ESPN’s family of networks to air some 1,500 men’s college basketball games in 2014-15

Late last week, ESPN issued a comprehensive and extensive 7,558-word press release outlining each and every game of its 2014-15 college basketball schedule. To spare you from reading each and every word, we’ll do our best to summarize the whole thing.

First, the ESPN Family of Networks will air some 1,500 games this season on a whole bunch of platforms including the linear ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESNU, Longhron Network and SEC Network. In addition, games will be seen online on ESPN3 through the WatchESPN platform. Some games will be heard on ESPN Radio as well.

So what about the conferences? Well, ESPN will air games from the AAC, ACC, A-10, Big Ten, Big 12, Big West, Horizon, MEAC, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Ohio Valley, Pac-12, SEC, Sun Belt, SWAC, and West Coast.

The regular nightly games return, Big Monday (ACC/Big 12), Super Tuesday (Big Ten/SEC), Wednesday Night Hoops (ACC/Pac-12/AAC/Big 12), Thursday Night Showcase (SEC/Big Ten) and Saturday Showcase (AAC, ACC, A-10, Big Ten, Big 12, Big West, Horizon, MAC, MVC, SEC, Sun Belt).

You’ll see plenty of holiday tournaments on ESPN. Battle 4 Atlantis which has bounced from CBS Sports Network to NBCSN will be seen on ESPN this season. Here are the tournaments and special events that the ESPN Family will air this season:

• Armed Forces Classic (Nov. 14)
• State Farm Champions Classic (Nov. 18)
• 2K Classic (Nov. 20-21)
• NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 26-28)
• Legends Classic (Nov. 24-25)
• Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic (Nov. 23-24)
• MGM Grand Main Event (Nov. 24-26)
• SEC/Big 12 Challenge (Dec. 3-6)
• ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Dec. 1-3)
• Jimmy V Men’s Classic (Dec. 9)
• Orlando Classic (Nov. 27-30)
• Puerto Rico Tip-Off (Nov. 20-23)
• Hall of Fame Classic (Nov. 24-25)
• Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 26-28)
• Wooden Legacy (Nov. 27-30)
• Charleston Classic (Nov. 20-23)
• Maui Invitational (Nov. 24-26)
• Gotham Classic (Dec. 20)
• MGM Grand Showcase (Dec. 20)
• Diamond Head Classic (Dec. 22-25)

Some new features this season include the SEC Network’s arrival and airing some 118 conference games. Big 12 games that were previously available in syndication will air on one of the ESPN networks throughout the season. College GameDay will originate from the ESPN’s Saturday primetime gamesite from January 17 through March 7.

The first college basketball game of the season will air on Friday, November 14 on ESPNU and will pit the U.S. Coast Guard Academy against Hampden-Sydney College live from Puerto Rico. And the season will last all the way until March.

ESPN’s wildly popular Tip-Off Marathon airs on November 17-18. Here’s the schedule of games:

Tip-Off Marathon on ESPN, ESPN2 & ESPNU (Nov. 17-18)
Mon, Nov 17	7 p.m.	Tip-Off Marathon: Miami at Florida	ESPNU
		Tip-Off Marathon: Georgia State at Iowa State	ESPNU
	11 p.m.	Tip-Off Marathon: SMU at Gonzaga	ESPN2
		Legends Classic: Regional Round: Detroit at Oregon	ESPNU
Tues, Nov 18	1 a.m.	Auburn at Colorado	ESPN2
	3 a.m.	New Mexico State at Saint Mary’s	ESPN2
	5 a.m.	High Point at Hawaii	ESPN2
	7 a.m.	Iona at Wofford	ESPN2
	9 a.m.	Northern Iowa at Stephen F. Austin	ESPN2
	11 a.m.	Manhattan at Massachusetts	ESPN2
	Noon	Baylor at South Carolina	ESPN
	2 p.m.	Wichita State vs. Memphis (Sioux Falls, S.D.)	ESPN
	4 p.m.	Utah at San Diego State	ESPN
	6 p.m.	Legends Classic: Regional Round: Toledo at VCU	ESPNU
	7 p.m.	Champions Classic: Michigan State vs. Duke (Indianapolis, Ind.)	ESPN
	7:30 p.m.	Marquette at Ohio State	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	Champions Classic: Kansas vs. Kentucky (Indianapolis, Ind.)	ESPN
	9:30 p.m.	Texas Tech at LSU	ESPN2

So plenty of college basketball coming up. Lots of games on the plate and get ready to exercise your remote fingers.

[ESPN]