Fox Sports Net Announces 2003-04 Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Schedules

(CHICAGO) – Fox Sports Net, the home for the most complete local and national college basketball television schedule, is ready to bring hoops fans another exciting season of NCAA men's and women's basketball. In addition to local action featuring DePaul, UIC, Loyola, Illinois State, Bradley, NIU and SIU, the "ACC Sunday Night Game of the Week" returns to FSN featuring the perennial pre-season favorite Duke Blue Devils.

Fox Sports Net's collegiate basketball season tips off with a local contest as DePaul head coach Dave Leitao and his Blue Demons host coach Larry Farmer's Loyola Ramblers on Friday, November 21 at 7:30 PM (please note the attached for a complete schedule of games this season on FSN).

This season's college basketball schedule on Fox Sports Net features 165 games – 90 men's and 75 women's match-ups. In addition to an electrifying array of games featuring the ACC and Pac 10 conferences, FSN viewers can also watch the very best from the Big Ten, Missouri Valley, Horizon League, Mid-Continent, Conference USA and Big 12 conferences battle it out for an NCAA bid.

"With a full schedule of exciting local contests and the very best national match-ups, we have assembled a collegiate basketball schedule that will please all college hoops fans," said James J. Corno, Fox Sports Net Chicago's Senior Vice President/General Manager. "Both our men's and women's schedule showcase the finest young talent in the nation, many of whom are from the Chicago area."

MEN'S BASKETBALL

The 90-game 2003-04 men's basketball season on Fox Sports Net is highlighted by contests featuring the following teams and conferences:

DePaul Blue Demons – In addition to the November 21 contest against Loyola, the Blue Demons will be featured in five additional match-ups highlighted by a battle against AP pre-season #16-ranked Louisville on February 25. Other games include contests against Ohio (Dec. 9), Charlotte (Jan. 6), St. Louis (Feb. 21) and Southern Miss (Feb. 28).

Atlantic Coast Conference – Fox Sports Net debuts the third season of its nationally telecast ACC SUNDAY NIGHT HOOPS franchise on Sun., Dec. 7, when Wisconsin-Milwaukee visits North Carolina State for a 5:30 PM tip-off. The network's national slate features 19 men's and five women's match-ups, including the women's post-season tournament semifinals and championship game.

The men's schedule has 11 games showcasing consensus top-25 teams, including pre-season #2-ranked Duke in six games, North Carolina and new coach Roy Williams in three games and Wake Forest twice, including the Dec. 20 can't-miss game between Wake Forest and UNC. Fox Sports Net also carries five games featuring 2002 NCAA National Champion Maryland.

Thom Brennaman and Tim Brando handle the play-by-play for the men's ACC SUNDAY NIGHT HOOPS telecasts, with Mike Gminski and Dan Bonner providing analysis. For the women's games, Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (analyst) comprise the telecast team.

Additionally, FSN airs separate, one-hour ACC WOMEN'S and MEN'S PREVIEW shows on Sun, Nov. 30 at 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM respectively. Bonner and Mike Hogewood host the men's season preview, while Mowins and Antonelli handle the women's program.

The Horizon League – The third year of the Horizon League features a local pre-season favorite as head coach Jimmy Collins looks to take the UIC Flames back to the NCAA Tournament. The Flames will be featured in six games on Fox Sports Net (Dec. 13 vs. Illinois St., Dec. 20 vs. Northwestern, Jan. 3 vs. Detroit, Jan. 8 vs. Loyola, plus – a pair of games against last season's NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" surprise team Butler on Jan. 31 & Feb. 28). FSN will also carry live conference tournament semifinal action on Mar. 6.

Missouri Valley Conference – 20 Valley games showcase area favorites Bradley (Jan. 5 vs. Creighton, Feb. 8 at Wichita St., Mar. 2 vs. SW Missouri St.), Illinois State (Dec. 13 at UIC, Dec. 20 vs. N. Iowa, Jan. 18 vs. SW Missouri St.) and Southern Illinois (Dec. 6 at Drake, Jan. 11 vs. Wichita State, Jan. 31 vs. N. Iowa). Plus, Fox Sports Net will have exclusive coverage of the MVC Tournament quarterfinals and semifinals beginning March 6.

Other local/national games – The NIU Huskies look to have a solid season ahead of them and Fox Sports Net will cover their Jan. 31 match-up against Toledo. FSN's Pac 10 schedule is highlighted by games featuring pre-season #4-ranked Arizona in six contests (Dec. 13 vs. Marquette, Jan. 3 at Arizona St., Jan. 31 at Washington St., Feb. 5 at California, Feb. 14 vs. UCLA & Feb. 19 at Oregon) and #19-ranked Stanford (Jan. 8 at Arizona St., Jan. 17 vs. California & Feb. 14 at California). FSN will also carry every Pac 10 Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal match-up, along with live coverage of the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament semifinals.

Weekly, half-hour coaches shows on Fox Sports Net this season include Notre Dame's Mike Brey on Tuesdays at 3:30 PM, Indiana's Mike Davis on Wednesdays at 3:00 PM, Illinois' Bruce Weber on Wednesdays at 3:30 PM and NIU's Rob Judson on Thursdays at 3:30 PM.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Fox Sports Net's 75-game women's basketball schedule is highlighted by 13 Big Ten games featuring four teams ranked in the AP pre-season top 25: #7 Purdue (Jan. 18 vs. Minnesota, Feb. 10 at Iowa), #8 Penn State (Jan. 4 vs. Michigan St., Feb. 5 at Indiana, Feb. 19 vs. Wisconsin), #13 Minnesota (Jan. 1 vs. Michigan, Jan. 18 at Purdue) and #17 Ohio State (Feb. 15 at Michigan St., Feb. 22 vs. Illinois). The women's schedule tips-off with Illinois traveling to face UCLA on Sun, Nov. 30 at 3:00 PM. FSN will also carry every Big Ten Tournament first round (three games on Mar. 4), quarterfinal (four games on Mar. 5) and semifinal (two games on Mar. 7) match-up.

Head coach Doug Bruno's DePaul Blue Demons can be seen in action three times this season against Conference USA opponents Tulane (Jan. 25), TCU (Feb. 22) and Marquette (Feb. 29).

Other conferences highlighted in FSN's women's schedule include the Big 12 – 17 regular season games with #3-ranked Texas, #5 Kansas State, #10 Texas Tech, plus tournament quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game. The ACC will be featured in a pair of games highlighted by #2 Duke, along with tournament semifinals and final. Viewers can also forward to these big match-ups: #4 Tennessee at #6 Stanford (Dec. 14), #6 Stanford at #10 Texas Tech (Dec. 21), #2 Duke at #25 Virginia (Jan. 18) and #5 Kansas State at #3 Texas (Feb. 29). Also, FSN will carry six MVC games and the tourney final, along with Pac 10 tourney semifinals/final and the Mid-Con final.

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