WCC announces 2017-18 ESPN Networks men’s basketball telecast schedule

ESPN to air eight BYU men's basketball games in 2017-18

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – As part of its long-term relationship, the West Coast Conference has announced that at least 36 men's basketball games involving WCC schools will air nationally on ESPN Networks this season, including additional exposure during the 2018 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, 18 conference games will be showcased on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU during the 2017-18 campaign. West Coast Conference basketball will be featured on ESPN’s popular Championship Week coverage once again in 2018, with five live telecasts from Las Vegas: two quarterfinal games (Saturday, March 3, ESPN2), the WCC semifinals (Monday, March 6, ESPN or ESPN2) and the championship game on Tuesday, March 6 (ESPN). 

The 2018 event will be the 10-year anniversary of the WCC Championships in Las Vegas.

The West Coast Conference's national telecast package is highlighted by a pair of clashes between 2017 NCAA National Runner-Up and defending regular season champion Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. The Bulldogs and Gaels squared off in the WCC title game for the second consecutive year and the seventh time since 2009. Both teams will also play perennial power BYU twice on the ESPN Networks. Gonzaga will make 16 total ESPN appearances; Saint Mary’s will play 11 games on the networks, while the Cougars earned eight regular season exposures.

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.

The 2016-17 season was an exceptional year for West Coast Conference basketball with countless “modern era” records shattered. Gonzaga marched to the NCAA National Championship game, qualifying for the first Final Four in program history and the first for the WCC since San Francisco made three consecutive trips from 1955-57, including back-to-back titles in 1955-56. Saint Mary’s also advanced to the NCAA Tournament and beat VCU to open the postseason before falling to Arizona in the second round. BYU (NIT) and the Dons (CBI) also qualified for the postseason, marking the eighth straight season at least four teams have qualified for the postseason.

The 2017-18 season promises to be another compelling campaign highlighted by two teams – Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s ranked in the preseason top-25 for the second straight season.

In addition to the conference games, ESPN will televise at least 13 non-conference games featured as part of the West Coast Conference's national television package. Two WCC teams – Gonzaga and Portland – will participate in the PK80 Invitational during the Thanksgiving holiday in Portland, Ore. 

Saint Mary’s (Wooden Legacy) and Gonzaga (Jimmy V. 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.

2017-18 WEST COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL ON ESPN NETWORKS

Last updated: September 9, 2017

Thursday, November 23
Saint Mary’s vs. Harvard, 10 a.m. – Wooden Legacy (ESPNEWS)
Portland vs. North Carolina, 11:30 a.m. – PK80 (ESPN)
Gonzaga vs. Ohio State, 9 p.m. – PK80 (ESPN2)

Friday, November 24
Gonzaga vs. – PK80 (ESPN Networks)
Portland vs. TBD – PK80 (ESPN Networks)
Saint Mary’s vs. TBD – Wooden Legacy (ESPN Networks)

Sunday, November 26
Gonzaga vs. – PK80 (ESPN Networks)
Portland vs. TBD – PK80 (ESPN Networks)
Saint Mary’s vs. TBD – Wooden Legacy (ESPN Networks)

Friday, December 1
Creighton at Gonzaga, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN2)

Tuesday, December 5
Gonzaga vs. Villanova, 7 p.m. ET – Jimmy V. Classic (ESPN)

Friday, December 16
Utah at BYU, 9 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

Saturday, December 17
San Francisco at Stanford, 3 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, December 28
Pacific at Gonzaga, 6 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)

Saturday, December 30
Saint Mary’s at BYU, TBA (ESPNU)

Thursday, January 4
Gonzaga at Pepperdine, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, January 6
Gonzaga at LMU, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, January 11
Saint Mary’s at Santa Clara, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, January 13
Gonzaga at San Francisco, 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, January 18
Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga, 6 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
LMU at BYU, 9 p.m. MT (ESPNU)

Thursday, January 25
BYU at Saint Mary’s, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
Gonzaga at Portland, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)

Thursday, February 1
San Francisco at Saint Mary’s, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, February 3
BYU at Gonzaga, 7 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)

Thursday, February 8
Santa Clara at BYU, 9 p.m. MT (ESPNU)

Saturday, February 10
Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s, 7 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)

Thursday, February 15
Saint Mary’s at San Francisco, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, February 22
Gonzaga at San Diego, 6 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
BYU at Portland, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday, February 24
Gonzaga at BYU, 6 p.m. MT (ESPN or ESPN2)

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

Monday, March 5
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Semifinal 1, 6 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Semifinal 2, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)

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

All times Pacific unless noted