Eight Horizon League Teams to Compete in 2011 BracketBusters

The ninth annual BracketBusters, a three-day men’s college basketball 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 BracketBusterspool in the event’s history.

The 114-team field will have eight Horizon League participants, as Cleveland State, Detroit, Green Bay and Milwaukee will all hit the road on the weekend.  Loyola, Valparaiso, Wright State and Youngstown State will play home contests.

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 BracketBusterswill compete against each other through the same three days.

The 114-team field will feature teams from 15 conferences as well as one independent: 12 from the Mid-American Conference and Colonial Athletic; 10 from the Ohio Valley Conference, Missouri Valley and Metro Atlantic Athletic; nine from Big Sky, Big South, Big West and Western Athletic; five from America East and Southern; two from the MEAC and West Coast; and one from the Summit League, as well as independent Seattle.

As part of the agreement, all 11 of the BracketBustershome teams in televised games, as well as the remaining 46 home squads, will play a “return” game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the 2012-13 season.

BracketBustersis 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 BracketBustershave produced 74 appearances in the last five NCAA Tournaments.