All Nine Teams in BracketBusters Pool
For the first time, all nine Big Sky Conference men’s basketball teams will be part of the ESPN BracketBusters Pool, the network announced Thursday.
The ninth-annual three-day event pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other Feb. 18-20, will feature 11 nationally televised games – on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU – selected from a pool of 114 teams, the largest BracketBusters Pool in the event’s history.
The 114-team field features teams from 15 conferences as well as one independent: 12 teams from the Mid-American Conference and Colonial Athletic Conference, 10 from the Ohio Valley, nine from the Big Sky, Big South, Big West and WAC; eight from the Horizon League, five from America East and Southern; two from the MEAC and West Coast; and one from the Summit League, as well as independent Seattle.
Eastern Washington, Portland State, Idaho State and Montana State will be at home on BracketBusters weekend. Montana, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Sacramento State and Weber State will be on the road. The 11 TV matchups will be announced on Jan. 31.
“Having all of our teams in BracketBusters assures our best teams will be vying for one of the coveted television games,’’ said Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton. “Had all of our teams been in last year’s pool, we would have been in position for as many as three TV games.”
“This is also great for scheduling as it provides an additional future non-conference game,’’ Fullerton added. “Because of our participation on BracketBusters, teams such as Wichita State, Western Kentucky have played non-conference road games against Big Sky teams. "
As part of the agreement, all home squads will play a “return” game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the 2012-13 season.
For the sixth straight year, ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will feature five BracketBusters games, while ESPN or ESPN2 will televise up to six contests. The 11 BracketBusters matchups will be announced Jan. 31.
BracketBusters, named because of the success of the teams in NCAA Tournament play, will provide the 22 televised teams an opportunity to play other top non-conference opponents three weeks before Selection Sunday. The 92 teams not selected for BracketBusters will compete against each other through the same three days.
BracketBusters is part of ESPN’s college basketball franchise programming, along with Rivalry Week Presented by Cisco, Feast Week presented by Lowe’s, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers, Judgment Week and Championship Week Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Teams participating this season in BracketBusters have produced 74 appearances in the last five NCAA Tournaments.
BracketBusters Schedule (subject to change)
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Date
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Time (ET)
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Network
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Fri, Feb 18
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7 p.m.
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ESPN2
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|
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9 p.m.
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ESPNU
|
|
Sat, Feb 19
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11 a.m.
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ESPNU
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|
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1 p.m.
|
ESPNU
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|
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3 p.m.
|
ESPNU
|
|
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5 p.m.
|
ESPN2
|
|
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5 p.m.
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ESPNU
|
|
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7 p.m.
|
ESPN2
|
|
|
9 p.m.
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ESPN2
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|
|
11 p.m.
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ESPN2
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Sun, Feb 20
|
1 p.m.
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ESPN or ESPN2
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Home and Away Teams (Matchups will be announced Jan. 31)
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Home Team
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Visiting Team
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America East
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America East
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Stony Brook
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Maine
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Boston University
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New Hampshire
|
|
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Vermont
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Big Sky
|
Big Sky
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Eastern Washington
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Montana
|
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Portland State
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Northern Arizona
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Montana State
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Northern Colorado
|
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Idaho State
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Sacramento State
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|
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Weber State
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Big South
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Big South
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High Point
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Charleston Southern
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Liberty
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Gardner-Webb
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Presbyterian
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Radford
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UNC Asheville
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VMI
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Winthrop
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|
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Big West
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Big West
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Cal Poly
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CS-Fullerton
|
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Long Beach State
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CS-Northridge
|
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UC-Davis
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UC-Irvine
|
|
UC-Santa Barbara
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UC-Riverside
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|
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Pacific
|
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Colonial
|
Colonial
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Drexel
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Delaware
|
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James Madison
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George Mason
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|
UNC- Wilmington
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Georgia State
|
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Old Dominion
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Hofstra
|
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Towson
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Northeastern
|
|
William and Mary
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VCU
|
|
Horizon
|
Horizon
|
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Loyola Chicago
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Cleveland State
|
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Valparaiso
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Detroit
|
|
Wright State
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Green Bay
|
|
Youngstown State
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Milwaukee
|
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Metro Atlantic
|
Metro Atlantic
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Fairfield
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Canisius
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Marist
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Iona
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Niagara
|
Loyola (Md.)
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Rider
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Manhattan
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Siena
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Saint Peter’s
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Mid-American
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Mid-American
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Akron
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Ball State
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Buffalo
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Bowling Green
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Eastern Michigan
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Central Michigan
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Northern Illinois
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Kent State
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Toledo
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Miami
|
|
Western Michigan
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Ohio
|
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MEAC
|
MEAC
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Morgan State
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Delaware State
|
|
Missouri Valley
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Missouri Valley
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Drake
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Bradley
|
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Indiana State
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Creighton
|
|
Northern Iowa
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Evansville
|
|
Southern Illinois
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Illinois State
|
|
Wichita State
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Missouri State
|
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Ohio Valley
|
Ohio Valley
|
|
Murray State
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Austin Peay
|
|
Southeast Missouri
|
Eastern Illinois
|
|
Tennessee-Martin
|
Eastern Kentucky
|
|
Tennessee State
|
Jacksonville State
|
|
Tennessee Tech
|
Morehead State
|
|
Southern
|
Southern
|
|
College of Charleston
|
Appalachian State
|
|
Western Carolina
|
Davidson
|
|
Wofford
|
|
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Summit League
|
|
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Oral Roberts
|
|
|
WAC
|
WAC
|
|
Fresno State
|
Boise State
|
|
Louisiana Tech
|
Hawaii
|
|
Nevada
|
Idaho
|
|
New Mexico State
|
Utah State
|
|
San Jose State
|
|
|
West Coast
|
West Coast
|
|
Saint Mary’s
|
Loyola Marymount
|
|
Independent
|
Independent
|
|
|
Seattle
|