June 4, 2008

Champaign, Ill. - The Big Ten Network will debut the show "Fighting Illini Insider" on Monday June 9 at 8:30 p.m. CDT. Illini Productions will produce the 30-minute magazine show, which will air monthly and feature stories from all 19 Illinois sports.

Illinois linebacker Brit Miller, who will host the first two shows, interviews Illini coaches Terri Sullivan (softball) and Dan Hartleb (baseball) in the first episode. The show also includes an update on baseball and softball facility upgrades and an inside look at the Big Ten's all-time single-season home run hitter, shortstop Angelena Mexicano.

"Fighting Illini Insider gives us a chance to showcase some of our many noteworthy accomplishments and gives fans an up-close look at our athletes and coaches," said Steve Greene, who oversees Big Ten Network operations at Illinois.

The debut of Fighting Illini Insider is a part of a full day of programming on the BTN highlighting Illinois athletics. The day will include some of Illinois' best performances in 2007-08, including the football team's signature victory in Columbus, the 26-point effort from Demetri McCamey in the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament overtime victory against Purdue, the thrilling upset of top-seeded Ohio State in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament and the women's soccer team's win against ninth-ranked Florida.

At 8 PM CT, the Big Ten Network will present a special edition of Big Ten Tonight, the Illinois Year in Review. The show will recap all the great Illini moments of the past 12 months.

In addition to the most recent triumphs, the network will also re-air two Illinois men's basketball victories from the series, Big Ten's Greatest Games, including the "Nick Anderson buzzer-beater game" against Indiana (1989) and the double-overtime contest against Georgia Tech (1989).

Throughout the month of June, the Big Ten Network will air university-themed programming for a full 24 hours devoted to each of the Big Ten member institutions, including Purdue (June 2), Iowa (June 4), Michigan (June 5), Illinois (June 9), Indiana (June 11), Northwestern (June 12), Ohio State (June 16), Penn State (June 18), Wisconsin (June 19), Minnesota (June 23) and Michigan State (June 25).

Illinois Day Schedule - June 9

5am Big Ten's Greatest Games
Football: Illinois 28, Ohio State 21 (11/10/07) Illinois burst onto the national scene with an upset of top-ranked Ohio State in Columbus. Quarterback Juice Williams threw for four touchdowns and the Illini rushed for 260 yards.

7am Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal
Illinois 74, Purdue 67 (OT) (3/14/08) Demetri McCamey scored 26 points to lead the Illini past second-seeded and 17th-ranked Purdue in overtime in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. McCamey went 9-for-14 from the field and made all six of his three-point attempts.

9am Big Ten's Greatest Games
Men's Basketball: Illinois 70, Indiana 67 (3/5/89) These two Big Ten powerhouses battled back and forth before some last-second heroics turned this game into one for the ages. Indiana's Jay Edwards hit an unthinkable shot to tie the game with two seconds left. But Nick Anderson's 30-foot buzzer beater lifted Illinois to an epic 70-67 victory against Indiana.

11am Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate
Illinois defeats Wisconsin to become champion of the Big Ten Network's 2007 Tailgate Championship Series.

12pm Big Ten Spring Football presented by Jimmy John's
The Illini hold their annual spring football game

2pm Big Ten's Greatest Games
Men's Basketball: Illinois 103, Georgia Tech 92 (2OT) (1/22/89) The Illini rallied from a first-half deficit as Kendall Gill scored 19 points before fracturing his foot. The game required two overtimes before Illinois pulled away for an 11-point win, earning the Illini their first-ever number one ranking.

4pm Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal
Illinois 64, Ohio State 58 (3/7/08) Ninth-seeded Illinois pulled off the biggest upset in Big Ten Tournament history with a victory against top-seeded and 22nd-ranked Ohio State. Rebecca Harris scored 22 points and Lori Bjork made four three-pointers to lead the Illini past the Buckeyes.

6pm Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal
Illinois 74, Purdue 67 (OT) (3/14/08) Demetri McCamey scored 26 points to lead the Illini past second-seeded and 17th-ranked Purdue in overtime in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. McCamey went 9-for-14 from the field and made all six of his three-point attempts.

8pm Big Ten Tonight
Illinois Year-In-Review

8:30pm Fighting Illini Insider
A university-produced program highlighting the student-athletes, coaches and teams from all 19 Fighting Illini varsity athletic teams

9pm Big Ten's Greatest Games
Football: Illinois 28, Ohio State 21 (11/10/07) Illinois burst onto the national scene with an upset of top-ranked Ohio State in Columbus. Quarterback Juice Williams threw for four touchdowns and the Illini rushed for 260 yards.

11pm Big Ten Spring Football presented by Jimmy John's
The Illini hold their annual spring football game

1am Big Ten Tonight
Illinois Year-In-Review

1:30am Fighting Illini Insider
A university-produced program highlighting the student-athletes, coaches and teams from all 19 Fighting Illini varsity athletic teams

2am Big Ten Women's Soccer
Illinois 1, Florida 0 (9/14/07) The second-largest crowd in Illinois history was on-hand to witness Ella Masar break a scoreless deadlock in the 84th minute as the Illini defeated ninth-ranked Florida.

4am Big Ten Tonight
Illinois Year-In-Review

4:30am Fighting Illini Insider
A university-produced program highlighting the student-athletes, coaches and teams from all 19 Fighting Illini varsity athletic teams

About the Big Ten Network: The Big Ten Network is dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions. The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more major men's and women's events than ever before, along with news, highlights and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The network is available to all cable and satellite carriers and television distributors nationwide, with most programs offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks. For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit bigtennetwork.com .