Big Ten Network
Launched	August 30, 2007
Owned by	Big Ten Conference (51%) Fox Cable Networks (a division of News Corporation (49%)
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 720p (HDTV)
Slogan	This is Big Ten Country, This is Where it Lives
Country	United States
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Website	BigTenNetwork.com
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	610 (SD/HD) (overflow SD: 609, 611, 612, 623, 625) (overflow HD: same numbers with -1 after them)
Dish Network	439 (SD) 9500 (HD) (overflow SD: 5440-5443) (overflow HD: 9501-9504)
Cable
Available on most Midwestern cable systems	Check local listings for channels

The Big Ten Network is a regional sports network in the United States launched on August 30, 2007. The network is a joint project of the Big Ten Conference, a collegiate athletic conference, and Fox Cable Networks (a division of News Corporation) and is a regional channel devoted to Big Ten athletic and academic programs. It is headquartered in the former Montgomery Ward & Co. catalog building at 600 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago, Illinois.¹ The Big Ten Network represents a 20-year partnership between the Big Ten and Fox Cable Networks. The Big Ten Network is majority-owned (51%) by the Big Ten Conference, with Fox Cable Networks holding a minority interest (49%).² Fox will handle the administration and daily operations of the channel. The conference officially announced the formation of the network on June 21, 2006.

Executive personnel

• Mark Silverman is the first President of the network. He was formerly a General Manager and Senior Vice President of ABC Cable Networks Group.³

• Leon Schweir is the network's Executive Producer and Vice President of Production. He previously had spent 26 years working at Madison Square Garden Network in New York City.⁴

• Kevin Weiberg, former Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, is the network's Vice-President of University Planning and Development.⁵

On-air talent

Studio

Football

Hosts

1. Dave Revsine⁶
2. Mike Hall
3. Rick Pizzo
4. Ann Kreiter

Analysts

1. Gerry DiNardo
2. Howard Griffith

Basketball

Hosts

1. Dave Revsine

Analysts

1. Gene Keady
2. Jimmy Jackson
3. Tim Doyle

Pairings

Football

1. Wayne Larrivee / Charles Davis
2. Thom Brennaman / Chris Martin
3. Mark Neely / Glen Mason
4. Matt Devlin / Ian Allen
5. Mike Crispino / Anthony Herron
6. Tom Werme / Tony McGee

Sideline reporters

1. Charissa Thompson

Basketball

Play-By-Play

• Craig Coshun
• Tom Hamilton
• Gus Johnson
• Wayne Larrivee
• Mark Neely
• Dave Revsine

Color Commentator

• Greg Kelser
• Tim McCormick
• Shon Morris
• Steve Smith
• Trent Tucker

Live sports coverage

The network broadcasts over 35 football games per season (including at least two per conference team). 41 football games were broadcasted on the network in 2007. It also broadcasts at least 105 regular-season men's basketball games and three Big Ten Tournament games. In the 2007-2008 season, it broadcasted a total of 135 men's basketball games. It also broadcasts at least 55 regular-season women's basketball games per season and nine Big Ten Tournament games. It also broadcasts 170 Olympic sporting events per year as well as 660 hours per year of institutional programming and coverage from the conference's vast library of historic sporting events, including bowl games. Other live sports coverage includes soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, gymnastics, ice hockey, field hockey, wrestling, golf, tennis, cross country, rowing, track & field and swimming & diving. The network has a commitment to "event equality", reporting an intention to produce and distribute an equal number of men's and women's events by year three.⁷

Regular shows

• Big Ten Tonight: Big Ten Network's flagship show, its a thirty- minute or hour-long nightly show similar to ESPN's SportsCenter. Dave Revsine and Mike Hall take turns as anchor. Rick Pizzo co-hosts. Other reporters and analysists appear depending on the sport being discussed.
• Big Ten Football Saturday: On Saturdays during football season, the day's games are discussed and highlights are shown. There's the pre-game, halftime, and post-game editions for all games. Dave Revsine hosts and Gerry DiNardo (who they call "Coach") and Howard Griffith provide analysis.
• Big Ten Friday Tailgate: 90 minute preview and analysis show on Friday nights. Also features two young reporters broadcasting from campus sites. The hosts are Mike Hall, Charissa Thompson, Jordan Klepper, and Steve Waltien.
• Big Ten Extra Points: Highlights of the weekend's football games
• Coaches Q&A: Excerpts from the week's press conferences
• The Big Ten's Greatest Games: Classic football and basketball games, usually with the meaningless parts edited out to fit time constraints.
• The Big Ten Women's Show: Covers women's sports throughout the conference
• Various magazine shows and coach's shows.

Program milestones

• First program: Big Ten Tonight, August 30, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET
• First live games: Four regional college football telecasts on September 1 at noon ET, including Appalachian State's historic upset win over Michigan
• First women's sports event: Syracuse at Michigan State, soccer, September 2
• First men's non-revenue sports event: UCLA at Indiana, soccer, September 2

Notable games

• September 1, 2007: Appalachian State vs. Michigan (Football). In the first game ever broadcast by the network, second-tier Appalachian State pulls off a 34-32 upset over the then-number-five Michigan, blocking a field goal on the game's final play.
• November 17, 2007: Indiana vs. Purdue (Football). A last second field goal propels Indiana to their first bowl game in 13 years for their late coach Terry Hoeppner.
• February 24, 2008: Indiana vs. Northwestern (Basketball). The Hoosiers edge the Wildcats in the first game under interim head coach Dan Dakich, after a scandal involving unauthorized telephone calls to recruits forced Kelvin Sampson to resign. (Tom Crean later became the permanent successor.)

Big Ten Network HD

Big Ten Network HD is a 720p high definition simulcast of Big Ten Network. It is available on DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T U-verse, some Comcast systems, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, and several other cable television systems. Big Ten Network HD utilizes stylized pillarboxing for programs not available in HD. Substantially all of its live events will be produced in High-Definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network claims it produces more original High-Definition programming than any new network in television history.⁸

Football overflow feeds

For Saturday early games, Big Ten Network can produce up to 5 football games at the same time, 1 of which is the national "Game of the Week" (available on the main channel on satellite, and cable systems in The Big Ten Region of which no games involving a team in their market is being played, or outside of The Big Ten Region unless a team in their market is involved), and the other 4 are each regionalized to cable systems to the participating teams' markets and available on the regular channel in their area. Some systems offer Big Ten Network overflow or "out-of-market" feeds used for games that feature teams not located in their market. Customers with all 4 overflow feeds can choose which of the 5 different available games that they want to watch and not be stuck watching the game available on the main channel in their area. The overflow feeds are available on DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T U-verse, some Comcast systems, and several other cable systems. Some systems offer only some of the overflow feeds, not all 4. Other systems don't offer any overflow feeds at all. Viewers can find the channel number(s) of the game(s) available on their system by using The Big Ten Network Game Finder

Carriage

Carriage negotiations with several major cable companies were stalled for several months because the cable providers wanted to put the channel on a digital sports tier and charge only customers who wanted it, and Big Ten Network wanted to put it on extended basic and charge all cable customers a subscriber fee whether they wanted the channel or not. However, since Comcast and The Big Ten Network have reached a deal, the other major providers in The Big Ten Region (Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, etc.) have followed suit.

Recent Carriage Deal Agreements

In late summer and early autumn 2008, several large cable companies in The Big Ten Region reached carriage agreements with The Big Ten Network, or are reported to be close to a deal. With these announcements, The Big Ten Network will now reach every major cable TV provider in The Big Ten Region.

• On August 23, 2008, Cedar Rapids, Iowa newspaper The Gazette reported that sources close to negotiations between the network and Mediacom said the two sides have reached an agreement in principle. On August 28 the official announcement was made.⁹¹⁰ Mediacom provides service to most of Iowa, including Iowa City, where the Big Ten's University of Iowa is located.

• On August 25, 2008, it was announced in a joint statement that Time Warner Cable and The Big Ten Network reached a carriage deal. Time Warner will carry the channel on its expanded basic service in the eight states where Big Ten schools operate. ¹¹ No further details have been announced. ¹²

• On August 26, 2008, an agreement between The Big Ten Network and Charter Communications was announced ¹³.

• On August 26, 2008, The Indianapolis Star reported that Brighthouse Networks and The Big Ten Network are "very close to a deal". ¹⁴.

• On August 28, 2008, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Cox Communications had reached a deal to carry the Big Ten Network.¹⁵

• On September 25, 2008, Broadstripe said it will add the channel to its systems in Michigan on September 30, 2008. ¹⁶

International carriage

In September 2008, the CRTC officially approved a request by Shaw Communications to allow carriage of the Big Ten Network in Canada on digital cable television. Although CTVglobemedia brought up concerns about it competing with TSN (a major Canadian sports network, which airs some college sports), it was determined that it wouldn't be competitive due to its consideration as a "very niche service".¹⁷ Big Ten Network became available to Shaw customers on December 3, 2008.

Current availability

The network is currently available on 140 other small cable companies, including university cable systems in all Big Ten campus dorms²⁹

Partner channels

• Fox College Sports
• Fox Sports Net

Similar channels

• MountainWest Sports Network
• CBS College Sports Network
• ESPNU

External links

• Big Ten Network Website
• Official Announcement of the creation of the network
• Big Ten Network FAQ
• Press release announcing official name and logo
• Big Ten NetworkAvailable on Cable this weekend

References