Horizon League Announces Men's Basketball Conference Schedule, ESPN Games
INDIANAPOLIS – The 2017-18 Horizon League men’s basketball regular season will tip off Thursday, December 28, with every League contest available on the ESPN family of networks. The 18-game double-round-robin slate will feature 90 games and will culminate at Motor City Madness, March 2-6, 2018, at the brand new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
2017-18 Horizon League Men's Basketball Conference Composite Schedule
Eight teams will hit the hardwood opening day, including defending Horizon League regular-season champion Oakland and 2017 Motor City Madness winner Northern Kentucky. The Golden Grizzlies open league play at Milwaukee while Northern Kentucky hosts newcomer IUPUI. In other opening night action, UIC travels to Wright State and Green Bay welcomes Detroit Mercy. Youngstown State visits Cleveland State Jan. 1 to round out the start of conference play.
Four head coaches will make their Horizon League debuts this season, with three coaches - Cleveland State’s Dennis Felton, Youngstown State’s Jerrod Calhoun and Milwaukee’s Pat Baldwin - leading their respective programs for the first time and IUPUI’s Jason Gardner guiding his squad during its first year as a member of the Horizon League.
The final day of the regular season is Sunday, February 25, five days before the 2018 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship moves into the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena for the third installment of Motor City Madness. The five-day championship will showcase all 10 teams with all nine games featured on ESPN platforms.
Eight men’s basketball games will air on ESPN’s linear networks, including both regular season games between Northern Kentucky and Oakland. Horizon League matchups again will air Friday nights throughout the season. Two regular season contests will be shown on ESPN2 and four matchups will air on ESPNU. The semifinals of Motor City Madness will hit the ESPNU airwaves, while the final will be shown on either ESPN or ESPN2.
Continuing a partnership that began during the 2014-15 season, ESPN3 will be the home for the League’s live streaming game content. The Horizon League has streamed every conference basketball game for an industry-best 11 consecutive seasons, beginning its streak in 2007 with the groundbreaking Horizon League Network.
ESPN Linear Schedule:
Friday, January 5
Wright State at Detroit Mercy (ESPNU/ESPN2 Netflex)
Northern Kentucky at Oakland (ESPNU/ESPN2 Netflex)
Friday, January 26
Oakland at Northern Kentucky (ESPNU)
Friday, February 2
UIC at Oakland (ESPNU)
Friday, February 9
Detroit Mercy at Oakland (ESPN2)
Friday, February 16*
UIC at Green Bay OR Northern Kentucky at Wright State (ESPNU Wildcard)
Monday, March 5
Motor City Madness Semifinal No. 1 (ESPNU)
Motor City Madness Semifinal No. 2 (ESPNU)
Tuesday, March 6
Motor City Madness Final (ESPN/ESPN2)
ESPNU/ESPN2 Net Flex games will air on either ESPNU or ESPN2. Network determination will be announced 7-10 days in advance of the game.
*One game will be selected to air on ESPNU as part of the ESPNU Wildcard selection process and will be announced 21 days in advance of the game.
