Men’s College Basketball Schedule Tips Off with 350 Non-Conference Games
Full Season of More than 1,450 Matchups Tips Off with First Regular-Season Game from Europe; Champions Classic Doubleheader Anchors Nov 13 24-Hour Marathon; ESPN3 Provides 125 Exclusive Non-Conference Games
ESPN’s extensive coverage of the 2012-13 men’s college basketball season – more than 1,450 games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and Longhorn Network – will tip off with 350 regular-season nonconference games.
The season will begin with 12 games on Friday, Nov. 9 led by Michigan State vs. Connecticut in the Armed Forces Classic from the Ramstein Air Base in Kaiserslautern, Germany at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. It will mark the first regular-season men’s college basketball game from Europe. ESPN will also televise Maryland vs. defending National Champion Kentucky in the Barclays Center Classic from Brooklyn, N.Y. at 8:30 p.m.
For the second straight year, ESPN will showcase four of the all-time winningest programs in the Champions Classic doubleheader as part of the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon on Tuesday, Nov. 13. The matchups from Atlanta will pit Michigan State vs. Kansas at 7 p.m. and Duke vs. Kentucky at 9 p.m. Kentucky holds an 11-8 all-time series lead against Duke but lost the last meeting between the programs 95-92 in 2001. Michigan State has won five the nine games against Kansas, including two victories in 2009.
Season highlights:
- The schedule consists of approximately 125 exclusive contests on ESPN3, a record for the platform. Later in the season, ESPN3 will offer more than 100 exclusive conference games as well as simulcasts of syndicated matchups, providing fans with nearly 750 live games on the network.
- All live telecasts of college basketball games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Buzzer Beater as well as exclusive games on ESPN3 – ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network – will be available on computers at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. WatchESPN is currently available in 40 million households nationwide to fans who receive their video subscription from Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity TV or Midcontinent Communications.
- For the fifth consecutive year, ESPN will celebrate the opening of the season with a marathon of coverage across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU with the College Hoops Tip-off Marathon on Tuesday, Nov. 13. This year’s marathon will include 11 men’s games over 24 consecutive hours on ESPN – plus a schedule of matchups across ESPN2 and ESPNU – beginning at midnight with West Virginia at Gonzaga in the Old Spice Classic.
- ESPN will provide college basketball fans with live coverage of at least one game every day but five from November 9 to March 10 (December 7, 13, 14, 24 and 26).
- Multiple marquee early season non-conference events return, including the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, SEC/BIG EAST Challenge, Jimmy V Classic, Maui Invitational, CBE Hall of Fame Classic, Puerto Rico Tip-Off, NIT Season Tip-Off, Charleston Classic, Old Spice Classic, DIRECTV Classic, Diamond Head Classic, BracketBusters, 2K Sports Classic, Legends Classic, Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off and Las Vegas Invitational.
- In addition, ESPN networks will cover two new events from the new Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, in Brooklyn, N.Y. The first annual Barclays Center Classic on Friday, Nov. 9: Morehead State vs. LIU Brooklyn at 5:45 p.m. on ESPN3 followed by Maryland vs. Kentucky at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. The second event will pit West Virginia vs. Michigan in the Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Top nonconference games:
- Indiana vs. Georgia in the Legends Classic on Monday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU
- Mississippi State vs. North Carolina in the Maui Invitational on Monday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2
- Creighton vs. Wisconsin in the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday, Nov. 23, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2
- North Carolina at Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
- Ohio State at Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
- Kentucky at Notre Dame in the SEC/BIG EAST Challenge on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2
- San Diego State vs. UCLA in the Wooden Classic from the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 10 p.m. on ESPNU
- Jimmy V Classic doubleheader on ESPN on Tuesday, Dec. 4: Texas vs. Georgetown at 7 p.m. and NC State vs. Connecticut at 9 p.m.
- Florida at Florida State on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2
- UCLA vs. Texas in The Showcase from Reliant Stadium in Houston on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 5:15 p.m. on ESPN
- Florida at Arizona on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 10 p.m. on ESPN
- North Carolina at Texas on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 9 p.m., on ESPN2
- Baylor at Gonzaga on Friday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2
- Missouri at UCLA on Friday, Dec. 28, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2