ESPN's BracketBusters to Feature 100 Teams Eligible For One of 14 Telecasts on Feb. 22-23

ESPN's BracketBusters to Feature 100 Teams Eligible For One of 14 Telecasts on Feb. 22-23

Bookmark and Share

MAAC Sports

The sixth annual O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters event, a two-day men’s college basketball extravaganza pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other on February 22-23, will feature 14 nationally televised games ? on either ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com or ESPN Classic --selected from a pool of 100 teams.  The field is highlighted by the return of last season’s BracketBusters participants Butler and Southern Illinois, both Sweet Sixteen teams in last year’s NCAA Tournament.  

 

This year’s coverage will feature the addition of a game on ESPN Classic.  For the third straight year, ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise five BracketBusters games while ESPN360.com, ESPN’s customized broadband service, will offer two.  ESPN2 will televise six contests.  ESPN360.com will also simulcast ESPN2’s six telecasts.  The 14 BracketBusters matchups will be announced February 4, while game time and network assignments will be announced February 11.

 

BracketBusters, named because of the success of the teams in NCAA Tournament play, will provide the 28 televised teams an opportunity to play other top non-conference opponents three weeks prior to Selection Sunday.  The 72 teams not selected for BracketBusters will compete against each other over the same two days.

 

The 100-team field will feature 12 teams from the Mid-American Conference and Colonial Athletic; 11 from the Ohio Valley Conference; 10 from the Missouri Valley, Horizon League and Metro Atlantic Athletic; nine from the Western Athletic Conference and Big West; four from the America East and Southern; two from the Patriot, Big Sky and Big South; one from the West Coast, Summit League and Atlantic Sun.

 

As part of the agreement, all 14 of the BracketBusters home teams, as well as the remaining 36 home squads, will play a “return” game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the following season.

 

BracketBusters is an example of ESPN college basketball franchise programming.  Others include Rivalry Week Presented by Cisco, Feast Week, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers, Judgment Week Presented by Cisco and Championship Week Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.

 

This year’s BracketBusters pool features teams with 74 appearances in the last five NCAA Tournaments, including a team in the Final Four - George Mason (2006); and seven Sweet Sixteen squads ? Butler (2007), Southern Illinois (2007), Bradley (2006), Wichita State (2006), UW-Milwaukee (2005), Nevada (2004) and Butler (2003).   

 

HOME TEAMS                                                                                                                         

            Mid-American

            Akron

            Buffalo

            Eastern Michigan

            Northern Illinois

            Ohio

            Toledo

           

            Ohio Valley

            Austin Peay

            Eastern Illinois

            Eastern Kentucky

            Jacksonville State

            Murray State

                                                                                               

            Missouri Valley

            Bradley

            Illinois State

            Missouri State

            Northern Iowa

            Southern Illinois

           

            Metro Atlantic Athletic

            Canisius

            Iona

            Loyola (Maryland)

            Manhattan

            Saint Peter’s

 

            Horizon

            Butler

            Cleveland State

            Detroit

            Valparaiso

            UW-Green Bay

 

            Western Athletic

            Boise State

            Fresno State

            Louisiana Tech

            New Mexico State

            Utah State

           

            Big West

            Cal-State Fullerton

            Cal-State Northridge

            UC Irvine

            UC Riverside

            Pacific

 

            Colonial Athletic

            Drexel

            James Madison

            UNC-Wilmington

            Old Dominion

            Towson

            William & Mary

 

            Southern

            Elon

            Appalachian State

 

            Atlantic Sun

            Eastern Tennessee State

 

 

            VISITING TEAMS

            Mid-American

            Ball State

            Bowling Green

            Central Michigan

            Kent State

            Miami (Ohio)

            Western Michigan

           

            Ohio Valley

            Morehead State

            Samford

            Southeast Missouri State

            Tennessee-Martin

            Tennessee State

            Tennessee Tech

                                                                                               

            Missouri Valley

            Creighton

            Drake

            Evansville

            Indiana State

            Wichita State

 

            Metro Atlantic Athletic

            Fairfield

            Marist

            Niagara

            Rider

            Siena

 

            Horizon

            Illinois-Chicago

            Loyola (Illinois)

            Wisconsin-Milwaukee

            Wright State

            Youngstown State

           

            Western Athletic

            Hawaii

            Idaho

            Nevada

            San Jose State

 

            Big West

            Cal Poly

            Long Beach State

            UC Davis

            UC Santa Barbara

 

            Colonial Athletic

            Delaware

            George Mason

            Georgia State

            Hofstra

            Northeastern

            Virginia Commonwealth

           

            America East

            Albany

            Binghamton

            Boston University

            Vermont

 

            Southern

            Davidson

            Georgia Southern

 

            HOME TEAMS

            Big Sky

            Northern Arizona

 

            Big South

            Winthrop

 

            Patriot

            Holy Cross

           

            Summit League

            Oral Roberts

           

            West Coast

            Saint Mary’s

             

            VISITING TEAMS

            Big Sky

            Portland State

           

            Big South

            High Point

                                                                                               

            Patriot

            Bucknell

                     

 Below are statistics of this year’s BracketBusters pool of 100 teams in NCAA Tournament play from 2003 ? 2007:

 

2007 NCAA Tournament: 17 Berths - Albany, Butler, Creighton, Davidson, Eastern Kentucky, Holy Cross, Long Beach State, Miami (Ohio), Nevada, New Mexico State, Niagara, Old Dominion, Oral Roberts, Southern Illinois, Virginia Commonwealth, Winthrop and Wright State.  A 7-19 overall record: Butler defeated Old Dominion and Maryland to reach the Sweet Sixteen; Southern Illinois defeated Holy Cross and Virginia Tech to reach the Sweet Sixteen; Nevada defeated Creighton; Virginia Commonwealth defeated Duke; and Winthrop defeated Notre Dame.

 

2006 NCAA Tournament: 19 Berths - Albany, Bradley, Bucknell, George Mason, Iona, Kent State, Montana, Murray State, Nevada, UNC-Wilmington, Northern Iowa, Northwestern State, Pacific, Oral Roberts, Utah State, Southern Illinois, UW-Milwaukee, Winthrop and Wichita State.  A 12-19 overall record: Bradley defeated Kansas and Pittsburgh to reach the Sweet Sixteen; Bucknell defeated Arkansas; George Mason defeated Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut to reach the Final Four; Montana defeated Nevada; Northwestern State defeated Iowa; UW-Milwaukee defeated Oklahoma; and Wichita State defeated Seton Hall and Tennessee to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

 

2005 NCAA Tournament: 15 berths ? Bucknell, Chattanooga, Creighton, Eastern Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, Niagara, Northern Iowa, Ohio, Old Dominion, Pacific, Southern Illinois, Utah State, UW-Milwaukee and Winthrop.  A 6-15 overall record: Bucknell defeated Kansas; Nevada defeated Texas; Pacific defeated Pittsburgh; Southern Illinois defeated Saint Mary’s (California); and UW-Milwaukee defeated Alabama and Boston College to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

 

2004 NCAA Tournament: 12 berths ? Eastern Washington, Illinois-Chicago, Liberty, Manhattan, Murray State, Nevada, Northern Iowa, Pacific, Southern Illinois, Valparaiso, Virginia Commonwealth and Western Michigan.  A 4-12 overall record: Manhattan defeated Florida, Nevada defeated Michigan State and Gonzaga to reach the Sweet Sixteen; and Pacific defeated Providence.

 

2003 NCAA Tournament: 11 berths ? Austin Peay, Butler, Central Michigan, Creighton, Holy Cross, Manhattan, UNC-Wilmington, Sam Houston State, Southern Illinois, Utah State and UW-Milwaukee.  A 3-11 overall record: Butler defeated Mississippi State and Louisville to reach the Sweet Sixteen; and Central Michigan defeated Creighton.