Big East Basketball Schedule Released

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

John Rooke, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Welcome to the beast that is the Big East conference, Ed Cooley.

The Big East conference has released its 2011-12 men's basketball schedule, and the Providence Friars will once again open league play on the road. As the only new head coach in the league this year, the Ed Cooley/Big East era begins on December 27th, with the Friars' league opener at St. John's...followed by a game at Georgetown on New Years' Eve. The Friars' home opener in the league will be against Syracuse on Wednesday, January 4th.

The BIG EAST men’s basketball conference schedule has had two notable characteristics that have become the norm in recent years – all 144 league games televised and more than half on national television. For the upcoming campaign, however, after a season when the BIG EAST placed a record 11 teams in the NCAA Championship and Connecticut won the national title, an incredible 91 percent of all conference games in 2011-12 will include a team that played in the 2011 NCAA tourney.

It is also the fifth consecutive season that all 144 league games will be televised.

“Last year’s historic success proved once again that the BIG EAST Conference continues to be among the most competitive conferences in the country from top to bottom," said BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto. "With a record 11 teams earning their way into last year’s NCAA Championship, our coaches and players reaffirmed the fact that BIG EAST basketball and excellence are synonymous. Our schools continue to take great advantage of the unparalleled media exposure they are afforded annually from both ESPN and CBS Sports – which is one of the reasons why we are confident that the 2011-12 season will be as exciting as any in our history."

But will it be as exciting for Friar fans? Certainly while entertaining, the schedule also looks to be daunting:

Tuesday, Dec. 27 @ St. John's

Saturday, Dec. 31 @ Georgetown ESPN2

Wednesday, Jan. 4 vs. Syracuse

Saturday, Jan. 7 vs. Seton Hall

Tuesday, Jan. 10 vs. Louisville 7pm ESPN2

Saturday, Jan. 14 @ Syracuse

Saturday, Jan. 21 vs. Marquette

Wednesday, Jan. 25 @ Pittsburgh

Sunday, Jan. 29 @ South Florida

Wednesday, Feb. 1 vs. Rutgers ESPNU

Sunday, Feb. 5 vs. West Virginia

Tuesday, Feb. 7 @ Villanova

Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. South Florida

Wednesday, Feb. 15 @ Cincinnati 9pm ESPNU

Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Georgetown

Saturday, Feb. 25 @ DePaul

Tuesday, Feb. 28 vs. UConn

Friday, March 2 @ Notre Dame

Tuesday, March 6 @ Big East Tournament

The Friars regular season opener comes November 12th at the Dunkin Donuts Center against Fairleigh Dickinson University, with the first exhibition game at Alumni Hall on campus against Assumption Oct. 25th. All game times are still to be determined.