The Purdue men’s basketball team will play at least six Big Ten games on the ESPN family of networks this season, with a pair of ESPN/CBS wildcard games still to be determined. The Big Ten office made the announcement on Tuesday in conjunction with both networks and the league’s member institutions.
The Boilermakers’ initial ESPN appearance of the 2011-12 campaign will come on Dec. 31, when they play host to Illinois at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2. After a Thursday-night home tilt with Wisconsin on Jan. 12 (ESPN or ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET), Purdue will visit Michigan State at noon on Saturday, Jan. 21, with ESPN set to televise the action.
The Boilers will make the first of their two Super Tuesday appearances on Jan. 24, when Michigan comes to Mackey Arena for a 7 p.m. ET tip (ESPN). A visit to Northwestern on Jan. 28 (ESPN or ESPN2, 2 p.m. ET) will precede the team’s second Super Tuesday contest, a trip to Ohio State for a 9 p.m. ET start on ESPN.
Purdue will await network designations for the two wildcard games on its schedule this season: a home date with Michigan State on Feb. 19 and a trip to Michigan on Feb. 25 or 26. Both ESPN and CBS hold selections on those dates.
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held from March 8-11 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. With the expansion of the Big Ten to 12 teams, the tournament will feature 11 games for the first time in its history. ESPN2 will carry the third and fourth games of the tournament, while ESPN will air the fifth and sixth contests. CBS will once again broadcast the tournament semifinal and championship games.
The remainder of the Big Ten basketball schedule is slated for release by the league office on Wednesday.