The last college basketball game to air on ESPN was back on December 18 when it aired USC at Kansas. Yes, I checked. On Tuesday, ESPN gets back to the college basketball wars big time by airing conference rivalries. In fact, ESPN is calling this week Conference Tip-Off as it really goes all-out with college basketball until March Madness. This means the very familiar Big Monday, Super Tuesday and Saturday Primetime return for the next couple of months.
We have your schedule of games for this week and the start of College Gameday, the basketball edition, this Saturday.
Conference Tip-Off Capped by First College GameDayConference Tip-Off enters its second season highlighting the first week of ESPN’s regular weekday and Saturday conference action, including Big Monday, Super Tuesday, Wednesday Night Hoops, Thursday Night Showcase and Saturday Primetime with 41 men’s and eight women’s games. The week is capped by seven contests to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 17 (including nine teams currently ranked in the men’s or women’s USA Today/ESPN Coach’s Poll Top 25).ESPN’s College GameDay, the popular eight-week Saturday morning and evening college basketball program originating from the site of ESPN’s Saturday Primetime telecast, will debut for the season Saturday, Jan. 15, from Knoxville, Tenn., site of a doubleheader of the men’s and women’s teams against Vanderbilt. The men will play at noon, while the women’s game will start at 8 p.m.College GameDay will expand to include an extra hour of analysis, news and features on ESPNU at 10 a.m. ESPN will continue to televise the show, returning for its seventh season, at 11 a.m. and a one-hour edition at 8 p.m. (except January 15 when the show will air on ESPN at 10 a.m. and ESPNU at 11 a.m.). The Saturday Primetime game-of-the-week will be aired at 9 p.m. (except for January 15 and January 29).Conference Tip-Off highlights:
- A BIG EAST “Road Block” on Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. – No. 5 Pittsburgh at No. 19 Georgetown (ESPN), No.17 Louisville at No. 7 Villanova (ESPN2), No. 4 Syracuse at St. John’s (ESPNU);
- Also on Jan. 12, at 9 p.m. – No. 1 Duke at Florida State (ESPN); No. 3 Kansas at Iowa State (ESPN2) and Colorado at No. 20 Kansas State (ESPNU);
- Additional men’s games include: No. 12 Wisconsin at No. 24 Michigan State (Jan. 11, ESPN); No. 8 Purdue at No. 25 Minnesota (Jan. 13, ESPN); No. 12 Missouri at No. 13 Texas A&M (Jan. 15, ESPN2); Virginia at No. 1 Duke (Jan. 15, ESPN); Nebraska at No. 3 Kansas (Jan. 15, ESPNU); No. 7 Villanova at No. 9 Connecticut (Jan. 17, ESPN); No. 20 Kansas State at No. 12 Missouri (Jan. 17, ESPN); No. 4 Syracuse at No. 5 Pittsburgh (Jan. 17, ESPN); and No. 3 Kansas at Baylor (Jan. 17, ESPN);
- Women’s games include: Vanderbilt at No. 6 Tennessee (Jan. 15, ESPN); No. 17 Oklahoma at N. 24 Texas (Jan. 16, ESPNU); and No. 2 Connecticut at No. 8 North Carolina (Jan. 17, ESPN2);
- ESPN3.com has three exclusive men’s games: Liberty at High Point (Jan. 13); Valparaiso at Wright State (Jan. 14); and Providence at South Florida (Jan. 16).
Men’s Basketball Conference Tip-Off
Date Time (ET) Game Network Tue, Jan 11 7 p.m. No. 12 Wisconsin at No. 24 Michigan State ESPN No. 14 Texas at Texas Tech ESPN2 Auburn at No. 15 Kentucky ESPNU 9 p.m. Florida at Tennessee ESPN North Carolina State at Boston College ESPNU Wed, Jan 12 7 p.m. No. 5 Pittsburgh at No. 19 Georgetown ESPN No. 17 Louisville at No. 7 Villanova ESPN2 No. 4 Syracuse at St. John’s ESPNU 9 p.m. No. 1 Duke at Florida State ESPN No. 3 Kansas at Iowa State ESPN2 Colorado at No. 20 Kansas State ESPNU 11 p.m. Nevada at Idaho ESPN2 UC Davis at Long Beach State ESPNU Thu, Jan 13 7 p.m. No. 8 Purdue at No. 25 Minnesota ESPN Providence at West Virginia ESPN2 Old Dominion at Drexel ESPNU Liberty at High Point ESPN3.com 9 p.m. Virginia Tech at North Carolina ESPN Mississippi State at Mississippi ESPN2 11 p.m. Loyola Marymount at Portland ESPN2 Fri, Jan 14 7 p.m. Fairfield at Loyola (MD) ESPNU 7 p.m. Valparaiso at Wright State ESPN3.com 9 p.m. Butler at Detroit ESPNU Sat, Jan 15 11 a.m. Marquette at No. 17 Louisville ESPN2 Noon Vanderbilt at Tennessee ESPN No. 19 Georgetown at Rutgers ESPNU 1 p.m. No. 12 Missouri at No. 13 Texas A&M ESPN2 2 p.m. Virginia at No. 1 Duke ESPN Nebraska at No. 3 Kansas ESPNU 3 p.m. Jackson State at Texas Southern ESPN2 4 p.m. Austin Peay at Tennessee State ESPNU 5 p.m. South Carolina State at Morgan State ESPN2 6 p.m. Boston College at Miami ESPNU Sun, Jan 16 Noon Providence at South Florida ESPN3.com 8 p.m. Missouri State at Bradley ESPNU Mon, Jan 17 3:30 p.m. No. 7 Villanova at No. 9 Connecticut ESPN 5:30 p.m. No. 20 Kansas State at No. 12 Missouri ESPN 7 p.m. Jackson State at Prairie View A&M ESPNU 7:30 p.m. No. 4 Syracuse at No. 5 Pittsburgh ESPN 9 p.m. Norfolk State at Howard ESPNU 9:30 p.m. No. 3 Kansas at Baylor ESPN Women’s Basketball Conference Tip-Off
Date Time (ET) Game Network Thu, Jan 13 9 p.m. Louisiana Tech at Fresno State ESPNU Fri, Jan 14 4:30 p.m. Fairfield at Loyola (Md.) ESPNU Sat, Jan 15 8 p.m. Saturday Primetime: Vanderbilt at No. 6 Tennessee ESPN Sun, Jan 16 1:30 p.m. No. 17 Oklahoma at No. 24 Texas ESPNU 2 p.m. Central Florida at Southern Methodist ESPN2 3:30 p.m. Marquette at South Florida ESPNU 4 p.m. Illinois at Penn State ESPN2 Mon, Jan 17 7 p.m. Big Monday: No. 2 Connecticut at No. 8 North Carolina ESPN2
That will do it.
