Big Ten Network celebrates Penn State Day on June 18

Big Ten Network celebrates Penn State Day on June 18

Network to air 24 consecutive hours of Nittany Lion programming

Chicago— On Wednesday, June 18, the Big Ten Network shouts “We Are! Penn State!” with 24 consecutive hours of Nittany Lion programming.

The day will include some of Penn State’s best performances in 2007-08, including the Valero Alamo Bowl win against Texas A&M, the men’s basketball team’s upsets of Indiana and Michigan State, the men’s gymnastics team’s Big Ten Championship and milestone regular season victories by the national champion men’s and women’s volleyball teams. In addition, the 2008 Blue-White spring football game will air in its entirety at 2 p.m. ET.

At 9 p.m. ET, the Big Ten Network will present a special edition of Big Ten Tonight, the Penn State Year in Review. The show will recap all the great Nittany Lion moments of the past 12 months.

In addition to the most recent triumphs, the network will also re-air two Penn State victories from the series, Big Ten’s Greatest Games, including the 1994 football victory against Illinois. In that game, the Nittany Lions rallied for a 35-31 victory despite trailing Illinois by three touchdowns in the first quarter. Penn State would go on to win the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl, becoming the first Big Ten team to finish with a 12-0 record.

Penn State Day on the Big Ten Network also includes the 2001 Nittany Lion basketball victory against second-ranked Michigan State. Joe Crispin made an off-balance 3-pointer with 21 seconds left and sealed Penn State’s victory with a pair of free throws as the Nittany Lions upset the Spartans 65-63 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

The schedule also contains four 30-minute episodes of campus programming produced by Penn State, including the programs We Are The Millennials 2, We Are The Millennials 3, Penn State Universe – Alternative Energy and Penn State Universe – The Essence of Joy.

Throughout the month of June, the Big Ten Network will air university-themed programming for a full 24 hours devoted to each of the Big Ten member institutions, including Purdue (June 2), Iowa (June 4), Michigan (June 5), Illinois (June 9), Indiana (June 11), Northwestern (June 12), Ohio State (June 16), Penn State (June 18), Wisconsin (June 19), Minnesota (June 23) and Michigan State (June 25).

The Big Ten Network launched August 30, 2007, and became the first new network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million homes in its first 30 days. The network is available through DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-Verse, Insight Communications, WideOpenWest, RCN, Service Electric, D&E Communications and nearly 240 other cable operators.


Penn State Day Schedule – June 18
All times Eastern

6am    Big Ten Women’s Volleyball
    Penn State 3, Michigan 1 (11/24/07)
    The Nittany Lions became only the seventh team in Big Ten history to finish the conference season with a perfect 20-0 record. All-American Megan Hodge recorded a season-high 25 kills to lead Penn State to a four-game victory en route to the 2007 NCAA Championship.

8am    Big Ten Men’s Volleyball
    Penn State 3, Ohio State 1 (3/28/08)
    Freshman Dennis Del Valle had a match-high 12 digs to help top-ranked Penn State past 10th-ranked  Ohio State 3-1 in front of more than 2,000 fans at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions improved their season  record to 21-1 en route to the 2008 NCAA Championship.

10am    The Big Ten’s Greatest Games
    Men’s Basketball: Penn State 65, Michigan State 63 (3/9/01)
    Joe Crispin made an off-balance 3-pointer with 21 seconds left and sealed Penn State’s victory with a pair of free throws as the Nittany Lions upset the No. 2  Spartans 65-63 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

12pm    The Big Ten’s Greatest Games
    Football: Penn State 35, Illinois 31 (11/12/94)
    The Nittany Lions rallied for a 35-31 victory despite trailing Illinois by three touchdowns in the first  quarter. Penn State would go on to win the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl, becoming the first Big  Ten team to finish with a perfect 12-0 record.

2pm    Big Ten Spring Football presented by Jimmy John’s
    Penn State held its annual Blue-White Game on April 19, with a record crowd of 73,000 in attendance.

4pm     Campus Programming
    We Are the Millennials 2

4:30pm     Campus Programming
    We Are the Millennials 3

5pm    Big Ten’s Men’s Gymnastics Championships (4/4/08)
    Host Penn State won the 2008 Big Ten Men’s Gymnastics Team Championship with a score of 360.450. All-American Casey Sandy earned the all-around title to lead the Nittany Lions.

7pm    Big Ten Men’s Basketball
    Penn State 68, Indiana 64 (OT) (3/9/08)
    With its top two scorers and rebounders out with injuries, Penn State relied on four freshmen to stun No. 18 Indiana, 68-64, in overtime. The win wrapped up the Nittany Lions’ best Big Ten campaign since 2001.

9pm    Big Ten Tonight
    Penn State Year-In-Review

9:30pm    Big Ten Tonight
    Penn State Year-In-Review

10pm    Big Ten Football
    2007 Valero Alamo Bowl: Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17 (12/29/07)
    Penn State overcame a 14-0 first quarter deficit to defeat Texas A&M, 24-17, in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The game marked Joe Paterno’s 500th as the head coach of the Nittany Lions. Penn State ran for a season-high 270 yards, and were led by Offensive MVP Rodney Kinlaw (143 yards) and     Defensive MVP Sean Lee (14 tackles, TFL).

1am    Big Ten Tonight
    Penn State Year-In-Review

1:30am    Big Ten Tonight
    Penn State Year-In-Review

2am    Big Ten Men’s Basketball
    Penn State 85, Michigan State 76 (2/2/08)
    Stanley Pringle and Talor Battle combined for 36 points as the Nittany Lions upset seventh-ranked Michigan State, 85-76, at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game featured 18 ties and 12 lead changes before Penn State pulled away in the final minutes.

4am    Campus Programming
    Penn State Universe 8 – Alternative Energy

4:30am    Campus Programming
    Penn State Universe 9 – The Essence of Joy

5am    Big Ten Tonight
    Penn State Year-In-Review

5:30am    Big Ten Tonight
    Penn State Year-In-Review


About the Big Ten Network: The Big Ten Network is dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions. The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more major men’s and women’s events than ever before, along with news, highlights and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The network is available to all cable and satellite carriers and television distributors nationwide, with most programs offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks. For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit www.BigTenNetwork.com.