The schedule for the night games are just starting to trickle in for the B1G this fall. Nebraska and Wisconsin just announced that the Huskers' introduction to the conference would be played under the lights. Iowa's home slate on the schedule doesn't look like it has a night game on it, and Gary Barta agrees: "We haven’t yet been asked to play a night game so they still have a couple of weeks to still be determined. It doesn’t look like there would be one, but they still have an opportunity to pick us over the next couple of weeks."
So before any game times come out, I thought I'd take a shot at predicting the kickoff time and TV coverage for every game this year.
Tennessee Tech | 09/03/11 | Home
Prediction: 11:00 AM, BTN
Early home game against a FCS school...enough said.
Iowa State| 09/10/11 | Away
Prediction: 11:00 AM, FSN
This game has garnered a little more attention the past couple of years and was actually a 2:30 regional ABC game last year. However, I think this falls back to the early time slot this year.
Pittsburg | 09/17/11 | Home
Prediction: 2:30 PM, ESPN2
I'm not sure what other games are going on this week, but it has the potential to be a fairly good non-conference match up when most other big schools are probably playing cupcakes.
Louisiana-Monroe | 09/24/11 | Home
Prediction: 11:00 AM, BTN
Another BTN destined game.
Penn State | 10/08/11 | Away
Prediction: 7:00 PM, ESPN
This game has been a night game the past two seasons and I see that continuing.
Northwestern | 10/15/11 | Home
Prediction: 11:00 AM, ESPN2
Isn't this game always 11:00 on ESPN2? It seems like it and probably will be again.
Indiana | 10/22/11 | Home
Prediction: 11:00 AM, ESPN2
I could see this game getting a better slot because it's homecoming. Unless one of the two schools is having a fantastic year though, I think it'll stay at 11:00.
Minnesota | 10/29/11 | Away
Prediction: 11:00 AM, BTN
For the first time in a long time this game won't be played at the end of the year. That probably makes it have even less appeal outside of Iowa and Minnesota. So BTN it is.
Michigan | 11/05/11 | Home
Prediction: 2:30 PM, ABC
This will be a big Legends division game and the previous couple of meetings have been exciting games.
Michigan State | 11/12/11 | Home
Prediction: 11:00 AM, ESPN
This is another potentially big Legends game, but I'd be surprised if Iowa gets two 2:30 games in a row this year.
Purdue | 11/19/11 | Away
Prediction: 11:00 AM, BTN
A made up cross-division rivalry isn't going to garner much attention. The B1G will have its creation broadcasted on its own network.
Nebraska | 11/25/11 | Away
Prediction: 2:30 PM, ABC
I don't think it's official, but this game did not get moved to Friday to be played at 11:00 on BTN. This will be a nationally highlighted game.