April 9, 2008

Football-starved fans will have a unique opportunity to get a first glimpse of future Big Ten stars at 1 PM ET Saturday, April 19, during the 3½ hour BIG TEN TONIGHT: SPRING FOOTBALL SHOWCASE presented by Jimmy John's. Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will host the program from Chicago with live look-ins from that afternoon's eight spring games in the Big Ten.

The show will take fans to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. At each stop, the Big Ten Network football analysts will give their early opinions on the 2008 season, break down important position battles and discuss which players could have breakout seasons.
 
Fans who want to watch their team's spring game without interruption can log onto to BigTenNetwork.com for a live web stream.  The service will be provided free of charge by the Big Ten Network in conjunction with PlayON! Sports. Big Ten Network worked with PlayON! Sports last winter to stream 10 men's basketball games on BigTenNetwork.com.

Three Big Ten schools - Michigan, Minnesota and Northwestern - will conduct their spring games on different dates, and the Big Ten Network also will be on-hand to cover those events. BigTenNetwork.com will stream the spring games for Minnesota (7 PM CT on Friday, April 25) and Northwestern (noon CT on Saturday, April 26). Due to stadium renovations, Michigan's spring game will be held on Saturday, April 12, at Saline High School, near Ann Arbor.  Highlights and interviews from the game will appear on that evening's Big Ten Tonight as well as on BigTenNetwork.com.

Last fall, the Big Ten Network became the first network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million homes within its first 30 days. The network is available through distribution agreements with DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-Verse, Insight Communications, WideOpenWest, RCN, Service Electric and more than 240 other cable operators.

About the Big Ten Network:
The Big Ten Network is dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions. The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more major men's and women's events than ever before, along with news, highlights and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The network is available to all cable and satellite carriers and television distributors nationwide, with most programs offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks. For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit www.BigTenNetwork.com.

About PlayON! Sports:
PlayON! Sports, a division of Turner Sports, is a broadband service that delivers live and on-demand webcasts of sporting events that can't be seen elsewhere. Utilizing the production and technical capabilities of Turner Broadcasting, PlayON! Sports provides its production and delivery technology to entities like the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACCSelect.com), the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASun.TV) and the United Soccer Leagues (USLlive.com). For more information, visit www.playonsports.tv.

Turner Sports, Inc., a Time Warner company, presents some of the best and most popular sporting events worldwide and is a leader in televised sports programming.  With events airing on TBS and TNT, Turner Sports' line-up includes NASCAR and NASCAR.COM, the NBA, Major League Baseball, professional golf, PGATour.com and PGA.com.