ESPN has given us this press release announcing seven Big Ten football games that will be played in primetime either on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. Some highlights: new conference school Nebraska will have its first two Big Ten games aired consecutively in primetime either on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC, ESPN takes the very first night game at the Big House as Michigan hosts Notre Dame and Wisconsin gets four primetime games, the most of any Big Ten school.
Let’s take a look at the schedule.
ESPN Selects Seven Big Ten College Football Games for Prime Time
ESPN has selected seven Big Ten Conference college football games for prime time telecasts on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 in 2011. The schedule includes at least one team in the College Football Live preseason top 25 poll in every game and four matchups between ranked squads. Every telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET. Additional games will be announced as the season progresses.
- Coverage of all three co-defending Big Ten Conference champions:
- No. 14 Wisconsin — coming off an 11-2 season — will play four games, beginning with a season-opening ESPN Thursday night telecast against UNLV on Sept. 1. It will mark the first time Wisconsin has hosted a Thursday night game on ESPN since 2000 when they played Western Michigan.
- No. 10 Ohio State – which finished the 2010 season with an 11-1 record and a 31-26 victory over Arkansas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl – will be televised twice, highlighted by a matchup against Wisconsin, the only team to beat the Buckeyes last year, Saturday, Oct. 29.
- A telecast of No. 16 Michigan State – coming off an 11-2 season – against No. 14 Wisconsin Saturday, Oct. 22. Michigan State handed Wisconsin its only regular-season loss last year.
- An ESPN network will televise newest Big Ten member No. 13 Nebraska’s first two games against conference foes in consecutive weeks: at No. 14 Wisconsin Saturday, Oct. 1 and against No. 10 Ohio State Saturday, Oct. 8.
- ESPN will televise the first-ever night game at Michigan Stadium when the Wolverines host No. 17 Notre Dame on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Date Time (ET) Game Network Thu, Sep 1 8 p.m. UNLV at No. 14 Wisconsin ESPN Sat, Sep 10 8 p.m. No. 17 Notre Dame at Michigan ESPN Sat, Oct 1 8 p.m. No. 17 Notre Dame at Purdue ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 8 p.m. No. 13 Nebraska at No. 14 Wisconsin ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 Sat, Oct 8 8 p.m. No. 10 Ohio State at No. 13 Nebraska ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 Sat, Oct 22 8 p.m. No. 14 Wisconsin at No. 16 Michigan State ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 Sat, Oct 29 8 p.m. No. 14 Wisconsin at No. 10 Ohio State ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
We’re done.
