CHICAGO – Fox Sports Net – the home for the most complete local and national college basketball television schedule – is ready to bring hoops fans another thrill-packed season of exciting men’s and women’s NCAA basketball. FSN’s 2000-01 schedule showcases a number of local contests, featuring the pre-season top 25-ranked DePaul Blue Demons in six live games, along with UIC, Loyola, Bradley, Illinois State and top national contests from around the country.
Fox Sports Net’s collegiate basketball season tips-off with doubleheader starting with an interstate battle between freshman head coach Mike Davis’ Indiana Hoosiers facing the Sycamores of Indiana State on Wednesday, November 29 at 7:00 PM, followed by the AP’s #1 pre-season favorite Arizona hosting Gonzaga at 9:00 PM.
This season’s college basketball schedule on Fox Sports Net features 102 games – 55 men’s and 47 women’s. The nation’s top conferences will be showcased all season long as viewers can watch the very best from the Big Ten, Pac 10, Missouri Valley, Midwestern Collegiate, Mid-Continent and Big 12 conferences battle it out for a NCAA bid.
“From our coverage of the DePaul Blue Demons and other local favorites to our coverage of the conference tournaments, we have the local college scene covered,” said James J. Corno, Fox Sports Net Chicago’s Senior Vice President/General Manager. “Both our men’s and women’s schedules this season showcase the finest young talent in the nation, many of whom play right here in the Chicago area.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The 55 game 2000-01 men’s basketball season on Fox Sports Net highlights exciting contests with the following teams and conferences:
DePaul Blue Demons– The nationally ranked DePaul Blue Demons have added two of Chicago’s top preps standouts in Imari Sawyer and Andre Brown to help Bobby Simmons, Steven Hunter and Rashon Burno tear up Conference USA and make a statement in the NCAA Tournament this coming March. DePaul will be featured in six contests on Fox Sports Net this season: Dec. 9 vs. Chicago State, Dec. 17 vs. St. Joseph’s, Dec. 30 vs. Fairfield, Jan. 6 vs. Marquette, Feb. 7 vs. Houston and Feb. 14 vs. Louisville.
Midwestern Collegiate Conference – Loyola Ramblers head coach Larry Farmer looks to take his team to the top of the MCC and Fox Sports Net will be along for three big Loyola games this year including Dec. 9 vs. Big Ten and national favorite Michigan State, Jan. 27 at Butler and Feb. 17 vs. UIC. Jimmy Collins and his always-competitive UIC Flames squad will also be in action six times this season, spotlighting games against Drake on Dec. 4, Southern Illinois on Dec. 9 (from the Allstate Arena), Loyola on Jan. 20, at Wright State on Jan. 27, Loyola on Feb. 17 and Butler on Feb. 24.
Missouri Valley Conference – Twelve total Valley games featuring area favorites Bradley (Dec. 23 at Indiana St., Jan. 21 at SW Missouri St. and Feb. 10 vs. Wichita St.) and Illinois State (Jan. 14 vs. Southern Illinois and Feb. 18 vs. Drake). Other MVC contests of note include Dec. 30 – Evansville at Creighton, Jan. 7 – Northern Iowa at Wichita St. and Feb. 24 – Evansville at Southern Illinois. Plus, exclusive coverage of the MVC Tournament semifinals on March 4.
National collegiate contests – The nation’s most talented teams and players can be seen on Fox Sports Net this season including the highlighted game of the Pete Newell Challenge Tournament when AP pre-season favorites #2 Duke vs. #4 Stanford square off on December 21 at 8:00 PM.
The solid Pac 10 Conference will be showcased 18 times on Fox Sports Net highlighted with games from AP #1-ranked Arizona (Nov. 29 vs. Gonzaga, Dec. 20 vs. LSU, Jan. 18 vs. USC, Feb. 15 at UCLA and March 8 at Stanford), #4-ranked Stanford (Jan. 20 vs. New Mexico, Jan. 25 at Washington, Feb. 8 at Oregon and March 8 vs. Arizona) and #17-ranked UCLA (Jan. 6 vs. Washington St., Jan. 11 vs. USC, Feb. 15 vs. Arizona and March 1 vs. California). Also, the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament semifinals can be seen on March 5.
Weekly coaches shows on Fox Sports Net this season include the following half-hour highlight programs: Mondays – Notre Dame’s Mike Brey; Tuesdays – Illinois’ Bill Self and Northwestern’s Bill Carmody; Wednesdays – DePaul’s Pat Kennedy; Thursdays – NIU’s Brian Hammel.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Fox Sports Net’s 47-game women’s basketball schedule is highlighted by 19 BIG TEN games, thirteen of which are “Game of the Week” regular season match-ups, highlighted by AP pre-season #4 pick Purdue in action on Feb. 4 vs. Michigan and Feb. 15 vs. Indiana. Other Big Ten teams of note include #13-ranked Penn State (Jan. 1 at Ohio St., Jan. 7 at Illinois and Feb. 18 at Wisconsin), along with Illinois (Jan. 7 vs. Penn St. and Feb. 8 vs. Northwestern), Northwestern (Jan. 21 at Minnesota and Feb. 8 at Illinois) and Iowa (Jan. 14 vs. Wisconsin and Feb. 11 at Minnesota). FSN will also telecast every Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal (four games on March 2) and semifinal (two games on March 3) match-up.
Two of the nation’s elite teams will be spotlighted in six games as #2-ranked Tennessee, featuring local superstar Tamika Catchings, will be on the road to face Texas (Dec. 22), Arizona St. (Dec. 27) and Rutgers (Jan. 2) and #6-ranked Notre Dame will be in action against Rutgers (Jan. 6), Virginia Tech (Jan. 13) and Boston College (Feb. 3).
Other conferences highlighted in FSN’s women’s schedule include the Big 12 – 18 games, highlighted by #10-ranked Iowa St. (Jan. 6 at Oklahoma, Jan. 13 vs. Nebraska and Feb. 28 at Texas), plus coverage of the Big 12 Tournament’s semifinals and championship, along with the Missouri Valley Conference – four regular season games with #21-ranked Southwest Missouri State in action three times (Jan. 13 at Evansville, Jan. 20 vs. Northern Iowa and Feb. 25 at Wichita St.), plus the MVC championship.
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Contact:
Jeffrey Nuich
FOX Sports Net Chicago
312-396-9800