Network Drops Puck on Coverage with #12 Boston University-#4 Notre Dame

New Year’s Eve Match-up

 11 Friday Nights of College Hockey Begins Jan. 6; Hockey East Tournament Coverage Begins March 9

NBC Sports Network to also Air Notre Dame Home Hockey Games

Beginning with 2013-14 Season

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, DEVOTING AN ENTIRE HOUR

TO THE STATE OF COLLEGE SPORTS IN AMERICA AND FEATURING

A ROUNDTABLE PANEL WITH BILLY PACKER, RICH RODRIGUEZ, JASON WHITLOCK AND

JEFF ORLEANS, RETURNS ON A SPECIAL NIGHT AND TIME

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Winner of 21 Sports Emmys^® in 15 years, REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL departs from its traditional format to present a special hour-long edition dedicated to the state of college sports in America.  Presented three days before the men’s NCAA Final Four tip off in Houston, the show will present an entertaining and substantive dialogue on the current state of big-time athletics in college sports, addressing hot-button issues and offering practical solutions to current problems.  Available in HDTV, the 168th edition of REAL SPORTS debuts WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates:  March 30 (4:55 a.m.) and 31 (4:15 p.m., 12:30 a.m.), and April 1 (8:00 a.m., 8:00 p.m.), 2 (11:00 a.m., 3:05 a.m.), 3 (3:30 p.m.), 4 (2:30 p.m., 12:30 a.m.) and 6 (7:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates:  April 3 (11:00 p.m.), 5 (8:00 a.m., 7:00 p.m.), 7 (noon, 2:30 a.m.), 9 (3:00 p.m.), 10 (8:00 a.m.) and 14 (1:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m.)

HBO On Demand availability:  April 2-25

Two long-form segments anchor the program, setting the stage for an extended roundtable panel hosted by Bryant Gumbel and featuring former University of Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez, outspoken college basketball commentator Billy Packer, print journalist Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com and former Ivy League Athletics Commissioner Jeff Orleans.  The group will address a host of issues relating to the NCAA and the regulation of its 1,055 member schools.

Segments include:

*The Money Trail. Every year, thousands of talented young student-athletes sign letters of intent and obtain full-ride athletic scholarships (tuition and board) from the biggest, wealthiest programs in America, effectively giving up all rights to revenue generated by their participation, including TV rights fees, merchandising and ticket sales.  But with a dramatic increase in revenue from top programs and athletes’ growing awareness of their contribution, many are starting to ask if there should be financial compensation.  REAL SPORTS correspondent Bernard Goldberg examines the notion of student-athletes remaining untainted amateurs while generating pro-type revenue for their schools.  Are they getting a fair shake?

Producer:  Joe Perskie.

*Pay to Play. Should athletes at Division I programs be financially compensated?  And would that curb the headline-grabbing stories of inappropriate payments and benefits?  More and more standout athletes in top programs are seemingly putting their education on the back burner to focus on what’s really important – the money.  Those destined for the NBA and NFL face the moral dilemma of dealing with “advisors” and “street agents” who can deliver the funds and material items they desire while in school in exchange for a promise of future reciprocation when they reach the pros.  REAL SPORTS correspondent Andrea Kremer delves into the controversial and complex subject of premium college-bound athletes receiving benefits that are prohibited by the NCAA.

Producer:  Tim Walker.

Immediately following the March 30 presentation of REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, at 11:00 p.m. (ET), viewers can log on to hbo.com/realsports for an exclusive “overtime” webcast segment, in which the roundtable panel will continue the discussion and answer questions from viewers.

REAL SPORTS has won the Sports Emmy^® for Outstanding Sports Journalism 13 times, in addition to being the first sports program honored with the duPont Award for excellence in broadcast journalism.

The executive producers of REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; Kirby Bradley is senior producer.

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109,000 FANS EXPECTED FOR MICHIGAN VS. MICHIGAN STATE OUTDOOR HOCKEY ON SATURDAY

FOX SPORTS TO PRODUCE ‘THE BIG CHILL AT THE BIG HOUSE’

Game Televised Nationally on FOX Sports Detroit, Big Ten Network, and Fox College Sports Atlantic

FOX Sports Networks will provide comprehensive television coverage of the ‘The Big Chill at The Big House,’ the outdoor hockey match up featuring rivals Michigan and Michigan State on Saturday, Dec 11 at 3:00 p.m. ET.  The game is expected to draw a crowd of more than 109,000 fans, which would shatter the previous world record for an outdoor hockey game.

‘The Big Chill at The Big House’ will be televised regionally in high-definition on FOX Sports Detroit, reaching 3.2 million households throughout Michigan and portions of Northwest Ohio and Northern Indiana.  Outside of the FOX Sports Detroit footprint, the game will be shown on the Big Ten Network, available to an estimated 75 million households across the U.S. and Canada.  The game will also be available on Fox College Sports Atlantic, Leafs TV (Ontario) and FOX affiliate KFXF in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Michigan and Michigan State previously played an outdoor game on Oct. 6, 2001 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing in front of 74,554 fans.  That contest, which was dubbed ‘The Cold War,’ was also produced by FOX Sports Networks and set the standard for all outdoor hockey games that have followed on the amateur and professional level.

The 16-camera, high-definition production includes the following announcers:  Matt Shepard (play-by-play), Billy Jaffe (analyst), Fred Pletsch (between the benches analyst), along with Mickey Redmond and John Keating (hosts/intermission interviews).  Shepard, Jaffe and Keating also were on the 2001 “Cold War” telecast.

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ESPN Networks Present 2010 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, including Three Top National Seeds

NCAA Ice Rink at Detroit Lions’ Ford Field to Feature Wisconsin vs. Rochester Institute of Technology, Miami University vs. Boston College

ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV will present the 2010 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four live from Ford Field in Detroit. The NFL field has been transformed to include an NCAA ice rink. Watch the video of the transformation here.

The puck drops when No. 3 national seed Wisconsin (27-10-4) faces Rochester Institute of Technology (28-11-1) in the first national semifinal Thursday, April 8, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com, followed by No. 1 national seed Miami (29-7-7) vs. No. 4 national seed Boston College (27-10-3) in the second national semifinal at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2 HD, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile. The national championship will air Saturday, April 10, at 7 p.m. on ESPN HD, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile.

The Frozen Four telecasts will feature Gary Thorne (play-by-play), Barry Melrose (analyst), Clay Matvick (ice-level reporter) calling all the action from Detroit. Also, on Friday, April 9, at 7 p.m., ESPNU HD will feature the Hobey Baker Award presentation live from Ford Field. The award honors college ice hockey’s top men’s player. The presentation will be hosted by Matvick and Melrose.

ESPN’s presentation of the Frozen Four will feature 15 cameras, including two fixed cameras in each goal, provided by the NCAA to verify goals.

Frozen Four Schedule, Ford Field, Detroit

Head Coaches Enrico Blasi (Miami of Ohio), George Gwozdecky (Denver) Join Sunday’s NCAA Hockey Selection Show on ESPN2 HD

ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will combine to present all 15 games live from the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, Friday, March 26-Saturday, April 10. ESPNU will telecast eight regional games exclusively, while ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, will supplement the coverage by offering seven games live, including the Frozen Four. Select regional games on ESPN360.com may also be available via local syndication.

The Frozen Four, live from Ford Field in Detroit, will be presented in high definition on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD, as well as ESPN360.com.

Coverage of the tournament begins with the NCAA Hockey Selection Show on Sunday, March 21, at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 HD. John Buccigross will host the show with analysts Barry Melrose and former University of Michigan hockey standout Sean Ritchlin.

Joining the show will be Miami (Ohio) head coach Enrico Blasi, whose team has dedicated this season to the late Brendan Burke, the former team manager who was killed in a car accident in February and also was openly gay and considered a pioneer in young athletes coming out; and Denver head coach George Gwozdecky, Blasi’s former college coach at Miami and the only coach in NCAA history to win a national title in ice hockey as a player/assistant coach and head coach. Buccigross recently received the GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism Article for his piece on Burke.

ESPNU will present two regional rounds entirely in high definition Friday, March 26, through Sunday, March 28. Also, on Friday, April 9, at 7 p.m., ESPNU HD will feature the Hobey Baker Award presentation live from Ford Field. The award honors college ice hockey’s top men’s player. The presentation will be hosted by ESPN’s Clay Matvick and Barry Melrose.

ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com will showcase the Frozen Four live from Detroit, with the first national semifinal Thursday, April 8, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com and the second national semifinal at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2 HD, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile. The national championship will air Saturday, April 10, at 7 p.m. on ESPN HD, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile.

Frozen Four telecasts will feature Gary Thorne (play-by-play), Barry Melrose (analyst), Clay Matvick (ice-level reporter) calling all the action from Detroit. At regional semifinals and finals, commentators include play-by-play announcer John Buccigross and analyst Barry Melrose (NHL) at the East Regional in Albany, N.Y.; Matvick and Jim Paradise (Colorado College) at the West Regional in Saint Paul, Minn.; Dan Parkhurst and Damian DiGiulian (Hamilton College) at the Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass.; and Ben Holden and Ritchlin (Michigan) at the Midwest Regional in Fort Wayne, Ind. Also during coverage of the regional rounds, the ESPNU studio will be anchored by Lowell Galindo and Bob Norton (Rutgers).

NCAA Div. I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Schedule

NEW YORK (December 16, 2009) – NHL Network™ U.S. today announced the remaining games on the network’s 2009-10 college hockey schedule.  Included are special hockey events such as Sun Life Frozen Fenway – the outdoor games between the Northeastern and New Hampshire women’s teams and the Boston College and Boston University men’s teams Jan. 8 at Fenway Park, both in HD.  Other special events include the U.S. Under-20 National Team exhibition game against North Dakota on Sunday, Dec. 20, and the ECAC Semifinals March 19 and the ECAC Championship game March 21.

NHL Network’s slate of college games boasts appearances by top-ranked teams from the Hockey East Association, Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC Hockey).  The package provides NHL Network with ‘Game of the Week’ match-ups that will be televised primarily on Friday nights through the remainder of the 2009-10 season.  In addition to the network’s previously announced 78-game package of live NHL® games, live college hockey games are an integral part of NHL Network’s portfolio of hockey programming providing viewers unmatched access to live hockey action.

The full NHL Network U.S. 2009-10 College Hockey live game schedule is as follows:

Date                        Game                                                        Time (ET)
Friday, Nov. 13                Ferris State at Miami                                         7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 27                St. Cloud State at Denver                                 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 11                North Dakota at Wisconsin                                 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 20        U.S. Under-20 National Team at North Dakota                  Noon*
Friday, Jan. 8                Northeastern vs. New Hampshire (women)                 4 p.m.**
Friday, Jan. 8                Boston College vs. Boston University                          7:30 p.m.**
Friday, Jan. 22                Denver at Wisconsin                                         8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 29                Denver at North Dakota                                         8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 5                Clarkson at Union                                         7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 12                Minnesota State at Wisconsin                                 9 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 19                Nebraska-Omaha at Miami                                 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 26                RPI at Colgate                                                 7 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 5                Michigan Tech at North Dakota                                 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 19                ECAC Semifinal #1                                         4 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 19                ECAC Semifinal #2                                         7 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 21        ECAC Championship                                         11 a.m.*
*Tape Delay
**Sun Life Frozen Fenway Outdoors at Fenway Park

Div. I Championships Receive Extensive Live Coverage on ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN and ESPN360.com

ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com will showcase the Frozen Four, live from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, with the national semifinal games Thursday, April 9, on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com. The national championship will be telecast Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. on ESPN HD. ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, will complement the telecasts with complete live coverage of all three games.

Thursday’s first semifinal, set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com, features two No. 4 regional seeds facing off as Bemidji State (20-15-1) matches up with Miami University (22-12-5). The second semifinal follows at 8:30 p.m. ET, as No. 3 regional seed Vermont (22-11-5), squares off with No. 1 overall seed Boston University (33-6-4). The complete Frozen Four schedule can be found below.

After defeating No. 3 seed New Hampshire in the Northeast Regional Final, Boston U., which was ranked No. 1 in the nation throughout most of the regular season, returns to the championship round for the first time in 12 years. This is the Terriers’ 21^st Frozen Four. In fact, according to the NCAA, this is the first time that any of these teams has made it to the Frozen Four since 1997.

In the East Regionals, Vermont upset No. 2 seed Yale 4-1, and defeated Air Force 3-2 in overtime to win the East Final and advance to the Frozen Four for just the second time in school history. In the Midwest Regionals, Bemidji State knocked off No. 2 seed Notre Dame, 5-1, before defeating Cornell in the regional final, 4-1. Miami, in the West, upset top seed Denver in a 4-2 decision, and claimed the regional final with a 2-1 defeat of No. 2 seed Minnesota-Duluth.

Other top story lines from the Frozen Four will include:

• • Vermont junior left wing and Sweden native Viktor Stalberg, ranked No. 1 in Hockey East in goals; his parents have traveled from Sweden to be in attendance
  • A look back at the game-winning goal in the East Regional Final by Vermont sophomore defenseman Dan Lawson. Officials analyzed the play for nearly 12 minutes before declaring the Catamounts had sealed the 3-2 win over Air Force
  • Bemidji State’s Cinderella story – where in the world is Bemidji? What do folks do there?
  • The groundbreaking Friday for Bemidji State’s new arena
  • Jack Parker’s tenure as the longtime coach of the Boston University Terriers
  • Four of Parker’s former BU players who went on to be members of the Miracle on Ice, the 1980 Olympic gold-medal winning United States hockey team – Mike Eruzione, Jack O’Callahan, Dave Silk and Jim Craig
  • The bicentennial celebration this year at Miami University, the nation’s 10^th oldest university
  • A campus-wide pep rally this past week to send off the Miami RedHawks in style

The Frozen Four telecasts will feature Gary Thorne (play-by-play), Barry Melrose (analyst), Clay Matvick (ice-level reporter) calling all the action from Washington, DC.

Also, on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m., ESPNU will present the Hobey Baker Award live in high definition from the Verizon Center. The presentation honors college ice hockey’s top men’s player and the show will be hosted by Clay Matvick and Ben Holden. Boston University boasts two of the three Hobey Baker Award finalists: defenseman Matt Gilroy and forward Colin Wilson. Northeastern goaltender Brad Thiessen is also a finalist.

ESPN’s presentation of the Frozen Four will feature seven cameras, plus two robotics, all in high definition. Of the two robotics, the “Speed Shot,” which pans left to right as a team comes across the blue line, will be positioned at center ice. The other robotic will be positioned behind one of the goals.

Analysts’ One-liners: What it will take to win the Frozen Four
BOSTON U. – Game analyst Barry Melrose: “Everyone says BU is the most talented team in the Frozen Four, and for them to win they must match the work ethic of the other teams they will be playing.”

VERMONT – Play-by-play analyst Gary Thorne: “The Catamounts must continue to play team two-way hockey with the emphasis on their defense’s core ability to shut down better offenses.”

MIAMI – Reporter Clay Matvick: “Coach Enrico Blasi’s youngest team in four seasons will have to continue to get senior-like leadership from underclassmen such as freshman goaltender Cody Reichard, who was excellent in the West Regional.”

BEMIDJI STATE – SportsCenter‘s John Buccigross: “The dream of a small-town team winning it all is the essence of Minnesota hockey; small-town belief is the Beavers’ most important strategy.”

Frozen Four Schedule
Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Date    Time (ET)       Event / Commentators    Network
Thu., Apr 9 5 p.m. National Semifinal – Bemidji St. vs. Miami (OH) ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
Gary Thorne, Barry Melrose, Clay Matvick
8:30 p.m. National Semifinal – Vermont vs. Boston U. ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
Gary Thorne, Barry Melrose, Clay Matvick
Fri., Apr 10 7 p.m. Hobey Baker Award ESPNU HD
Clay Matvick, Ben Holden
Sat., Apr 11 7 p.m. NCAA Championship Final ESPN HD / ESPN360.com
Gary Thorne, Barry Melrose, Clay Matvick

ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN and ESPN360.com will combine for expanded live coverage of all 15 games from the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships, March 27-April 11. ESPNU will telecast eight regional games exclusively, while ESPN2, ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband service, also will offer live coverage of regional semifinals and finals. The Frozen Four, live from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, will be presented in high definition on ESPN and ESPN2, while ESPN360.com also will provide extensive live coverage.

Coverage of the tournament begins Sunday, March 22, at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the NCAA Hockey Selection Show on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com, hosted by John Buccigross, who will be joined by analysts Barry Melrose and former University of Michigan hockey standout Sean Ritchlin.

ESPNU will provide extensive coverage of the tournament, from the regional semifinals Friday, March 27, through the regional finals Sunday, March 29. Also, on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m., the network will present the Hobey Baker Award live in high definition from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The presentation honors college ice hockey’s top men’s player and will be hosted by Clay Matvick and Ben Holden.

ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com will showcase the Frozen Four, live from Washington, DC, with the national semifinal games Thursday, April 9, at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com. The national championship will be telecast on Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. on ESPN HD and ESPN360.com.

The Frozen Four telecasts will feature Gary Thorne (play-by-play), Barry Melrose (analyst), Clay Matvick (ice-level reporter) calling all the action from Washington, DC, and John Buccigross will host the intermissions. At regional semifinals and finals, commentators include Justin Kutcher (play-by-play), Damian DiGuilian (analyst) and Ken Hodge (ice-level reporter) in the East Regional, Bridgeport, Conn.; Matvick and Jim Paradise in the West Regional, Minneapolis; Buccigross and Melrose in the Northeast Regional, Manchester, N.H.; with Ben Holden and Sean Ritchlin calling the action in the Midwest Regional, Grand Rapids, Mich. Also during coverage of the regional round, the ESPNU studio will be anchored by Lowell Galindo and Bob Norton.

ESPN360.com is available at no cost to millions of U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel. Users accessing ESPN360.com from an on-campus “.edu” or “.mil” network domain in the United States receive free, seamless access to the NCAA Div. I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships and hundreds of other live college and professional sporting events each month. ESPN360.com is also available via affiliated ISPs nationwide, including AT&T, Verizon, RCN, Insight, Frontier, Cavalier, Charter, Mediacom, Conway, Grande Communications and many more.

Schedule (all times Eastern)

NCAA Selection Show

Sun., Mar 22 11:30 a.m.      ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com

NCAA Div. I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships

Date    Time    Regional        Site    Network
Fri., Mar 27 3 p.m. East Regional Semifinal #1 Bridgeport, Conn.       ESPNU HD
5:30 p.m. West Regional Semifinal #1 Minneapolis     ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
6:30 p.m. East Regional Semifinal #2 Bridgeport      ESPNU HD
9 p.m. West Regional Semifinal #2 Minneapolis     ESPNU HD
Sat., Mar 28 2 p.m. Northeast Regional Semifinal #1 Manchester, N.H.        ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
4 p.m. Midwest Regional Semifinal #1 Grand Rapids, Mich.     ESPNU
5:30 p.m. Northeast Regional Semifinal #2 Manchester      ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
6:30 p.m. East Final Bridgeport      ESPNU HD
7:30 p.m. Midwest Regional Semifinal #2 Grand Rapids    ESPN Classic / ESPN360.com
9 p.m. West Final Minneapolis     ESPNU HD
Sun., Mar 29 5:30 p.m. Northeast Final Manchester      ESPNU
8 p.m. Midwest Final Grand Rapids    ESPNU

Frozen Four
Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Date    Time    Event   Network
Thur., Apr 9 5 p.m. National Semifinal #1 ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
8:30 p.m. National Semifinal #2 ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
Fri., Apr 10 7 p.m. Hobey Baker Award ESPNU HD
Sat., Apr 11 7 p.m. NCAA Championship Finals ESPN HD / ESPN360.com

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