Sept. 16, 2010

VILLANOVA, Pa. - ESPN and the BIG EAST Conference today announced the lineup of 2010-11 Big Monday conference contests with Villanova scheduled to make three such appearances, beginning on Jan. 17 as part of a Martin Luther King Day BIG EAST doubleheader.

The Wildcats will travel to meet the University of Connecticut at 3:30 p.m. on Jan.17. That's the first half of a BIG EAST twinbill that will also feature Syracuse at Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m.

Villanova will also take part in the final two Big Mondays of the campaign. On Feb. 21, the `Cats will host defending regular season champion Syracuse at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN. One week later, VU visits Notre Dame on the final Big Monday of the regular season. That tipoff will also take place at 7:00 p.m.

The complete 2010-11 Villanova Men's Basketball schedule will be announced in the near future.

The lineup of ESPN BIG EAST games on Monday nights in 2010-11 includes:

Dec. 27 Connecticut at Pittsburgh 8:30 ESPN2

Jan. 3 Georgetown at St. John's 7:00 ESPN2

Jan. 10 Notre Dame at Marquette 7:00 ESPN2

Jan. 17 Villanova at Connecticut 3:30 ESPN

Syracuse at Pittsburgh 7:30 ESPN

Jan. 24 Notre Dame at Pittsburgh 7:00 ESPN

Jan. 31 Louisville at Georgetown 7:00 ESPN

Feb. 7 Pittsburgh at West Virginia 7:00 ESPN

Feb. 14 West Virginia at Syracuse 7:00 ESPN

Feb. 21 Syracuse at Villanova 7:00 ESPN

Feb. 28 Villanova at Notre Dame 7:00 ESPN

ESPN and the BIG EAST have been longtime partners and have virtually grown up together. The BIG EAST's first season of competition was 1979-80, when ESPN was launched. The BIG EAST has always been a part of the Big Monday format, which began in the 1986-87 season. League teams were regularly seen on Mondays on ESPN before the night officially became Big Monday.