Big East Basketball Schedule Released
In 2008-09, the BIG EAST will once again play an 18-game conference schedule, allowing teams to face each opponent once and three teams twice. It will mark the second year of the 18-game schedule, which began for the 2007-08 season. All 144 regular-season conference games will once again be televised, either by CBS Sports, the ESPN family of networks or ESPN Regional Television.
In the first year of the 18-game conference schedule, the BIG EAST tied its own NCAA record by placing eight schools into the NCAA tournament. At least one preseason ranking for 2008-09, lists three BIG EAST teams among the national top five, five among the top 15 and seven among the top 25.
West Virginia will face three teams twice during the regular season, Pitt, Louisville, and South Florida. The Mountaineers will host UConn, DePaul, Notre Dame, Providence, St. Johns, and Villanova.
Road games will include Cincinnati, Georgetown, Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Syracuse.
“Top to bottom, I think the BIG EAST will be loaded this season. There are a number of quality players returning on each team,” says WVU Head Coach Bob Huggins. “We always look forward to the BIG EAST schedule and the competition that it brings. We have a bunch of guys who have played BIG EAST basketball and know its style of play. We believe our non-conference schedule will give us enough balance for the BIG EAST slate. I think this is a schedule that our fans will enjoy in person and on television.”
West Virginia’s complete basketball schedule will be announced in early September.