BIG EAST Releases Women's Basketball Television Schedule
October 04, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 4, 2007
Louisville, Ky. - The University of Louisville and the BIG EAST Conference have announced the 2007-08 television games. The Cardinals will appear on national television seven times this season, which is up from four appearances last season.
"The BIG EAST has one of the best television packages in the country ," said head coach Jeff Walz. "It says a lot about the direction of your program when you are chosen for seven television appearances. The exposure will only help us to recruit top caliber student-athletes and continue to build this program."
The league's overall exposure has grown in recent years growing from 30 television appearances in 2002-03, to 40 in '03-04, 58 in '04-05, 71 in '05-06 and 83 in '06-07. This season's national television package includes: two games on CBS Sports, and 16 appearances on ESPN2, 30 on ESPNU and 25 on CSTV: College Sports Television.
The Cardinals will appear on ESPN2 as part of the February Frenzy when the travel to DePaul for a 4:30 matchup. The BIG EAST has league-record appearances on ESPN2 with 16, including the BIG EAST Championship game on March 11.
The Cardinals appear on ESPNU twice during the season. The first appearance will be on Jan. 20 as the Cardinals face Rutgers, which advanced the NCAA Tournament title game last season. Their second appearance will be on Jan. 27 against the Pittsburgh Panthers, another preaeason Top 25 team. The BIG EAST has its biggest increase on ESPNU, up eight appearances from last season. The network, which can be seen in 20 million homes, will air seven regular-season conference games, four non-conference matchups, along with the BIG EAST Championship Quarterfinals and Semifinals on March 9 and 10, respectively.
Louisville will also make two appearances on CSTV as part of the BIG EAST's Game of the Week package. The Cardinals will first appear on Jan. 8 as they host Notre Dame, who is also ranked in the preseason Top 25 polls. Then the Cards will host Cincinnati on Jan. 15 for their second appearance on the network.
College Sports Television will once again broadcast a "Conference Game of the Week". The package will contain 12 conference games, including two Tuesday doubleheaders, during the league schedule and a non-conference contest to be determined. The BIG EAST continues to be the only women's basketball conference to have a "Game of the Week" package on CSTV, which can now be seen in 22 million homes.
The Cardinals will appear on BIG EAST Television twice this season. The Connecticut at Louisville game on Jan. 12 will appear live at 4 p.m. on WHAS-TV 11, the ABC affiliate. It marks another first for BIG EAST women's basketball by clearing an over-the-air network station. Louisville will make their second appearance at the end of the season against West Virginia on March 1.
The BIG EAST Game of the Week Regional Television Package is in its second year and features a total of 28 appearances by league schools, including the BIG EAST Championship First Round. ESPN Regional Television (ERT) will once again produce every game and SportsNet New York (SNY) will carry the entire package live in the nation's number one media market.
