addition, "The Backyard Brawl" between Pittsburgh and West Virginia will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1 on either ESPN or ESPN2.
THE NATIONAL SCHEDULE
The BIG EAST will have an extensive schedule of games on national television. The following telecasts were known at press time. Other games for all networks will be added via the 12-day and 6-day advance selection process.
ABC
Games to be determined via 12-day and 6-day advance selection process.
ESPN Fri., Aug. 31, Washington at Syracuse 8:00 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 6, Oregon State at Cincinnati 7:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 7, Navy at Rutgers 7:00 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 13, West Virginia at Maryland 7:30 p.m. Sat., Sept. 15, Pittsburgh at Michigan State Noon Fri., Oct. 5, Utah at Louisville 8:00 p.m. Wed., Oct. 10, Navy at Pittsburgh 8:00 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 18, USF at RUTGERS 7:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 19, LOUISVILLE at CONNECTICUT 8:00 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 8, LOUISVILLE at WEST VIRGINIA 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 29, RUTGERS at LOUISVILLE 7:30 p.m. Sat., Dec. 1, PITTSBURGH at WEST VIRGINIA (or ESPN2) TBD ESPN2 Thurs., Sept. 6, Middle Tennessee State at Louisville 7:00 p.m. Sat., Sept. 8, West Virginia at Marshall 11:00 a.m. Sat., Sept. 8, USF at Auburn 9:00 p.m. Fri., Sept. 28, WEST VIRGINIA at USF 8:00 p.m. Fri., Nov. 9, Rutgers at Army 8:00 p.m. Sat., Dec. 1, PITTSBURGH at WEST VIRGINIA (or ESPN) TBD ESPNU Thurs., Aug. 30, Murray State at Louisville 7:30 p.m. Sat., Sept. 15, Illinois at Syracuse Noon ESPN CLASSIC Sat., Sept. 15, Louisville at Kentucky 7:30 p.m. ESPN 360 Thurs., Aug. 30, SE Missouri State at Cincinnati 7:00 p.m. Sat., Sept. 8, Grambling at Pittsburgh Noon All times Eastern and subject to change. BIG EAST Games in CAPS. ESPN REGIONAL/BIG EAST GAME OF THE WEEK Sept. 22, SYRACUSE at LOUISVILLE or North Carolina at USF Sept. 29, Akron at Connecticut Oct. 6, CINCINNATI at RUTGERS or WEST VIRGINIA at SYRACUSE Oct. 13, RUTGERS at SYRACUSE or LOUISVILLE at CINCINNATI Oct. 20, TBD Oct. 27, TBD Nov. 3, TBD Nov. 10, CONNECTICUT at CINCINNATI or USF at SYRACUSE Nov. 17, TBD Nov. 24, TBD BIG EAST Games in CAPS.
