For an Illini fan, the Big Ten Network is the Illinois Network

For Illinois fans in state, across the Big Ten footprint, or throughout the nation, the Big Ten Network is the top source for Illinois athletics. Therefore we believe it should be distributed to the broadest possible audience. To ensure you have the network, log on to www.bigtennetwork.com, and enter your zip code. It will let you know the cable or satellite providers in your area and whether they have finalized plans to carry the Big Ten Network. If not, we request Illini fans contact their provider and stress how important it is for them to carry the Big Ten Network on their advanced basic tier.

This network will present many of the features that modern day sports fans expect. It will be offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV) and will feature many well-known personalities covering conference athletics. Illini great Howard Griffith, for example, will serve as a studio analyst for Big Ten football.

Live broadcasts will be the signature programming. The network guarantees at least 35 football and 105 regular season men's basketball games, many of which will be the top games of each weekend. The network will also provide a nightly Big Ten studio show that will offer an in-depth look at the day's sporting events. Women's sports, which continue to increase in popularity, will have more coverage than ever before, highlighted by basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball. More than 170 Olympic sports events, including baseball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, softball, and swimming & diving, classic games and historical footage fans are used to seeing on such networks as ESPN Classic will also be shown.

Illinois Coaches Talk About the Big Ten Network

Ron Zook // Football "It is a very exciting time to be a part of the Big Ten Conference. To be a part of something as groundbreaking and trendsetting as the Big Ten Network is special. The Big Ten has so much national appeal and I know we have Illinois alums across the country who will greatly benefit from the widespread coverage that the Network is providing all Illini sports."		Bruce Weber // Men's Basketball "The Big Ten Network will be a tremendous benefit to our program. With the channel being available throughout the country, Illinois basketball will continue to enjoy increased national exposure. It will be popular with players, recruits and their families, as well as our fans. Over half of our games this season will be televised on the Big Ten Network, making it a must-have channel for Illini Nation."
Brad Dancer // Men's Tennis "The Big Ten Network is going to be an outlet for fans and alumni to catch some of Illinois' finest athletes in a more year-around setting. For tennis, this is a chance to help recruiting efforts and overall excitement about our sport as more fans will be exposed to tennis. This also is an avenue that will help our program and the Big Ten as a whole create new fans everyday for our sport. "		Michelle Dasso // Women's Tennis "The Big Ten Network is going to have a huge impact on the growth of college tennis. The more people that are exposed to the game wil quickly become hooked and lifelong fans of the sport. The Network is also going to pay huge dividends in the recruiting process with more exposure of the school, facilities, and atmosphere here at Illinois."
Mark Johnson // Wrestling "The Big Ten Network will enable us to showcase the sport of wrestling, which in the Big Ten is as good as it gets in the country. "		Dan Hartleb // Baseball "I'm very excited about the Big Ten Network and all the opportunities it will bring for Illinois Baseball.  Not only will it be an excellent recruiting tool, but it also will help us broaden our fan base and generate greater interest in both Illinois and Big Ten baseball.  College baseball is the second-largest revenue producing sport for the NCAA, and with the creation of the Big Ten Network, Big Ten baseball can continue to grow in popularity and national prominence. "
Don Hardin // Volleyball "The Big Ten Network will help us get the best kids in the Midwest excited about volleyball. Already we're getting the top recruiting classes. The Big Ten Network is hitting the volleyball scene at a perfect time when these great recruits are coming in."		Wayne Angel // Men's Track & Field "The network is going to mean a lot to the Big Ten as a whole because of the great exposure all of our programs will receive. You will be able to watch a game or a race and see athletes with the Illinois uniform on. That will give our university all kinds of kudos. It's a recruiting tool because people will see Illinois out there."
Janet Rayfield // Soccer "The Big Ten Network is going to make (our story) very tangible to the potential recruits across the country. We can share with them about Big Ten soccer, about Big Ten schools, about the Big Ten competitive environment and about what each of the programs are all about. That is going to be huge for us."

Frequently-Asked Questions

Official Sites: Big Ten Network  /  Big Ten Conference

Why was the Big Ten Network created?

The Big Ten Network was created to provide the conference with more national exposure for Big Ten sports while enhancing its existing television agreements with ABC/ESPN and CBS.

The conference wanted to be able to continue playing its football games on Saturdays versus moving some games to Thursday nights, control more fully the advertising environment in which its events were aired (the network accepts no alcohol or gambling advertising) and greatly increase exposure for women's sports and other NCAA sports that had not previously been widely televised.

The network launched on August 30, 2007, and is on the air 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The Big Ten Network was the first network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million subscribers within its first 30 days on the air.

The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks. Fox has a proven track record of successfully launching other networks.

Who can get the Big Ten Network?

The Big Ten Network has distribution agreements with AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland), DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight Communications, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, RCN, Service Electric, Verizon FiOS and more than 250 cable operators across the country.

Customers of DIRECTV and DISH Network have access to the network regardless of where they live. Verizon FiOS and AT&T's U-Verse are rolling out the network across the country.

Inside the eight Big Ten states, the network is available on the expanded basic level of service with the exception of the Philadelphia area, where it is available on a digital level of service.

Outside the eight states, cable operators who carry the network can make it available on any level of service. Select markets where the network is available are listed below. If you do not see your city listed here, contact your local system office to see if there are plans to add the network. You may also enter your zip code in the ChannelFinder feature to find out if the Big Ten Network is already available in your area.

What are "overflow" channels?

"Overflow" or "alternate" channels are part-time channels that the Big Ten Network has access to on a cable or satellite system which allow the network to offer multiple football games simultaneously to viewers. Due to the nature of how the Big Ten schedules football games on Saturdays, the Big Ten Network often televises multiple games at once. In order to satisfy fans of all schools, the network has offered all of its affiliates the opportunity to make these "overflow" channels available to their subscribers. However, they are only available for Big Ten Network programming on football Saturdays.

Do I get "overflow" channels?

The majority of our cable affiliates in the eight Big Ten states carry our "overflow" channels, while many outside the Big Ten region do not. The decision whether to carry "overflow" channels is made by your cable company's local office. If you do not get these channels, you can call your local cable office to let them know you are interested, as it requires little additional cost to them to make these alternate channels available. We also have a GameFinder feature on BigTenNetwork.com, which is updated during the football season and allows you to determine if your local system offers "overflow" channels, and if so, where to find them in your channel lineup.

Why doesn't the Big Ten Network have "overflow" channels for basketball? [I have DISH/DIRECTV, and my online channel guide always lists Big Ten Network alternates.]

The "overflow" channels are only available to the network during the 13 football Saturdays of the season, which are finite windows during a time when there are few other sports taking place. The non-conference basketball season overlaps with many other sports, and so NHL, NBA and other regional football and basketball games are also taking place on the weekend and on weekday nights when basketball games air. During the conference portion of the basketball season, the Big Ten schedules games in such a way where there is no overlap. Consequently, there is no need for "overflow" channels during the conference schedule. DISH Network changes its on-screen channel guide template infrequently, and so the alternate channels are listed, even though they are not available to us except during the football season. DIRECTV will be removing Big Ten Network "overflow" channels from its on-screen guide soon. They will return in the fall for football season.

Why doesn't the Big Ten Network televise every Big Ten football or men's basketball game?

There are several contributing factors. In college athletics, the home team or home conference holds the television rights to its events. The Big Ten Conference only holds the rights to events hosted by a Big Ten school. When a Big Ten team plays a non-conference road game, the hosting school, conference or tournament organizer holds the television rights for those games and thus decisions already have been made regarding how those games are televised.

For football, the Big Ten Conference has divided those rights among the Big Ten Network, ABC and the various ESPN networks. For basketball, the Big Ten Conference has divided those rights among the Big Ten Network, CBS and the various ESPN networks.

The Big Ten Network will televise more Big Ten basketball games than any other network and the Big Ten's television partners will combine to nationally televise more than 200 Big Ten men's basketball games this season. No conference will have more games televised nationally than the Big Ten.

The creation of the Big Ten Network ensured that every Big Ten HOME football and men's basketball game will be televised or streamed. Overall, only a few games will be streamed and even fewer (just a handful of road non-conference games) will receive no coverage.

Why isn't my cable company carrying the Big Ten Network?

At this time, the Network has deals with over 250 cable operators across the country, both inside and outside of the Big Ten states. Each of these deals has been structured under very similar guidelines. Therefore, if a provider is unwilling to agree to these terms, negotiations become difficult as the completed deals with many other providers, both big and small, show the terms are fair and reasonable for both sides.  You may want to consider communicating with your cable company to let them know that there is a desire for Big Ten Network programming in your area.

How many men's and women's basketball games will the Big Ten Network air this season?

The Big Ten Network will once again televise 105 men's basketball games and more than 55 regular season women's basketball games and nine tournament games. Nearly every one of these games will be available in high definition. In addition, the network will air the Big Ten Tip-Off Show before men's double-headers on Wednesdays and Saturdays and the Big Ten Women's Show before Monday's women's games.

Does the Big Ten Network stream events via the Internet?

Yes. During basketball season, the network will stream more than 100 events, including 37 men's basketball games and 56 women's games. Additional events that could be streamed include wrestling, softball and baseball. Next year, the network plans to significantly upgrade the quality of its streamed games through enhanced technology while offering more events online that previously would not have been televised.

Why is the network streaming basketball games and not televising every game?

The Big Ten Network will once again televise more than 100 men's basketball games and more than 55 women's basketball games this year during the regular season and nearly every one of the games will be available in high definition. With overflow channels only available during the football season, the Big Ten Network made the decision to stream all men's basketball exhibition games (which, in many cases, had not been televised in recent years anyway) and also stream some non-conference games where there are conflicts with other men's basketball games and exclusive ESPN windows. Streaming of exhibition and non-conference games has become common among all major conferences, and every Big Ten team will have streamed games. The games that are being streamed also have been offered to cable operators to produce and televise in local markets, although most have chosen not to do so.  The majority of games are being streamed with the assistance of the Big Ten universities through their in-arena video boards and accessing their local radio calls. This streaming initiative allows us to nearly double the amount of exposure for women's basketball.

How has the Big Ten Network affected television exposure for Big Ten athletics and how does it compare to other conferences?

The Big Ten Network is one of several media partners involved with Big Ten sports. Through the Big Ten Network and other outlets, the Big Ten enjoys the most exposure, particularly national exposure, of any conference in the country.

The previous television agreement included a number of football and basketball games which received limited distribution via ESPN Regional. In addition, many games did not receive any television coverage at all. The creation of the Big Ten Network has dramatically increased the number of nationally televised Big Ten games in football and basketball, as well as a wide variety of sports.

MEN'S BASKETBALL:
In men's basketball, 97 percent of Big Ten games in 2008-09 will be televised or streamed. Eighty-two percent will be televised and 79 percent will be nationally televised. Just three percent (eight games out of 262) will receive no live television or streamed coverage. As the table below illustrates, no other conference receives such comprehensive coverage.

For example, this season the Big Ten will have eight games that receive no live coverage. Every other major conference will have at least 48 games that go without live coverage.

FOOTBALL:
During the 2008 football season, the numbers were just as striking. Of the 88 Big Ten football games this past season, 87 were televised (exception: Northwestern at Duke) and 86 were nationally televised (additional exception: Illinois vs. Western Michigan, a neutral-site game in Detroit). That amounts to 99 percent television coverage and 98 percent national television coverage. No other conference had more than 70 percent of its games on national television.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL:
The network also separates itself in the area of women's basketball. The Big Ten Network will once again televise 55 regular season women's basketball games and nine Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament games. Those 64 games already represented the most televised women's basketball games of any network. However, in 2008-09, the Big Ten Network will nearly double the sport's exposure by streaming a minimum of 56 games at no charge on BigTenNetwork.com.

OLYMPIC SPORTS:
Other sports such as baseball, field hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling have enjoyed major upgrades in television coverage. All of these sports had previously received little to no television coverage. During the first year of the Big Ten Network, more than 170 Olympic sport events and 17 Big Ten Championships were televised to a national audience. Nearly every event was produced in high definition. The network has future plans to augment that level of coverage by streaming hundreds of additional events in the future that would not have previously received television coverage.

Does the Big Ten Network stream games via the Internet?

Yes. Starting this basketball season, the network will stream more than 100 events, many of which would not have been produced otherwise. We are streaming all men's exhibition basketball games, a limited number of men's non-conference basketball games to avoid conflicts with other men's basketball telecasts and exclusive ESPN windows and a minimum of 56 women's basketball games. Additional events that could be streamed include wrestling, softball and baseball. While other conferences charge a fee to stream games, we are making these games available at no cost at BigTenNetwork.com. Due to contractual obligations with our affiliates, the Big Ten Network does not stream games it televises.

Why are you streaming basketball games on the internet?

The Big Ten Network will once again televise more than 100 men's basketball games and more than 55 women's basketball games this year during the regular season and nearly every one of the games will be available in high definition. That's more than any other network. With "overflow" channels only available during the football season, the Big Ten Network made the decision to stream all men's basketball exhibition games (which, in many cases, had not been televised in recent years) and also stream some non-conference games where there are conflicts with other Big Ten Network men's basketball telecasts and exclusive ESPN windows. Several major conferences also stream some games, and every Big Ten team will have streamed games. The games that are being streamed also have been offered to cable operators to produce and televise in local markets, although most have chosen not to do so. The majority of games are being streamed with the assistance of the Big Ten universities through their in-arena video boards and accessing their local radio calls. This streaming initiative allows us to nearly double the amount of exposure for women's basketball.

How do you select which Olympic sports events (e.g. field hockey, soccer, wrestling, etc.) air on the network?

We are constantly evaluating what Big Ten fans want to see and viewer feedback is important to us. The network's overall programming goal is to show events that the most fans want to watch. The programming selection process is complicated because there are many factors at work. From a scheduling perspective, most Big Ten events (in all sports) take place on weekday nights and weekends. Oftentimes, the network is already televising a different live event involving other schools or other sports. In addition, the Big Ten Network strives to be fair to all universities and to all sports. Another important aspect of the decision-making process is finding appealing matchups.

Why don't you show more ice hockey?

Because the Big Ten does not sponsor ice hockey, there are rights issues. Big Ten teams compete in the CCHA and the WCHA, two conferences which have other television arrangements. Therefore, the Big Ten Network does not have the television rights to these games. Because of these other arrangements, only a few games are made available to the Big Ten Network each year. In the future, we certainly hope to add more hockey games to our broadcast schedule.

How can I get a DVD copy of a Big Ten Network programming?

We are in the process of developing a system to offer DVDs of Big Ten Network programming to fans. However, unfortunately, we are currently unable to fill DVD requests at this time.

Reports say that cable companies can move the Big Ten Network from expanded basic to a digital level of service at the end of the basketball season. Will I still be able to get the network?

Yes. Beginning Spring 2009, our cable affiliates (Comcast, Time Warner, etc.) may move the channel to a digital level of service in certain systems, but only if the vast majority of its customers already subscribe to that level of service. In other words, the vast majority of fans will continue to receive the network on their existing cable package. Our cable affiliates are not allowed to carry the network on a sports tier inside the eight states. Outside Big Ten states, cable companies may carry the network on any level of service, including a sports tier. You should check with your local cable office to find out how to get the Big Ten Network.

How will the FCC mandated transition from analog to digital signals on February 17 affect my ability to watch the Big Ten Network?

It won't. The digital transition will only affect customers who do not have a cable box or satellite dish. If you're already receiving the Big Ten Network on your television, you are doing so through a cable box or satellite dish and you'll continue to receive the Big Ten Network after the February 17 transition.

Why isn't my cable company carrying the Big Ten Network?

At this time, the Network has deals with over 250 cable operators across the country, both inside and outside of the Big Ten states. Each of these deals has been structured under very similar guidelines. Therefore, if a provider is unwilling to agree to these terms, negotiations become difficult as the completed deals with many other providers, both big and small, show the terms are fair and reasonable for both sides. You may want to consider communicating with your cable company to let them know that there is a desire for Big Ten Network programming in your area.