June 17, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - The Big Ten Network will recognize the best of Big Ten sports in 2008-09 with the second annual Big Ten Network Awards live at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, June 19. Mike Hall, Rick Pizzo and Dave Revsine will host the one-hour show.
The announcement of two prestigious Big Ten Conference awards, the Suzy Favor Award, for the conference's best female student-athlete, and the Jesse Owens Award, for the best male student-athlete, will highlight the evening's festivities. The network also will have interviews with selected award winners, both coaches and players.
Penn State is the only Big Ten institution represented in all nine award categories, in addition to Nicole Fawcett (women's volleyball) and Casey Sandy (men's gymnastics), the Nittany Lions' candidates for the Suzy Favor and Jesse Owens Awards.
Fan voting on www.BigTenNetwork.com will determine the winners in three categories, including Best Finish of the Year, Men's Coach of the Year and Women's Coach of the Year. Voting ended June 14.
Nominees for the Men's Coach of the Year award are Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo, Michigan State men's soccer coach Joe Baum, Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands and Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz.
Nominees for Women's Coach of the Year are Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose, Illinois women's gymnastics coach Bob Starkell, Northwestern women's lacrosse coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, Northwestern women's tennis coach Claire Pollard and Ohio State women's basketball coach Jim Foster.
The other award categories and nominees are as follows:
Breakout Performance of the Year
Daryll Clark - Penn State football
Shonn Greene - Iowa football
Samantha Prahalis - Ohio State basketball
Monica Perry - Illinois softball
Terrelle Pryor - Ohio State football
Evan Turner - Ohio State basketball
Most Dominating Performance
Megan Hodge - Penn State volleyball (Final Four, 12/18 and 12/20/08)
Derrick Williams - Penn State football (vs. Illinois, 9/27/08)
Deshawn Sims - Michigan basketball (Big Ten Tournament, 3/12/09)
Brittany Weil - Iowa softball (10/4/08)
Juice Williams - Illinois football (10/4/08)
Alex Wimmers - Ohio State baseball (4/1/09)
Most Courageous Performance
Jamelle Cornley - Penn State basketball
Joe Paterno - Penn State football
Robbie Hummel - Purdue basketball
Jaevery McFadden - Wisconsin football
Mark Mitera - Michigan hockey
Allie Southard - Penn State gymnastics
Best Finish of the Year
Penn State vs. Illinois- men's basketball (3/5/09)
Penn State at Iowa - football (11/8/08)
Illinois vs. Northwestern - men's basketball (2/12/09)
Michigan vs. Purdue - football (11/1/08)
Michigan State vs. Purdue - women's basketball (3/1/09)
Minnesota vs. Michigan - women's basketball (2/15/09)
Northwestern vs. Minnesota - football (11/1/08)
Ohio State vs. Iowa - Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament Championship (11/9/08)
Ohio State vs. Northwestern - men's basketball (2/18/09)
Purdue vs. Central Michigan - football (9/20/08)
Purdue vs. Ohio State - Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Championship (3/8/09)
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State - football (11/1/08)
Men's Team of the Year
Penn State football
Iowa football
Iowa wrestling
Michigan State basketball
Michigan State soccer
Ohio State tennis
Women's Team of the Year
Penn State volleyball
Indiana swimming & diving
Iowa field hockey
Michigan gymnastics
Northwestern lacrosse
Northwestern tennis
Game of the Year
Penn State at Ohio State - football (10/25/08)
Penn State vs. Nebraska - women's volleyball NCAA national semifinals (12/18/08)
Penn State at Iowa - men's basketball (3/7/09)
Penn State at Iowa - football (11/8/08)
Kansas vs. Michigan State - men's basketball (3/27/09)
Michigan vs. Duke - men's basketball (11/21/09)
Michigan vs. Purdue - football (11/1/08)
Michigan State vs. Connecticut - men's basketball (4/4/09)
Michigan State vs. Penn State - men's basketball (2/1/09)
Minnesota vs. Wisconsin - men's basketball (1/15/09)
Northwestern vs. Michigan State - men's basketball (1/21/09)
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin - football (10/4/08)
Wisconsin vs. Michigan - football (9/27/09)
Penn State Day on the Big Ten Network will begin at 6 a.m. on Sunday, June 21, with a replay of the Nittany Lions' thrilling win over No. 2 Michigan State in the 2001 Big Ten Basketball Tournament leading off 24 hours of Penn State programming.
About the Big Ten Network: The Big Ten Network is the first nationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live events, and nearly all of them in HD, the network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising more Olympic sporting events and women's sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation's finest universities. Each year, the network offers approximately 35 football games, 105 regular season men's basketball games; 55 women's basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; Big Ten Tonight, a nightly studio show; coaches' shows; and classic games. Available to all cable and satellite providers nationwide, the network currently has agreements with more than 250 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland), DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on the Big Ten Network, go to www.BigTenNetwork.com.