CHARLOTTE, N.C. – ESPN Regional Television, Inc., and the BIG EAST Conference have announced that their 2009-10 BIG EAST Network Game of the Week regionally syndicated basketball package will air in nearly 50 television markets covering 24 states. Once again, the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week has the most substantial coverage of any regionally syndicated college basketball network, with the designated market areas of the network’s affiliates covering nearly 50 million households (41% of the U.S.).

Sixteen of the nation’s top 35 television markets will have clearance, including New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Washington DC; Boston; Tampa, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; St. Louis; Pittsburgh; Indianapolis; Baltimore; Hartford, Conn.; Kansas City, Kan.; Cincinnati; Milwaukee; and for the first time, Los Angeles.

The package will consist of 12 BIG EAST Conference matchups, beginning Saturday, Jan. 2, with a battle between perennial BIG EAST powers and long-time rivals: undefeated Syracuse, ranked No. 5 in the nation, and Pittsburgh, a No. 1 seed in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Each of the BIG EAST Conference’s 16 member institutions is represented on the 2010 Game of the Week schedule.

“We are again pleased to provide our viewers with a consistent window for BIG EAST Conference basketball,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president & general manager, ESPN Regional Television. “ESPN’s multimedia platforms continue to help deliver BIG EAST content to a significant base of college basketball fans. This season’s schedule of games is a fantastic representation of the BIG EAST Conference and its member institutions and will showcase the exceptional quality and competitiveness of the league.”

The games will be distributed nationally via the ESPN GamePlan pay-per-view package, which is available to fans via cable, DIRECTV and Dish Network.

“Providing our 16 member institutions and student-athletes with maximum television exposure is always one of our highest priorities,” said BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto. “With a reach that includes more than one-third of the nation’s households – and still growing — no regional syndicated television package provides more exposure than ESPN Regional’s BIG EAST Network Game of the Week. Fans in markets that stretch across the country can continue to count on seeing the best of BIG EAST basketball at the same time each week during the season.”

Along with Pittsburgh at No. 5 Syracuse on Jan. 2, the BIG EAST Network will feature preseason No. 23 Louisville at Pittsburgh on Jan. 16, No. 13 Georgetown at No. 8 Villanova on Jan. 17 and a Feb. 13 showdown between Cincinnati and No. 10 Connecticut. The schedule concludes with a special 2 p.m. ET start on Feb. 27 with Cincinnati at No. 6 West Virginia. All other games will tip off at noon ET.

California              Los Angeles (2)                         KJLA                    LATV

Connecticut             Hartford-New Haven (30)                 WTNH, WCTX              ABC, MyNet

Florida                 Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne (19)    BrightHouse             RSN

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota (14)      WFTS, BrightHouse       ABC, RSN

Illinois                        Chicago (3)                             WCIU-DT 4               IND

Rockford (134)                          WTVO-DT 2               My Net

Indiana                 Evansville (102)                                WAZE, WAZE-DT   CW

Indianapolis (25)                               WTTV                    CW

South Bend-Elkhart (91)                 WBND,WCWW,WMYS  ABC,IND,IND

Kansas                  Wichita-Hutchinson (69)                 KSCW, KWCH              CW, CBS

Kentucky                Lexington (62)                          WTVQ, WTVQ-DT   ABC, MyNet

Louisville (49)                         WHAS                    ABC

Louisiana               New Orleans (51)                        Cox-New Orleans RSN

Maryland                Baltimore (27)                          MASN                    RSN

Massachusetts           Boston-Manchester (7)                   WCVB                    ABC

Missouri                Kansas City (32)                        Metro Sports            RSN

St. Louis (21)                          Charter                 RSN

New York                New York (1)                            SportsNet NY            RSN

Albany-Schenectady-Troy (57)            Time Warner             RSN

Binghamton (157)                        Time Warner             RSN

Buffalo (52)                            Time Warner             RSN

Elmira (176)                            Time Warner             RSN

Rochester (80)                          Time Warner             RSN

Syracuse (83)                           Time Warner             RSN

Utica (170)                             Time Warner             RSN

Watertown (177)                         Time Warner             RSN

Ohio                    Cincinnati (33)                         WKRC, EKRC              CBS

Columbus (34)                           WWHO                    CW

Dayton (65)                             WBDT                    CW

Youngstown (110)                        WYTV, WYTV-DT   ABC

Pennsylvania            Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York (39) WHP, WLYH                CBS, CW

Johnstown-Altoona (101)                 WHVL                    MyNet

Philadelphia (4)                                WPHL                    MyNet

Pittsburgh (23)                         WTAE                    ABC

Wilkes Barre-Scranton (54)              WSWB                    CW

Rhode Island            Providence-New Bedford (53)             Cox-New England RSN

West Virginia           Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill (156)                WOAY                    ABC

Charleston-Huntington (63)              WCHS, WVAH              ABC, FOX

Clarksburg-Weston (168)         WVFX                    FOX

Parkersburg (194)                       WTAP-DT 2               MyNet

Wheeling-Steubenville (159)             WTOV                    NBC

Wisconsin               Green Bay-Appleton (70)                 WACY                    MyNet

La Crosse-Eau Claire (127)              KQEG                    FamilyNet

Madison (85)                            WMSN                    FOX

Milwaukee (35)                          WMLW                    IND

The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 1,000 telecasts of sporting events. Programming includes football, basketball, NCAA events, golf and NHRA events, accounting for more than 2,200 live and/or original hours of programming. In addition to ownership of several sporting events, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network and the syndication rights holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (e.g. – BIG EAST, Big 12, Mid-American, SEC, WAC).

The BIG EAST is the largest and most diverse Division I conference in the country. It was formed in 1979 and represents the athletic interests of 16 member institutions including the University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, DePaul University, Georgetown University, University of Louisville, Marquette University, University of Notre Dame, University of Pittsburgh, Providence College, Rutgers University, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, University of South Florida, Syracuse University, Villanova University and West Virginia University. The BIG EAST Conference has captured 26 national championships in six different sports and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series.  For more information on the Conference and its membership, please visit www.bigeast.org.

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