Aug. 2, 2010
CHICAGO - The Penn State Alumni Association is the winner of the Big Ten Network "Bobblethon," a contest to generate excitement for the network's upcoming "Big Ten Icons" series. The Nittany Lions defeated the University of Michigan's Alumni Association by fewer than 3,000 votes as the Wolverines came on strong during the last week of the contest.
Fans of all Big Ten schools tapped their favorite virtual bobblehead nearly a million times during the 5-month promotion that kicked off during the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. As the winner the Penn State Alumni Association wins $10,000 for its scholarship fund.
"We were really exited to see such interest in the Bobblethon," said network president Mark Silverman. "It was a great way to introduce fans to Big Ten Icons."
Big Ten Icons is the network's most ambitious project to date. The 20-episode series debuts Saturday, Sept. 18, and then airs Tuesdays at 9 PM ET. The program will count down the most iconic figures in Big Ten history, based on their collegiate playing careers. Each 30-minute documentary will spotlight one Big Ten Icon. Numbers 50 through 21 will be revealed on www.bigtennetwork.com in advance of the program's television debut.
"Once again, Penn State pride made it happen," said Penn State Alumni Association Executive Director Roger Williams. "We were thrilled to see alumni, students and fans coming together around a common cause that ultimately helps our students."
The Big Ten Network is available to 75 million households on 300 cable, satellite and telco providers in the United States and Canada, but is not available on Adams, Armstrong, Blue Ridge and MetroCast cable in Pennsylvania. The Big Ten Network will televise the Nittany Lions' Sept. 4 season opener with Youngstown State, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. from Beaver Stadium.
About the Big Ten Network: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks, the Big Ten Network is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live sporting 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 between 35 and 40 football games, 105 regular season men's basketball games; 55 women's basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; studio shows; coaches' shows; and classic games. The network is available to more than 75 million homes across the United States and Canada, and currently has agreements with more than 300 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Atlantic Broadband, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Omaha), DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Rogers Cable (Canada), Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct (Canada), Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on the Big Ten Network, go to www.BigTenNetwork.com.