Sept. 26, 2012
2012-13 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE |
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; Sept. 26 , 2012 - The Penn State men's basketball team will have at least 23 games televised to a national audience in the 2012-13 season, including at least 12 appearances on the Big Ten Network and nine on the ESPN networks, it was revealed when the Big Ten announced tip times and television arrangements for the conference on Wednesday.
For the sixth consecutive year, every Big Ten men's basketball conference and tournament game will be nationally broadcast, the conference office announced today. The Big Ten's media agreements result in more than 100 games appearing on BTN, CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU during the 2012-13 conference season.
The Nittany Lions have made 40 appearances on the ESPN networks in the last five seasons, including eight last year. They will see that number grow by at least one in 2012-13, starting with a Nov. 15 match-up with ESPN pre-season No. 6 North Carolina State in the Puerto Rico Tip-off set for a 5:00 p.m. tip on ESPN2. Penn State will also appear on ESPN2 on Saturday, Jan. 26, when it takes on Ohio State in a 12:00 p.m. tip at the Jordan Center. That game will also be the annual Coaches vs. Cancer "Band Together" Day at the BJC.
The Lions will face Boston College in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Nov. 28 (9:15 p.m.) at the Jordan Center in the first of at least seven appearances on ESPNU. Penn State will have at least six Big Ten Conference games televised on ESPNU including home match-ups vs. Northwestern (Thurs., Jan. 10, at 8:00 p.m.), Nebraska (Sat., Jan. 19, at 1:00 p.m.) and Iowa (Thurs., Feb. 14, at 9:00 p.m.). The Nebraska game will also serve as "THON Hoops" day as Penn State welcomes Four Diamonds children and their families to the BJC and all student ticket proceeds benefit Penn State Dance Marathon. Big Ten road dates at Iowa (Thurs., Jan. 31, at 8:00 p.m.), Nebraska (Sat., Feb. 9, at 9:00 p.m.) and Northwestern (Thurs., March 7, at 7:00 p.m.) will also appear on ESPNU.
Penn State will also have at least two non-conference games streamed live on ESPN3. They are home match-ups with Penn (Sat., Dec. 1, at 2:00 p.m.) and Duquesne (Sat., Dec. 29, at 4:00 p.m.) at the BJC.
Penn State will have two non-conference games and at least 10 Big Ten Conference games televised on the Big Ten Network, including the Lions' Big Ten opener at Wisconsin on Thurs., Jan. 3, for which the tip time has yet to be set. The Big Ten home opener vs. pre-season top five ranked Indiana, set for a 7:00 p.m. tip on Mon., Nov. 7, will also appear on BTN.
Fans first chance to see the Nittany Lions in action will be on Sat., Nov. 3, when Penn State takes on coach Patrick Chambers' alma-mater, Philadelphia University, in a 4:00 p.m. tip. That game will be part of a double-header with the Lady Lions. It will also be the first of four Penn State games streamed live to BTN.com. Penn State's season-opener vs. St. Francis (PA), set for Fri., Nov. 9, at 7:00 p.m., will also be streamed live to BTN.com as will the 100th meeting with Bucknell, set for a "Black Friday" (Nov. 28) afternoon tip at 4:30 p.m., and a match-up with Delaware State (Sat., Nov. 15, at 2:00 p.m.).
Penn State will hold "Senior Night" on Wed., Feb. 27, when Michigan comes to town. That game is set for a 6:30 p.m. tip on BTN. The Lions will also welcome former lettermen back for "Alumni Day" at the final home game of the season when Penn State takes on Wisconsin on Sun., March 10, in a 12:00 p.m. tip on BTN.
Penn State has one wildcard game on the schedule. The Nittany Lions' match-up at Minnesota will be played on either March 2 or 3 and will be televised by CBS, ESPN or BTN. The tip time for Penn State's game at Purdue on Sun., Jan. 13, has also yet to be determined.
The Big Ten Tournament will be played March 14-17 at the United Center in Chicago. First and second round games will appear on ESPN, ESPN2 or BTN and the semifinals and final game will be broadcast on CBS.
Penn State men's basketball season tickets and PNC Bank Flex Books are available for purchase for a 2012-2013 home schedule that will feature 17 regular season games, including nine clashes with Big Ten opponents, and one pre-season exhibition in the Bryce Jordan Center. Fans who wish to purchase tickets should call 1-800-NITTANY or visit GoPSUsports.com/tickets.
PNC Flex Books are priced at $99 again this year. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions' Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions' Pink Zone game. New this season is a $50 youth season ticket that includes membership in the Highmark Kids Club. The youth season ticket will allow children to enjoy the benefits of the Kids Club, and sit with their parents or families at all home games. For more information on the Highmark Kids Club, please visit GoPSUSports.com/KidsClub.
First-team All-Big Ten guard Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) returns for his senior season to lead a Penn State team that returns four players that started at least 16 games last year and its top two scorers in Frazier, who finished second in the Big Ten at 18.8 ppg, and junior guard Jermaine Marshall (Etters, Pa.), who posted 10.8 ppg. Bolstering that group will be Southern Mississippi transfer D.J. Newbill (Philadelphia, Pa.), who sat out last season after posting 9.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg as a freshman for the Golden Eagles in 2010-11. Penn State will return 70 percent of its scoring, 60 percent of its rebounding and 78 percent of its assists from a team that posted a 12-20 mark in Chambers' first season.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Associate Athletic Communications Director Brian Siegrist (@PSUSTRETCH) and the official Penn State men's basketball handle (@PennStateMBB) on Twitter and check GoPSUsports.com. The Nittany Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.
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