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August 31, 2007
Network to Provide Wall-to-Wall Football Coverage
Big Ten Network Kicks Off 112th season of Big Ten football
CHICAGO – The Big Ten Network's first weekend will be dominated by coverage of the Big Ten's 112th football season. Six of the conference's 11 teams begin their 2007 campaign with games on the Big Ten Network, including Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State and Penn State.
In addition to the games themselves, the Big Ten Football Saturday studio team of Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will provide comprehensive studio coverage of Saturday's action, including a one-hour pre-game show and post-game show around the noon ET games. The trio returns for a 90-minute pre-game show leading into the primetime games. A 30-minute wrap-up show caps the day's events.
The opening weekend on the Big Ten Network will not be limited to football. The first live event in the history of the Big Ten Network will take place Friday at 5 p.m. ET at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus. The Ohio State men's soccer team will face West Virginia. Soccer coverage continues on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET as second-ranked UCLA visits seventh-ranked Indiana in a battle of national championship contenders.
FRIDAY: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate
The excitement of the football season's opening weekend continues the night before the games with Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate at 8 p.m. ET. The show will capture that excitement while letting viewers experience the passion and fervor on Big Ten campuses as players, students, fans and faculty get ready for the big game. Host Mike Hall and a team of campus correspondents will provide an unparalleled look at the next day's games, as well as the excitement and anticipation that surround Friday nights.
SATURDAY: 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT
Big Ten Football Saturday – Pre-Game Show
For the Big Ten football fan, the entire week revolves around game day and Big Ten Football Saturday provides wall-to-wall coverage. The day starts with the one-hour pre-game show as Revsine, DiNardo and Griffith discuss the keys to the day's games. The studio team will send viewers to the stadium for the much-anticipated game. At halftime, Revsine, DiNardo and Griffth return for analysis and keys to the second half.
SATURDAY: 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT
2007 Season Kickoff
At long last, the 2007 Big Ten football season kicks off with a busy slate of games. At noon ET, the network will simultaneously carry four contests. Most of the nation will see Michigan vs. Appalachian State. Regional audiences will see Ohio State vs. Youngstown State, Northwestern vs. Northeastern or Penn State vs. Florida International. Check your local cable listings. DIRECTV will carry all four games.
Noon ET – Appalachian State at Michigan (Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI)
Announcers: Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analysis), Charissa Thompson (sidelines). Markets Include: All except Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. DirecTV channel: 220
Michigan, the media's preseason favorite to win the Big Ten, hosts Appalachian State. The Wolverines have a pair of Heisman hopefuls on offense including quarterback Chad Henne and running back Mike Hart. Appalachian State has won back-to-back titles in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA).
Noon ET – Youngstown State at Ohio State (Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH)
Announcers: Roger Twibell (play-by-play) and Mike Tomczak (analysis). Markets Include: Ohio and Kentucky. DirecTV channel: 218
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel faces his old team, Youngstown State, in the season opener. The Buckeyes return All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis but must find new stars on offense to replace quarterback Troy Smith, last year's Heisman Trophy winner, and two other first-round picks, Ted Ginn, Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez.
Noon ET – Northeastern at Northwestern (Ryan Field, Evanston, IL)
Announcers: Scott Graham (play-by-play) and Derrick Walker (analysis). Markets Include: Illinois. DirecTV channel: 219
Northwestern hopes to pick up where it left off in 2006. The Wildcats won two of their last three games, including a road win at Iowa. Coach Pat Fitzgerald returns his entire defensive line and junior running back Tyrell Sutton continues his assault on the Northwestern record book.
Noon ET – Florida International at Penn State (Beaver Stadium, State College, PA)
Announcers: Mark Neely (play-by-play), Glen Mason (analysis) and Marshall Harris (sidelines). Markets Include: Pennsylvania. DirecTV channel: 221
A sell-out crowd of more than 107,000 fans at Beaver Stadium will see Joe Paterno begin his 42nd season as Penn State's head coach. This season, he surpasses Amos Alonzo Stagg as the longest serving head coach at one school in major college football history. The 80-year old Paterno will field one of the youngest squads in his legendary tenure with only 12 seniors on the roster.
SATURDAY: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
2007 Season Kickoff – Primetime
8:00 ET – Bowling Green at Minnesota (HHH Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN)
Announcers: Jim Kelly (play-by-play), Richard Baldinger (analysis), Dara McIntosh (sidelines). Markets Include: All except Indiana. DirecTV channel: 220
The Tim Brewster era begins at Minnesota as the Golden Gophers unveil a new coaching coach staff, new quarterback and new schemes on both sides of the ball. Minnesota is seeking its eighth bowl bid in the last nine seasons. The Gophers return 17 starters who reached last year's Sun Bowl.
8:00 ET – Indiana State at Indiana (Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN)
Announcers: Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), Chris Martin (analysis), Trenni Kusnierek (sidelines). Markets Include: Indiana and Kentucky. DirecTV channel: 218
It will be an emotional night at Memorial Stadium as the Hoosiers take the field for the first time since the passing of coach Terry Hoeppner. Bill Lynch, who served under Hoeppner as offensive coordinator, inherits as a team that just missed a bowl bid in 2006. Optimism is rampant in Bloomington thanks largely to an explosive offense led by sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis.
SATURDAY: 11 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. CT
Big Ten Football Saturday – The Finale
The Post-Game show follows with the highlights, in-depth analysis that only the Big Ten Network can provide. Once all the games have ended and the dust has cleared, Revsine, DiNardo and Griffith return for The Finale to wrap up the entire day.
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