May 27, 2009

On Sunday, May 31, the Big Ten Network shouts "I-L-L-I-N-I!" with 24 consecutive hours of Illinois programming. Sunday will feature a marathon of the original series Illinois Football: The Journey and quality performances from Illinois athletes from the past year, including a victory in the February gymnastics meet versus Penn State and winning the Big Ten men's golf championship in May.

Long-time fans will have the opportunity to reminisce about Illinois's past victories during six episodes of Big Ten's Greatest Games. Two fierce battles from 1990, one on the hardwood and one on the gridiron, start the morning off, and the day wraps up with four historic nail-biters, including a fantastic overtime comeback against Arizona in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and upsets of football rivals Ohio State and Michigan.

The day of Illinois programming is the second of 11 full days of programming devoted to individual Big Ten universities, including Michigan State (June 1), Indiana (June 3), Minnesota (June 7), Northwestern (June 8), Iowa (June 10), Michigan (June 15), Ohio State (June 17), Penn State (June 21), Purdue (June 24) and Wisconsin (May 27). Two more full days per university of school-specific programming also are planned for later in the summer.

Illinois Day Schedule - May 31 (All times Central)

5am - Big Ten's Greatest Games
Men's Basketball: Illinois 102, LSU 96 (12/22/90)
The game was a fierce battle that saw 14 ties and 17 lead changes. Andy Kaufman led Illinois with 25 points and nine rebounds and Shaquille O'Neal was a force inside with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Down the stretch, the Illini dominated at the foul line and secured the victory.

7am - Big Ten Men's Gymnastics "Illinois vs. #2 Penn State (2/14/09)"

9am - Big Ten's Greatest Games "Football: Illinois 23, Colorado 22 (11/15/90)"
Illinois handed Colorado its only loss during the Buffaloes' National Championship season, roaring back from a 17-3 deficit to upset the Buffaloes, 23-22. The Fighting Illini engineered a 63-yard game-winning march capped by a Howard Griffith touchdown run.

11am - Big Ten Men's Golf "Big Ten Championship (5/1/09)"

12pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #1

1pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #2

1:30pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #3

2pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #4

2:30pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #5

3pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #6

3:30pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #7

4pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #8

4:30pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #9

5pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #10

5:30pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #11

6pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #12

6:30pm - Illinois Football: The Journey #13

7pm - Big Ten's Greatest Games "Men's Basketball: NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: Illinois 90, Arizona 89 OT (3/26/05)"
Top-ranked Illinois engineered one of the most amazing comebacks in NCAA Tournament history, rallying from 15 down with four minutes to go. Deron Williams's three-pointer tied the game at 80 with 39 seconds left. The Illini made two defensive stops in the closing seconds of regulation and on the final possession of overtime to reserve a place in the Final Four.

9pm - Big Ten's Greatest Games "Football: Illinois 28, Ohio State 21 (11/10/07)"
Juice Williams provided the big plays on the ground and through the air, spurring the Illini to a stunning victory over #1 Ohio State. The victory was the Illini's first over a top ranked team since 1956.

11:30pm - Illinois Campus Programming "Mr. Lincoln's University"

12am - Big Ten Short Stories "Illinois Fighting Illini"

12:30am - Fighting Illini Insider #11

1am - Big Ten's Greatest Games "Football: Illinois 35, Michigan 29 (10/23/99)"
The Illini were 24-point underdogs at #9 Michigan. Trailing 27-7 in the third quarter, Kurt Kittner rallied Illinois to four touchdowns and the victory. The game was sealed when Illinois picked off a Tom Brady pass.

3am - Big Ten's Greatest Games "Men's Basketball: Illinois 69, Indiana 67 (3/1/87)"
Illinois came out strong on senior night, but Indiana battled back after being down by 10 after finding themselves down by 10 in the second half. Following a timeout, the Hoosiers worked the clock down to seven seconds before Steve Alford missed what would have been a game-winning three-pointer. The Hoosiers had one more chance after a missed free throw by the Illini's Steve Bardo, but Alford's desperation shot from mid-court just missed, giving Illinois the victory.

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 www.BigTenNetwork.com