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The Big Ten Network released its full television schedule today -- and Indiana won't appear all that often on the network once conference play rolls around.
The Hoosiers will only appear on BTN five times during the 2015-16 conference season at the moment -- two games with Minnesota and Nebraska each, and one trip to take on Penn State in Happy Valley.
What does this mean for the Hoosiers? Nothing you don't know. Thanks to its #brand power and national following -- the Hoosiers are always and attractive grab for ESPN and CBS, which have first dibs in the pecking order over BTN when it comes to selecting games. The best way to assure an easy or respectable rating for networks is to snag one of the blue blood programs with a large fanbase, especially in a sport where ratings are a massive issue. 75% of college basketball games drew less than a 0.5 rating last season, and only 25 did a 1.5 rating or better. The highest-rated games of the regular season were both Duke-North Carolina matchups, which pulled a pair of 2.6s last year.
By comparison, the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, traditionally one of the least-watched golf tournaments of the year, drew a 2.2. Golf ratings are typically falsely lowered by the long TV window required, too. One of the least watched NASCAR races of the season -- at Michigan Speedway -- drew a 2.4 last month.
That's right: the best college basketball ratings of the regular season are comparable to the least-attractive PGA Tour and NASCAR races of the season. The vast majority of games are rating comparably or worse than regular season MLS matches.
Yikes.
Anyway, here's the full schedule.
|
Date |
Visiting Team |
|
Home Team |
Time (ET) |
|
December 29, 2015 |
Purdue |
at |
Wisconsin |
7:00 PM |
|
December 29, 2015 |
Michigan State |
at |
Iowa |
9:00 PM |
|
December 30, 2015 |
Minnesota |
at |
Ohio State |
7:00 PM |
|
January 2, 2016 |
Penn State |
at |
Michigan |
12:00 PM |
|
January 2, 2016 |
Rutgers |
at |
Wisconsin |
2:00 PM |
|
January 2, 2016 |
Indiana |
at |
Nebraska |
4:00 PM |
|
January 2, 2016 |
Iowa |
at |
Purdue |
6:00 PM |
|
January 2, 2016 |
Maryland |
at |
Northwestern |
8:00 PM |
|
January 3, 2016 |
Illinois |
at |
Ohio State |
5:00 PM |
|
January 5, 2016 |
Minnesota |
at |
Penn State |
7:00 PM |
|
January 5, 2016 |
Nebraska |
at |
Iowa |
9:00 PM |
|
January 6, 2016 |
Rutgers |
at |
Maryland |
7:00 PM |
|
January 6, 2016 |
Ohio State |
at |
Northwestern |
9:00 PM |
|
January 9, 2016 |
Northwestern |
at |
Minnesota |
12 or 2:30 PM |
|
January 10, 2016 |
Michigan State |
at |
Penn State |
12:00 PM |
|
January 10, 2016 |
Purdue |
at |
Illinois |
2 or 6 PM |
|
January 12, 2016 |
Wisconsin |
at |
Northwestern |
7:00 PM |
|
January 12, 2016 |
Minnesota |
at |
Nebraska |
9:00 PM |
|
January 13, 2016 |
Rutgers |
at |
Ohio State |
6:30 PM |
|
January 13, 2016 |
Penn State |
at |
Purdue |
8:30 PM |
|
January 16, 2016 |
Indiana |
at |
Minnesota |
12:30 PM |
|
January 16, 2016 |
Nebraska |
at |
Illinois |
2:30 PM |
|
January 17, 2016 |
Michigan |
at |
Iowa |
2 or 4:30 PM |
|
January 18, 2016 |
Purdue |
at |
Rutgers |
7:00 PM |
|
January 19, 2016 |
Northwestern |
at |
Maryland |
8:00 PM |
|
January 20, 2016 |
Nebraska |
at |
Michigan State |
6:30 PM |
|
January 20, 2016 |
Minnesota |
at |
Michigan |
8:30 PM |
|
January 21, 2016 |
Wisconsin |
at |
Penn State |
8:00 PM |
|
January 23, 2016 |
Illinois |
at |
Minnesota |
6, 7, 8 or 9 PM |
|
January 24, 2016 |
Purdue |
at |
Iowa |
1:00 PM |
|
January 25, 2016 |
Penn State |
at |
Ohio State |
7:00 PM |
|
January 27, 2016 |
Rutgers |
at |
Michigan |
7:00 PM |
|
January 27, 2016 |
Purdue |
at |
Minnesota |
9:00 PM |
|
January 28, 2016 |
Ohio State |
at |
Illinois |
9:00 PM |
|
January 30, 2016 |
Michigan |
vs. |
Penn State |
12:00 PM |
|
January 30, 2016 |
Minnesota |
at |
Indiana |
2:15 PM |
|
January 30, 2016 |
Nebraska |
at |
Purdue |
4:30 PM |
|
January 31, 2016 |
Northwestern |
at |
Iowa |
3:00 PM |
|
January 31, 2016 |
Rutgers |
at |
Michigan State |
5:15 PM |
|
January 31, 2016 |
Wisconsin |
at |
Illinois |
7:30 PM |
|
February 3, 2016 |
Illinois |
at |
Rutgers |
6:30 PM |
|
February 3, 2016 |
Maryland |
at |
Nebraska |
8:30 PM |
|
February 4, 2016 |
Minnesota |
at |
Northwestern |
9:00 PM |
|
February 6, 2016 |
Indiana |
at |
Penn State |
8:00 PM |
|
February 7, 2016 |
Iowa |
at |
Illinois |
1:00 PM |
|
February 9, 2016 |
Northwestern |
at |
Ohio State |
8:00 PM |
|
February 10, 2016 |
Nebraska |
at |
Wisconsin |
7:00 PM |
|
February 10, 2016 |
Michigan |
at |
Minnesota |
9:00 PM |
|
February 13, 2016 |
Ohio State |
at |
Rutgers |
4:00 PM |
|
February 13, 2016 |
Illinois |
at |
Northwestern |
8:00 PM |
|
February 14, 2016 |
Minnesota |
at |
Iowa |
7:30 PM |
|
February 16, 2016 |
Northwestern |
at |
Purdue |
7:00 PM |
|
February 16, 2016 |
Rutgers |
at |
Illinois |
9:00 PM |
|
February 17, 2016 |
Iowa |
at |
Penn State |
6:30 PM |
|
February 17, 2016 |
Nebraska |
at |
Indiana |
8:30 PM |
|
February 18, 2016 |
Maryland |
at |
Minnesota |
8:00 PM |
|
February 20, 2016 |
TBD |
at |
TBD |
7 or 9 PM |
|
February 21, 2016 |
TBD |
at |
TBD |
7:30 PM |
|
February 23, 2016 |
Rutgers |
at |
Minnesota |
8:30 PM |
|
February 24, 2016 |
Northwestern |
at |
Michigan |
7:00 PM |
|
February 24, 2016 |
Wisconsin |
at |
Iowa |
9:00 PM |
|
February 27 or February 28 2016 |
TBD |
at |
TBD |
12:00 PM or 6:00 PM |
|
February 28, 2016 |
TBD |
at |
TBD |
7:30 or 8 PM |
|
February 28, 2016 |
Penn State |
at |
Michigan State |
12:00 PM |
|
March 1, 2016 |
Purdue |
at |
Nebraska |
8:00 PM |
|
March 2, 2016 |
Michigan State |
at |
Rutgers |
7:00 PM |
|
March 2, 2016 |
Wisconsin |
at |
Minnesota |
9:00 PM |
|
March 5, 2016 |
Minnesota |
at |
Rutgers |
1:00 PM |
|
March 5, 2016 |
Iowa |
at |
Michigan |
8:00 PM |
|
March 6, 2016 |
Illinois |
at |
Penn State |
12:00 PM |
|
March 6, 2016 |
Nebraska |
at |
Northwestern |
2:00 PM |
|
March 6, 2016 |
TBD |
at |
TBD |
7:30 PM |
|
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 |
Big Ten Tournament Game #2 |
at |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
7:00 PM |
|
Thursday, March 10, 2016 |
Big Ten Tournament Game #3 |
at |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
12:00 PM |
|
Thursday, March 10, 2016 |
Big Ten Tournament Game #4 |
at |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
25 minutes after Game 3 |
|
Friday, March 11, 2016 |
Big Ten Tournament Game #9 |
at |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
6:30 PM |
|
Friday, March 11, 2016 |
Big Ten Tournament Game #10 |
at |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
25 minutes after Game 9 |