Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS --- Twenty-one games, including nine regular-season conference games, comprise the schedule of Horizon League basketball games on ESPN networks for the 2009-10 season, the League office and ESPN announced Thursday (Sept. 24).
Highlighting the package for the second year in a row is a six-game League series on ESPNU on Friday nights in January and February. It will culminate during ESPN's "Championship Week" with the semifinals and championship game of the Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship and the Speedway Women's Basketball Championship title game on ESPN networks.
The League's ESPNU schedule will tip-off with a Thursday night affair when defending champion Cleveland State University plays at Wright State University Dec. 3. The first Friday night game will feature Valparaiso University at the University of Detroit Mercy Jan. 8, followed by Loyola University Chicago at cross-town rival University of Illinois at Chicago (Jan. 15), the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Youngstown State University (Jan. 22) and Butler University at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (Jan. 29). Cleveland State then plays host to Youngstown State Saturday, Jan. 30.
ESPN2 will air a wildcard game on Feb. 6 that will be selected in mid-January. Games scheduled that day are Cleveland State at Loyola, Detroit at Valparaiso, Milwaukee at Green Bay, Wright State at Butler and Youngstown State at UIC.
Women's basketball will step to the fore Feb. 12 when defending champion Green Bay plays host to in-state rival Milwaukee. Following the annual BracketBusters weekend Feb. 19-20, the Horizon League's Friday night package will conclude Feb. 26 as Valparaiso hosts Butler in men's action.
Several Horizon League teams also will be featured in early-season, non-conference games on ESPN networks, beginning with Detroit at California Nov. 11 in the Coaches v. Cancer event on ESPNU. All three of Butler's games in the 76 Classic Nov. 26-29 will be aired, beginning with its first-round game against the University of Minnesota on ESPN2. Butler then will face Georgetown University Dec. 8 in the Jimmy V Classic in New York on ESPN, followed by the Bulldogs playing host to Ohio State University Dec. 12 on ESPN and Xavier University Dec. 19 on ESPN2. Sandwiched between those two dates, Wright State will play at Mississippi State University Dec. 16 on ESPN2.
ESPNU will air the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship semifinals March 6 and the Women's Basketball Championship March 14. The Men's Basketball Championship remains in its usual spot on Tuesday (March 9) at 9 p.m. on ESPN. All games on ESPN and ESPN2 also will be available on ESPN360.com.
For the complete list of Horizon League basketball games on ESPN networks in 2009-10, click on the PDF link at the top of the page.
