Feb. 1, 2007
Chicago, IL – The Big Ten Network Basketball Tour will make a stop in Iowa City this weekend for the Indiana-Iowa basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. CST.
Fans entering the game will be given a ticket with details regarding the ¡§Road to the Big Ten Tournament¡¨ sweepstakes. Fans have the opportunity to win a trip for two to the 2007 or 2008 Men¡¦s Big Ten Tournament. In addition, 100 lucky fans will win an official Big Ten Network jacket.
The Big Ten Network will also sponsor pop-a-shot games with prizes throughout the arena, free t-shirt throws throughout the game and free rally towels in the Iowa student section.
¡§The Big Ten Network Basketball Tour will provide an exciting experience for fans in attendance while increasing overall awareness of what the Big Ten Network is all about,¡¨ said Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman. ¡§The Big Ten Network Basketball Tour is a great way to keep the network in the minds of Big Ten fans leading up to our August launch.¡¨
The Big Ten Network Basketball Tour will promote the upcoming 24-hour a day, 365-day a year television network that is dedicated exclusively to the Big Ten Conference and scheduled to launch this August.
¡§The Big Ten Network will provide positive exposure for all of our athletic teams next season,¡¨ said Iowa Head Basketball Coach Steve Alford. ¡§Saturday is a great opportunity for our fans to learn more about the exciting plans of the network, and also an opportunity to win some great prizes while attending our basketball contest with Indiana.¡¨
¡§Iowa fans, and fans across the Big Ten, are among the best in the country. Having our own channel will help the Big Ten gain more control of our future in the ever changing world of television,¡¨ said Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta. ¡§We have great partners in this network, and I know our fans will enjoy having access to Big Ten sport 24 hours a day, seven days a week.¡¨
The tour will visit all 11 Big Ten basketball arenas during select games throughout the 2007 season.
The Big Ten Network will carry many of the games and events previously available only through syndication, providing greater exposure for these and other Big Ten sports. The sports programming on the Big Ten Network and/or through alternative Big Ten Network platforms will include, but is not limited to:
,,X 35-plus football games, with each school having at least two games aired (at least one of which will be a conference game); ,,X At least 105 regular-season men¡¦s basketball games; ,,X At least 55 regular-season women¡¦s basketball games; ,,X Big Ten championships and tournaments; ,,X 170 Olympic sporting events; and, ,,X Coverage from the conference¡¦s vast library of historic sporting events, including bowl games.
The Big Ten Conference¡¦s compelling athletic competition positions the network as the go-to destination for Big Ten alumni and fans across the nation. In addition to traditional distribution through cable and satellite, select Big Ten Network content will also be available through alternative media platforms such as the Internet, iPods, cell phones and/or other emerging technologies.
The Big Ten Network, scheduled to launch in August 2007, is dedicated exclusively to the Big Ten Conference and will be the destination for Big Ten fans across the country. Operating 24-hours a day, 365-days a year, the Big Ten Network is majority-owned by the Big Ten Conference, while Fox holds a minority interest in the network. Showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports as well as original programming produced by the conference¡¦s 11 institutions, it will be available to all carriers and distributors nationwide. For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit www.bigten.org. For employment opportunities, interested candidates should submit resumes to bigten.jobs@fox.com.