June 7, 2001
PARK RIDGE, IL - Four inter-conference match-ups with the Pacific-10
Conference and the first night game in newly remodeled Ohio Stadium
highlight early 2001 Big Ten football television selections, the Conference
office announced Thursday.
The action kicks off Saturday afternoon, Sept. 1, at 2:30 p.m. CDT with
Illinois playing at California in a nationally televised game on Fox Sports
Net. Later that evening, Oregon plays host to Wisconsin in a game that will
be televised by ABC Sports. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m. CDT.
The Big Ten and Pac-10 will face each other twice more on ABC Sports.
Washington entertains 2000 Big Ten champion Michigan on Sept. 8, while two
weeks later UCLA plays host to Ohio State, both games will kick off at 3:30
p.m. EDT.
Defending Big Ten champion Northwestern and Ohio State will meet for the
first time in three years when the Buckeyes host the Wildcats Oct. 6 in a
nationally cablecast game on ESPN (7:45 p.m. EDT).
The Conference also announced 11 additional games that have been selected
for national or regional television broadcasts for the 2001 season. ABC
Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Plus, the Fox Sports Network and NBC Sports will
televise Big Ten games this season. Additional Big Ten football telecasts
for games scheduled the first three weeks in September will be announced no
later than July 15.
The Conference's first nationally televised game of the 2001 season features
Minnesota at Toledo on Friday, August 31 at 5:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. The
first-ever Big Ten televised game on Sunday will take place Sept. 2 on ESPN2
when Cincinnati plays host to Purdue, defending Big Ten champion and Rose
Bowl participant.
Four intra-conference games have been slated for television beginning with
the Michigan State at Northwestern tilt on Sept. 29 (on ABC or ESPN2). ABC
will televise Wisconsin at Ohio State on Oct. 13 and ABC will continue its
tradition of televising the Ohio State versus Michigan game, at Michigan
Stadium this year, on the last Saturday of the Big Ten regular season (Nov.
24).
The Big Ten established record high numbers in televised home football games
and home football attendance average last season, as 58 of 67 (87%) home
games were broadcast nationally, regionally or locally. An average of
69,076 fans attended home football games in 2000, an increase of 2.7 percent
over the previous season.
A listing of scheduled televised games follows.
2001 Big Ten Football TV Schedule
(Schedule as of June 7, 2001 -- Subject to Change)
Friday, Aug. 31
Minnesota @ Toledo, 5:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN2)
Saturday, Sept. 1
Miami, OH @ Michigan, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN Plus)
Illinois @ California, 2:30 p.m. CDT (Fox Sports Net)
Wisconsin @ Oregon, 7:00 p.m. CDT (ABC Sports)
Sunday, Sept. 2
Purdue @ Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN2)
Thursday, Sept. 6
Indiana @ North Carolina State, 7:30 or 8 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Friday, Sept. 7
Northwestern @ UNLV, 7 p.m. CDT (ESPN)
Saturday, Sept. 8
Northern Illinois @ Illinois, 11:10 a.m. CDT (ESPN Plus)
Michigan @ Washington, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ABC Sports)
Additional ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Thursday, Sept. 13
Penn State @ Virginia, 7:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Saturday, Sept. 15
ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Sept. 22
Ohio State @ UCLA, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ABC Sports)
Michigan State @ Notre Dame, 2:30 EDT / 1:30 EST (NBC)
Additional ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Sept. 29
Michigan State @ Northwestern (2:30 CDT, ABC, or, 5:30 CDT, ESPN2)
Additional ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Oct. 6
Northwestern @ Ohio State, 7:45 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Additional ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Oct. 13
Wisconsin @ Ohio State, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ABC Sports)
Additional ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Oct. 20
ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Oct. 27
ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Nov. 3
ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Nov. 10
ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Nov. 17
ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Thursday, Nov. 22
ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
Saturday, Nov. 24
Ohio State @ Michigan, 1 EST (ABC Sports)
Additional ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN Plus Games TBA
(NOTE: Additional TV games/times for Sept. 1-8-15 to be determined July 15, 2001. All other TV and times will be announced 12 days or 6 days in advance.)
