WCC announces 2016-17 ESPN Networks telecast schedule

BYU to appear on ESPN Networks 10 times during the regular season

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – As part of their long-term relationship, the West Coast Conference has announced that at least 40 men's basketball games involving WCC schools will air nationally on ESPN Networks this season, including additional exposure during the 2017 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship in Las Vegas.

The West Coast Conference will once again be a featured part of ESPN’s Thursday night and Saturday coverage. In all, 16 conference games will be showcased on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU during the 2016-17 campaign. West Coast Conference basketball will be featured on ESPN’s popular Championship Week coverage once again in 2017, with five live telecasts from Las Vegas: two quarterfinal games (Saturday, March 4, ESPN2), the WCC semifinals (Monday, March 6, ESPN and ESPN2) and the championship game on Tuesday, March 7 (ESPN). Last season, Brent Musburger, Naismith Hall-of-Famer Dick Vitale and Fran Fraschilla served as talent for the conference showcase live from the Orleans Arena.

The West Coast Conference's national telecast package is highlighted by a pair of clashes between defending co-regular season champions Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s - the teams that met for the 2016 WCC championship game. In addition, both teams will play perennial power BYU twice on the ESPN Networks. In all, Gonzaga will make 15 total ESPN appearances; the Cougars will play 10 games on the networks, while the Gaels earned seven exposures.

BYU’s season and home opener against Princeton on Nov. 14 will air on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. MT as part of the ESPN College Tip-Off Marathon. The matchup with Princeton will be the third appearance for BYU in the ESPN College Tip-Off Marathon. In 2013, the Cougars defeated Stanford 112-103 in Palo Alto, California. Last season, BYU fell 66-65 at Long Beach State.

Other Cougar nonconference games on ESPN Networks will be the Basketball Hall of Fame's 2016 Hoophall LA vs. USC on Dec. 3 (ESPNU) and a home matchup with Colorado on Dec. 10 (ESPN2). BYU’s ESPN Network games during league play will include two games against Saint Mary’s, two games against Gonzaga, road matchups with Santa Clara and Pepperdine and a home contest against San Diego.

All games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through WatchESPN, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

After a strong 2015-16 campaign featuring four postseason teams, competition promises to be exceptionally tough once again in the West Coast Conference. WCC co-regular season and tournament champion Gonzaga marched to the Sweet-16 for the second consecutive year, while BYU (national semifinals) and Saint Mary’s (quarterfinals) made deep runs in the NIT. Pepperdine made its second straight postseason, qualifying for the CBI. 

Both Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s appear in multiple preseason “way too early” top-25 polls. The Bulldogs were rated as high as No. 12 in the NBCsports.com poll, while the Gaels reached No. 14 in the CBSsports.com prognostications. 

In addition to the conference games, ESPN will televise at least 24 non-conference games featured as part of the West Coast Conference's national television package – including a record three WCC teams participating in the popular College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. BYU will square off against Princeton in Provo at 8 p.m. (MT), followed by San Diego State at Gonzaga at 9 p.m. (PT) while Pacific hosts Wisconsin Green Bay at 11 p.m. to wrap up a WCC tripleheader on ESPN2. 

BYU (Hall of Fame Classic), Gonzaga (AdvoCare Invitational, Hall of Fame Classic), Portland (DirecTV Wooden Legacy) and San Francisco (Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic) will also participate in holiday events on an ESPN network.

Additional WCC non-conference road games on ESPN networks will be announced at a later date.

As the season approaches, check the interactive schedule on WCCsports.com or follow West Coast Conference Basketball on Twitter (@WCChoops) for additional non-conference telecasts along with local and regional telecast information from the conference and its member institutions.

The complete West Coast Conference on ESPN schedule follows.

2016-17 WEST COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL ON ESPN NETWORKS

Friday, November 11
San Diego at San Diego State, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Monday, November 14
Princeton at BYU, 8 p.m. MT – College Tip-Off Marathon (ESPN2)
San Diego State at Gonzaga, 9 p.m. – College Tip-Off Marathon (ESPN2)
Wisconsin-Green Bay at Pacific, 11 p.m. – College Tip Off Marathon (ESPN2)

Thursday, November 17
UConn at Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m. (ESPN3)

Thursday, November 24
Gonzaga vs. Quinnipiac, 6:30 p.m. ET – AdvoCare Invitational (ESPN2)
Portland vs. UCLA, 8:00 p.m. – DirecTV Wooden Legacy (ESPN2)

Friday, November 25
Gonzaga vs. TBD – AdvoCare Invitational (ESPN Networks)
Portland vs. TBD – DirecTV Wooden Legacy (ESPN Networks)

Sunday, November 27
Gonzaga vs. TBD – AdvoCare Invitational (ESPN Networks)
Portland vs. TBD – DirecTV Wooden Legacy (ESPN Networks)

Saturday, December 3
Gonzaga vs. Arizona, 2:30 p.m. – Hall of Fame Classic (ESPN)
BYU vs. USC, 5 p.m. – Hall of Fame Classic (ESPNU)

Wednesday, December 7
Washington at Gonzaga, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday, December 10
Colorado at BYU, 8 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

Sunday, December 18
Gonzaga at Tennessee, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Thursday, December 22
San Francisco vs. Utah, 6 p.m. HT – Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (ESPNU)

Friday, December 23
San Francisco vs. TBD – Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (ESPN Networks)

Sunday, December 25
San Francisco vs. TBD – Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (ESPN Networks)

Thursday, December 29
Saint Mary’s at Loyola Marymount, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, January 5
BYU at Saint Mary’s, TBA (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
Gonzaga at San Francisco, TBA (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)

Thursday, January 12
Saint Mary’s at Portland, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, January 14
Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Thursday, January 19
Gonzaga at Santa Clara, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, January 26
BYU at Santa Clara, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, January 28
Gonzaga at Pepperdine, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Thursday, February 2
Gonzaga at BYU, 9 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
Saint Mary’s at Pacific, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, February 4
Santa Clara at Gonzaga, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, February 9
BYU at Pepperdine, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, February 11
Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Thursday, February 16
San Diego at BYU, 9 p.m. MT (ESPNU)

Saturday, February 18
Saint Mary’s at BYU, 8 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

Saturday, February 25
BYU at Gonzaga, TBA (ESPN or ESPN2)

Saturday, March 4
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Quarterfinal 3, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Quarterfinal 4, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

Monday, March 6
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Semifinal 1, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Semifinal 2, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)

Tuesday, March 7
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Final, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN)

*All times Pacific unless noted