Big Ten Network Launches Thursday Night
8/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 30, 2007
CHICAGO - The new Big Ten Network officially launches in prime time at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 30, with a special football season preview edition of Big Ten Tonight. Lead studio host Dave Revsine and analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will break down the conference title race and forecast the 2007 season. Earlier this month, Revsine, DiNardo and Griffith visited all 11 preseason camp to gauge each team's prospects.
The Michigan State football team will debut on the Big Ten Network on Saturday, Sept. 8 at noon when it hosts Bowling Green at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans will also appear on the Big Ten Network for the Oct. 13 home game against Indiana at 7 p.m.
The first-ever Spartan game to be telecast on the network is set for Monday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. with a tape-delayed showing of the Michigan State women's soccer game vs. Syracuse.
With the launch of the Big Ten Network, every home football and men's basketball game is guaranteed to be televised by one of the conference's television partners. The Big Ten Network will televise 39 football games this fall and 140 men's basketball games this season. Both of those numbers represent the most of any network.
The Big Ten Network will produce the Big Ten Tonight nightly studio show and more live events (and more women's athletics events) in HD than any other new network in television history. Big Ten Network recently announced a commitment to gender equality by 2010, when all Big Ten Network-controlled television, Internet and mobile media will provide equal men's and women's athletic coverage. Most of the football games, and the vast majority of Big Ten Network football throughout the season, will be produced in state-of the-art high definition (HD).
The Big Ten Conference is the majority owner of Big Ten Network, with its proceeds divided equally among the 11 conference member universities. These proceeds will assist Big Ten Conference member institutions in operating their respective athletic programs in a self-sustaining manner, without university subsidy or allocation of state funding, enabling additional revenue to flow to research, the arts and other scholastic endeavors.
The series premiere of The Big Ten's Greatest Games follows at 9 p.m. ET after the football season preview with the 2006 Ohio State-Michigan game.
After the debut of The Big Ten's Greatest Games, Revsine hosts Big Ten Tonight, the network's signature nightly studio show with highlights, analysis and features. The program will not only cover football and basketball, but also many NCAA-sponsored sports including hockey, baseball, volleyball, softball and many more.
The excitement of the football season's opening weekend continues the night before the games with Friday Night Tailgate at 8 p.m. ET. The show will capture that excitement while letting viewers experience the passion and fervor on Big Ten campuses come alive as players, students, fans and faculty get ready for the big game. Host Mike Hall and a team of campus correspondents will provide an unparalleled look at the next day's games, as well as the excitement and anticipation that surround Friday nights.
Big Ten Football Saturday kicks off at 11 a.m. ET with a one-hour pre-game show. Revsine, DiNardo and Griffith provide up-to-the-minute updates on developments that could affect the day's games.
At noon ET, the network will carry four games simultaneously, including Youngstown State at Ohio State (DIRECTV Channel 218), Northeastern at Northwestern (DIRECTV Channel 219), Appalachian State at Michigan (DIRECTV Channel 220, the Big Ten Network's main channel) and Florida International at Penn State (DIRECTV Channel 221). The games will be regionalized to cater to each specific market. Cable subscribers should check their local listings.
The primetime games include a pair of 8 p.m. ET kickoffs. Indiana hosts in-state rival Indiana State (DIRECTV Channel 218) while Minnesota hosts Bowling Green (DIRECTV Channel 220).