Big Ten Announces 14 Prime Time Games

Published: 24^th Apr 12 2:17 pm

by Jay Beck
Jay Beck

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Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The Big Ten announced today 14 games that will be broadcast in prime time. Six of those games will be broadcast on a combination of ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2. The remaining eight games will all be seen on the Big Ten Network.

Here’s the complete list of games that were announced this morning.

Date	Game	Time (ET)	TV
Aug. 31	Boise State @ Michigan State	8PM	ESPN
Sept. 1	Indiana State @ Indiana	8PM	BTN
Sept. 8	Vanderbilt @ Northwestern	8PM	BTN
Sept. 15	Notre Dame @ Michigan State	8PM	ABC
Sept. 15	Utah State @ Wisconsin	8PM	BTN
Sept. 15	Ball State @ Indiana	8PM	BTN
Sept. 22	Syracuse @ Minnesota	8PM	BTN
Sept. 22	Louisiana Tech @ Illinois	8PM	BTN
Sept. 29	Wisconsin @ Nebraska	8PM	ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
Oct. 6	Nebraska @ Ohio State	8PM	ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
Oct. 13	Ohio State @ Indiana	8PM	BTN
Oct. 20	Penn State @ Iowa	8PM	BTN
Oct. 27	Ohio State @ Penn State	6PM	ESPN/ESPN2
Oct. 27	Michigan @ Nebraska	8PM	ABC/ESPN/ESPN2

Ohio State, Nebraska, and Michigan are the only teams that will play under the lights three different times in 2012. Including the Buckeyes matchup with Nebraska in Columbus, Ohio State will also travel to Indiana and Penn State. That means three of the Buckeyes four games in the month of October will be played after dark.

Nebraska, in addition to Ohio State, will also play host to Wisconsin and Michigan in prime time. The Huskers took it on the chin against both teams in 2011 and there’s no doubt the Nebraska crowd will be revved up when they make their return trips to Lincoln.

Michigan State gets things kicked off for the Big Ten on August 31st – which is a Friday night – against Boise State in what should be one of the best nonconference games of the season.

It’s worth noting that these games are in addition to the previously announced night games between Michigan and Alabama in Arlington and Michigan’s visit to South Bend to take on Notre Dame which will be televised on NBC. That will give the Big Ten 16 total slots in the coveted prime time slot.

The Big Ten did stick to its policy of no night games after November 1st, however. Weather is obviously a factor in Big Ten country, but it also seems like they’re missing out on some great additional exposure. November is typically the best month of the regular seasons as the conference races go down to the wire. But hey, baby steps. This is a solid start for a conference that has typically loved to play many of its games in the 11AM time slot.

The season is still over four months away, but something about announcing game times make it feel closer than a really is. I’ll take it, though. Anything to make the offseason go by just a little faster is a good thing.

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