Feb. 10, 2009
CHICAGO – The Big Ten Network will nationally televise up to 30 Big Ten baseball games, including the entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament, and 25 Big Ten softball games this spring. Every game will be produced in high definition.
“With the network now available to more than 70 million people nationwide, the Big Ten Network is thrilled to give increased national exposure to Big Ten baseball and softball,” network president Mark Silverman said. ”We know that fans will especially enjoy watching these games in HD.”
Every Big Ten baseball team will appear on the network at least three times, plus conference tournament play. The network’s live baseball coverage begins with two games of the Michigan State-Illinois series in Champaign. Game 1 of the series is slated for 7 p.m. ET on Friday, March 27.
Every game on the Big Ten Network baseball schedule will be a conference matchup, including the entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament played Wednesday, May 20, through Sunday, May 24. The event will take place at the new Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, the home of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. The event will mark the Big Ten’s first neutral-site baseball tournament since 1994.
Michigan is the defending Big Ten Tournament champion and finished atop the 2008 regular season standings with a 42-12 overall record and a 26-5 Big Ten mark.
The Big Ten Network’s live softball coverage begins with the Michigan-Northwestern series in Evanston. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 21.
Every Big Ten softball team will appear on the network at least three times. The Big Ten Network will televise a softball doubleheader on most Wednesdays as well as selected games on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The Big Ten features two teams listed in the USA Softball preseason top 25, No. 5 Michigan and No. 11 Northwestern, who also shared the 2008 Big Ten Conference title.
The Wolverines prepare for the 2009 campaign after posting a 52-8 record and earning the program's fourth-consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearance.
Northwestern also enters this season as the 2008 Big Ten Tournament champions. The Wildcats also are coming off their fourth-consecutive appearance in an NCAA Tournament Super Regional.
2009 Big Ten Network Baseball Schedule
Date Time (ET) Game
Friday, March 27 7:00pm Michigan State at Illinois
Saturday, March 28 4:00pm Michigan State at Illinois
Friday, April 3 4:00pm Penn State at Michigan
Friday, April 10 7:00pm Illinois at Michigan
Saturday, April 11 2:30pm Indiana at Iowa
Sunday, April 12 2:30pm Indiana at Iowa
Friday, April 17 4:00pm Iowa at Northwestern
Saturday, April 18 12:00pm Ohio State at Purdue
Sunday, April 19 12:00pm Ohio State at Purdue
Friday, April 24 7:30pm Purdue at Minnesota
Saturday, April 25 3:30pm Michigan State at Iowa
Sunday, April 26 2:30pm Michigan State at Iowa
Friday, May 1 7:00pm Michigan at Ohio State
Saturday, May 2 1:00pm Michigan at Ohio State
Sunday, May 3 1:00pm Michigan at Ohio State
Saturday, May 9 3:00pm Northwestern at Indiana
Sunday, May 10 1:00pm Northwestern at Indiana
Friday, May 15 6:30pm Minnesota at Penn State
Saturday, May 16 2:00pm Minnesota at Penn State
Wednesday, May 20 TBA Big Ten Tournament Game 1*
Wednesday, May 20 TBA Big Ten Tournament Game 2*
Thursday, May 21 TBA Big Ten Tournament Game 3*
Thursday, May 21 TBA Big Ten Tournament Game 4*
Thursday, May 21 TBA Big Ten Tournament Game 5*
Friday, May 22 TBA Big Ten Tournament Game 6*
Friday, May 22 TBA Big Ten Tournament Game 7*
Friday, May 22 TBA Big Ten Baseball Tournament Semifinals*
Saturday, May 23 TBA Big Ten Baseball Tournament Semifinals*
Saturday, May 23 TBA Big Ten Baseball Tournament Championship*
Sunday, May 24 TBA Big Ten Baseball Tournament Championship* (If Necessary)
* Tournament will be played at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio
2009 Big Ten Network Softball Schedule
Date Time (ET) Game
Saturday, March 21 1:00pm Michigan at Northwestern
Sunday, March 22 2:00pm Michigan at Northwestern
Sunday, March 29 3:00pm Michigan State at Illinois
Wednesday, April 1 6:00pm Illinois at Iowa
Wednesday, April 1 8:30pm Illinois at Iowa*
Saturday, April 4 2:00pm Purdue at Michigan
Sunday, April 5 1:00pm Purdue at Michigan
Wednesday, April 8 3:00pm Northwestern at Minnesota
Wednesday, April 8 5:30pm Northwestern at Minnesota*
Saturday, April 11 12:00pm Indiana at Michigan State
Sunday, April 12 12:00pm Indiana at Michigan State
Wednesday, April 15 3:00pm Iowa at Northwestern
Wednesday, April 15 5:30pm Iowa at Northwestern*
Saturday, April 18 3:30pm Ohio State at Wisconsin
Sunday, April 19 3:00pm Ohio State at Wisconsin
Wednesday, April 22 5:00pm Minnesota at Wisconsin
Wednesday, April 22 7:30pm Minnesota at Wisconsin*
Saturday, April 25 1:00pm Purdue at Penn State
Sunday, April 26 12:00pm Purdue at Penn State
Saturday, May 2 4:00pm Indiana at Penn State
Sunday, May 3 1:00pm Indiana at Penn State (Same Day Delay – 4:00pm)
Wednesday, May 6 5:00pm Ohio State at Michigan
Wednesday, May 6 7:30pm Ohio State at Michigan*
Friday, May 8 7:00pm TBA
Saturday, May 9 7:00pm TBA
* Game 2 of doubleheader. Start time may vary.
About the Big Ten Network:
The Big Ten Network is the first nationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live events, and nearly all of them in HD, the network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising more Olympic sporting events and women’s sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities. Each year, the network offers approximately 35 football games, 105 regular season men’s basketball games; 55 women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; Big Ten Tonight, a nightly studio show; coaches’ shows; and classic games. Available to all cable and satellite providers nationwide, the network currently has agreements with more than 250 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland), DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on the Big Ten Network, go to www.BigTenNetwork.com.
