AAC Basketball Communications
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference announced its 2016-17 men’s basketball schedule which includes a minimum 136 national television broadcasts.
Ninety conference games will be nationally televised by industry leaders ESPN and CBS Sports. Thirteen conference games will be carried either on ESPN or ESPN2, with ESPN’s Thursday Night Showcase series highlighting The American throughout the season. Twenty-five more games will be seen on ESPNU, with 23 scheduled for ESPNEWS. CBS Sports will televise two conference games – SMU at UConn on Feb. 25 and Cincinnati at UConn on March 5 – while CBS Sports Network will carry 26 conference games.
Additionally, for the second consecutive year, The American will have 10 games on the American Sports Network, including at least six conference games. ASN games will also be carried on ESPN3.
Conference play begins Tuesday, Dec. 27 as Memphis welcomes SMU to the FedEx Forum before a national audience on ESPNU. Four more American Athletic Conference games will tip on Wednesday, Dec. 28, with the Houston at UConn and Cincinnati at Temple contests airing on ESPN2 and ESPNU, respectively.
UConn and Memphis, the finalists in last year’s American Athletic Conference championship, will square off on Thursday, Jan. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 16, with both games airing on ESPN or ESPN2.
The American also announced select non-conference games with additional telecasts to be added in the future.
The American’s national TV slate opens on Nov. 11 with Tulane hosting 2016 national runner-up North Carolina (ESPNU) and Temple taking on LaSalle in a ‘Big 5’ matchup (ESPNEWS). Seven American teams will take part in tournaments on ESPN networks, as SMU appears in the 2k Sports Classic Nov. 17-18 on ESPN or ESPN2. Cincinnati could meet Duke in the Hall of Fame Tipoff on Nov. 20 (ESPN/ESPN2), while UConn will be featured in the Maui Invitational Nov. 21-23. Temple will head to Brooklyn, N.Y., as part of the Preseason NIT Nov. 24-25 (ESPN/ESPN2), and Tulsa will head to Hawai’i for the Diamondhead Classic Dec. 22-25 with games on ESPN networks. Tulane (Puerto Rico Tipoff) and UCF (Charleston Classic) will also be featured in November across the ESPN networks. On CBS Sports Network, Memphis will compete in the Emerald Coast Classic Nov. 25-26.
Key non-conference home games for American teams include Tulsa hosting Oregon State (Nov. 22, ESPNEWS) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 10, CBSSN), while UConn will be returning to Madison Square Garden for a Dec. 5 matchup with Syracuse (ESPN2). USF will take on South Carolina on Dec. 17 (CBSSN), and SMU will bring Stanford to Moody Coliseum on Dec. 19 (ESPN2). Cincinnati will host the Crosstown Shootout versus Xavier on Jan. 26 (ESPN2).
All of the games included in the ESPN package will be available through WatchESPN, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Each of the CBS Sports games will be available to stream live in more than 150 U.S. markets via the CBS All Access subscription service, with additional coverage on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app.
The 2016-17 conference schedule will see each team in The American play 18 games. Each team will play eight opponents twice and two opponents once. Last season, The American saw four teams – UConn, Cincinnati, Temple and Tulsa – reach the NCAA Tournament.
The 2017 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship will take place March 9-12 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. ESPN networks will provide live coverage of every game of the tournament, including the March 11 semifinals on ESPN2 and the March 12 final on ESPN.
Ninety conference games will be nationally televised by industry leaders ESPN and CBS Sports. Thirteen conference games will be carried either on ESPN or ESPN2, with ESPN’s Thursday Night Showcase series highlighting The American throughout the season. Twenty-five more games will be seen on ESPNU, with 23 scheduled for ESPNEWS. CBS Sports will televise two conference games – SMU at UConn on Feb. 25 and Cincinnati at UConn on March 5 – while CBS Sports Network will carry 26 conference games.
Additionally, for the second consecutive year, The American will have 10 games on the American Sports Network, including at least six conference games. ASN games will also be carried on ESPN3.
Conference play begins Tuesday, Dec. 27 as Memphis welcomes SMU to the FedEx Forum before a national audience on ESPNU. Four more American Athletic Conference games will tip on Wednesday, Dec. 28, with the Houston at UConn and Cincinnati at Temple contests airing on ESPN2 and ESPNU, respectively.
UConn and Memphis, the finalists in last year’s American Athletic Conference championship, will square off on Thursday, Jan. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 16, with both games airing on ESPN or ESPN2.
The American also announced select non-conference games with additional telecasts to be added in the future.
The American’s national TV slate opens on Nov. 11 with Tulane hosting 2016 national runner-up North Carolina (ESPNU) and Temple taking on LaSalle in a ‘Big 5’ matchup (ESPNEWS). Seven American teams will take part in tournaments on ESPN networks, as SMU appears in the 2k Sports Classic Nov. 17-18 on ESPN or ESPN2. Cincinnati could meet Duke in the Hall of Fame Tipoff on Nov. 20 (ESPN/ESPN2), while UConn will be featured in the Maui Invitational Nov. 21-23. Temple will head to Brooklyn, N.Y., as part of the Preseason NIT Nov. 24-25 (ESPN/ESPN2), and Tulsa will head to Hawai’i for the Diamondhead Classic Dec. 22-25 with games on ESPN networks. Tulane (Puerto Rico Tipoff) and UCF (Charleston Classic) will also be featured in November across the ESPN networks. On CBS Sports Network, Memphis will compete in the Emerald Coast Classic Nov. 25-26.
Key non-conference home games for American teams include Tulsa hosting Oregon State (Nov. 22, ESPNEWS) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 10, CBSSN), while UConn will be returning to Madison Square Garden for a Dec. 5 matchup with Syracuse (ESPN2). USF will take on South Carolina on Dec. 17 (CBSSN), and SMU will bring Stanford to Moody Coliseum on Dec. 19 (ESPN2). Cincinnati will host the Crosstown Shootout versus Xavier on Jan. 26 (ESPN2).
All of the games included in the ESPN package will be available through WatchESPN, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Each of the CBS Sports games will be available to stream live in more than 150 U.S. markets via the CBS All Access subscription service, with additional coverage on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app.
The 2016-17 conference schedule will see each team in The American play 18 games. Each team will play eight opponents twice and two opponents once. Last season, The American saw four teams – UConn, Cincinnati, Temple and Tulsa – reach the NCAA Tournament.
The 2017 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship will take place March 9-12 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. ESPN networks will provide live coverage of every game of the tournament, including the March 11 semifinals on ESPN2 and the March 12 final on ESPN.