ACC announces 2012 TV football schedule
A prime time kickoff for the eighth annual Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game, three national exposures on the opening weekend of the 2012 season, and a minimum of 13 nationally televised exposures (ABC, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU) highlights the early season TV and Game Time schedule announced Thursday by the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Included in the release are game times and TV networks for all home games for the league in its first three weeks of the season, as well as for all of its 2012 Thursday night games on ESPN and all national television games confirmed to date. Read more
ACC, ESPN announce contract extension
ESPN and the Atlantic Coast Conference have announced an extension to their exclusive agreement through 2026-27 that will now feature several new elements designed to bring added value to ESPN and ACC fans, including more title sponsorship rights, more men’s regular-season and conference tournament basketball games, more conference football games, and dozens more Olympic sports competitions.
The deal will provide premier content to numerous ESPN multimedia platforms, including ESPN, ESPN on ABC, ESPN2, WatchESPN.com, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN 3D, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT, ESPN Buzzer Beater/Goal Line, ESPN International, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic and ESPN.com. Read more
ACC announces scheduling plans
Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced on Friday the future scheduling formats as approved by the ACC’s Faculty Athletic Representatives and Athletics Directors.
The announcement was made following the annual ACC Winter Meetings and will go in effect once Pittsburgh and Syracuse become playing members in the conference.
“We have been engaged in discussions on the various options for integrating Pitt and Syracuse since early fall,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “It’s a tremendous tribute to the leadership at our schools that we will be able to seamlessly add Pitt and Syracuse at the appropriate time when they become full playing members.” Read more
ACC to expand hoops schedule
Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today that beginning in the 2012-13 season the league will play an 18-game conference schedule in men’s and women’s basketball.
“Our member institutions have been talking about this increase for awhile and knowing our league will be expanding to 14 in the future, we’ve decided to move to an 18-game conference schedule next year, regardless of our membership number,” Swofford said. “The additional conference games create a more equitable schedule and we’ve received significant feedback from our fans for more conference games.”
ACC announces kickoff time for Tech-UVa.
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today the kickoff time for Virginia’s Nov. 26 home football game against Virginia Tech is set for 3:30 p.m.
The network televising the game will be announced Sunday, Nov. 20. The game will be carried by either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
Virginia Tech (9-1, 5-1 ACC) is currently ranked #8 in the BCS standings. UVa. (7-3, 4-2 ACC) could still win the ACC Coastal Division title with wins in its final two games – this weekend at Florida State and then next weekend at home against Virginia Tech.
Weekend Watchdog: Hokie high on Thursday night
The Hokies like Thursday night football. ESPN must like the Hokies.
Virginia Tech gets back-to-back dates on Thursday night football, starting this week with a trip to Georgia Tech Thursday at 8 p.m.
The Hokies have a 17-5 record on Thursday nights on ESPN, and have defeated Georgia Tech three times since joining the ACC in 2004. A win Thursday will go a long way to putting the Hokies in the ACC title game in December.
Virginia, fresh off its sixth win of the season, looks to improve its bowl situation when Duke visits Saturday at 3 p.m. on Comcast. The ACC Network offers North Carolina State at Boston College at 12:30 p.m.
Notre Dame brings along the national spotlight to its game with Maryland, at 7:30 p.m. on NBC from FedEx Field.
Florida State meets Miami Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in one of ABC’s afternoon contests. Other games in those slots are Michigan at Illinois (ESPN will air this game in the Fishersville area) and Texas A&M taking on Kansas State. The day starts at noon on ABC with either West Virginia-Connecticut or Oklahoma State battling Texas Tech. In primetime, Oregon faces Stanford.
CBS offers an SEC doubleheader, with Florida facing South Carolina at noon before Auburn goes to Georgia – don’t get stuck in the hedges.
ESPN starts its Saturday at noon with Nebraska at Penn State, and the primetime SEC game matches Alabama and Missisissippi State at 7:45 p.m.
Friday, ESPN2 has South Florida taking on Syracuse at 8 p.m. Saturday, Michigan State travels to Iowa at noon, then Arkansas plays Tennessee at 6 p.m. The night ends with Idaho meeting BYU at 9:15 p.m.
The Big East game of the week matches Louisville and Pittsburgh at noon on MASN. Old Dominion takes on William & Mary at noon on Comcast.
Versus starts the day at noon with Pennsylvania at Harvard, then shows TCU-Boise State at 3:30 p.m. The PAC-12 takes the stage at 10:30 p.m. with Arizona State going to Washington State.
At noon, FX has Texas heading to Missouri for the final time as conference foes. Washington takes on USC at 3:45 p.m.
It’s anchors away as the college basketball season tips off this weekend. Top-ranked North Carolina takes on Michigan State from the deck of the USS Carl Vinson Friday at 7 p.m.
MASN begins its college basketball coverage Friday with a Big East doubleheader – Tennessee-Martin against Louisville at 7 p.m. followed by Mt. St. Mary’s at Marquette. There’s two more games Saturday – Syracuse taking on Fordham at 4 p.m. then St. Francis plays Seton Hall at 7 p.m. – and Sunday Alabama State meets Cincinnati at 7 p.m.
It’s the first week of games on NFL network, with the Chargers hosting Oakland Thursday at 8:15 p.m. Division matchup continue in primetime, with the Patriots facing the Jets Sunday on NBC and Minnesota at Green Bay Monday on ESPN.
Sunday afternoon, the Redskins travel to Miami at 1 p.m. on FOX before the Giants take on San Francisco. CBS in Washington follows the Ravens west for their game with Seattle at 4 p.m.
Tony Stewart keeps winning, and Carl Edwards keeps holding onto the points lead. This week, Phoenix hosts the NASCAR racers Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide racers go Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Capitals visit New Jersey Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, and the teams meet again in Washington Saturday.
The Big East crowns its men’s soccer champion Sunday at noon on MASN. The United States plays France in an International Friendly Friday at 2:55 p.m. on ESPN2.
Comcast has ACC volleyball between Georgia Tech and N.C. State Sunday at 1 p.m.
Weekend Watchdog: SEC Playoff, Game One
Who’s going to the national championship in January? After Saturday, we’ll probably know who has the inside track from the SEC – and who will be left to go somewhere else.
CBS has coverage of top-ranked LSU taking on No. 2 Alabama Saturday at 8 p.m.
Both teams have won national championships in the past four years. LSU has some big wins away from home – over Oregon at Dallas and at West Virginia – that should help as the Bayou Tigers head to Alabama.
The winner should claim the SEC West, and a matchup against South Carolina may loom before the national championship game in New Orleans.
ESPN begins the college football weekend in the ACC, with Florida State heading to Boston College Thursday at 8 p.m. Friday, Southern Cal visits new conference rival Colorado at 9 p.m. on ESPN, while ESPN2 shows Central Michigan at Kent State.
Virginia tries to get its sixth win against Maryland Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on the ACC network.
ABC’s prime time contests match Notre Dame and Wake Forest, while others will see No. 3 Oklahoma State face Kansas State (ESPN2 shows the alternate game). In the afternoon, ABC offers No. 4 Stanford at Oregon State, Texas A&M against Oklahoma and Purdue-Wisconsin. ESPN2 carries one of the games not on the air in your area.
It’s not quite Army-Navy, but CBS shows Army vs. Air Force at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN opens the day at noon with Michigan’s trip to Iowa. In primetime, South Carolina battles Arkansas at 7:15 p.m.
Comcast offers Duke taking on Miami at 3 p.m., then Oregon plays Washington at 10:30 p.m.
MASN has the Big East battle between teams wanting to join the Big 12 – Louisville at West Virginia at noon – followed by Liberty-VMI.
FX goes with Texas Tech at Texas at noon. Versus features Arizona State against UCLA at 7:30 p.m.
AFC North rival Baltimore and Pittsburgh take their grudge match to NBC Sunday night. ESPN has the Bears taking on Philadelphia Monday night.
The Redskins host San Francisco Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by the Giants at New England. CBS in Washington goes with Tim Tebow leading Denver to Oakland.
It’s down to the final three races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, this week in Texas. The NASCAR drivers hit the track Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN, while the Nationwide racers go Saturday at 12:55 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Capitals have road games Friday at Carolina on Comcast and Saturday at the Islanders. Comcast shows the Devils’ visit to Philadelphia Thursday at 7 p.m.
It’s almost college basketball season and MASN has the preseason matchup between Louisville and Bellarmine Thursday at 7 p.m.
It’s time for the Breeders Cup, from Churchill Downs this year. ESPN2 begins the races Friday at 4 p.m., then ABC has coverage Saturday at 2 p.m. ESPN carries the rest of the slate starting at 3:30 p.m.
The MLS playoffs continue with a doubleheader Thursday on ESPN2. Houston hosts Philadelphia at 8:30 p.m., then New York heads to Los Angeles at 11 p.m. ESPN will have a conference final matchup Sunday at 9 p.m.
The Big East women’s soccer championship will be on MASN Sunday at noon.
The ACC field hockey tournament semifinals are on Comcast Friday at 1 and 3 p.m. The championship will be Sunday at 1 p.m.
Weekend Watchdog column by Mike Judge
