Big Ten – Page 3 – North Platte Post Archive

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Bracket Announced

Posted on March 1, 2015

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten announced the bracket on Sunday for the 2015 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, which features a five-day format for the first time in conference history. Maryland secured its first outright Big Ten Championship and the No. 1 seed in the tournament in its inaugural season. The tournament is set for March 4-8at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

The Terrapins received the tournament’s top seed after recording an 18-0 Big Ten record, joining Ohio State and Purdue as the third team to have an undefeated conference record in Big Ten women’s basketball history. Maryland has won 21 consecutive games, closing out the regular season with a 27-2 overall record. The Terrapins will play their opening tournament game on Friday, March 6, at 11:30 a.m. CT, the first game of the day.

Iowa enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed after compiling a 14-4 conference record and a 23-6 overall mark this season. The Hawkeyes open tournament play on Friday at 6 p.m.

Ohio State secured the No. 3 seed, going 13-5 in Big Ten play and 21-9 overall. The Buckeyes’ first tournament game will be the last game on Friday night at approximately8:30 p.m.

Northwestern and Rutgers finished tied for fourth place with matching 12-6 conference records. The Wildcats won the tiebreaker based on their win over the Scarlet Knights in the regular season. At 22-7 overall, Northwestern earned the No. 4 seed and will play in Friday’s second game at approximately 2 p.m.

The fifth-seeded Scarlet Knights went 21-8 overall and will play in Thursday’s second game at approximately 2 p.m.

Minnesota enters the tournament as the No. 6 seed after finishing 11-7 in the conference and 22-8 overall. The Golden Gophers will play in Thursday’s final game at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Nebraska receives the No. 7 seed after closing out the regular season with a 10-8 record in conference play and a 20-9 overall record. The Huskers will take on No. 10 seed Illinois in Thursday’s third tilt at 6 p.m.

As the No. 8 seed, Michigan squares off against ninth-seeded Michigan State in Thursday’s first contest at 11:30 a.m. The Wolverines finished the regular season at 8-10 in Big Ten games, while Michigan State recorded a 7-11 mark in conference play.

The tournament will open on Wednesday with a 5 p.m. matchup between No. 13 Penn State and No. 12 Indiana, followed by No. 14 Purdue taking on No. 11 Wisconsin at approximately 7:30 p.m.

BTN will carry 10 games of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while Wednesday’s opening games will appear on BTN Plus. The championship game will be televised by ESPN.

Entering the 2015 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, seven teams have been crowned champion. Nebraska is the most recent team to earn a title, claiming the program’s first-ever title in 2014. Purdue leads the way with nine tournament titles, while Ohio State owns four tournament championships. Iowa and Penn State have each had two, while Indiana and Michigan State each have one title in program history.

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament tickets can be purchased through the Sears Centre Arena ticket offices at 1-888-SEARS-TIX (732-7784) or www.searscentre.com. Information on tournament tickets, lodging and history can be found at bigten.org.

The bracket, including teams, dates, times and television information, is attached.

2015 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Single-Session Tickets on Sale Monday, March 2

Posted on February 25, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – Beginning Monday, March 2, at Noon CT, both all-session and single-session tickets for the 2015 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will be on sale to the general public. The tournament will be held at the United Center in Chicago from March 11-15 and will feature a five-day format for the first time in conference history, including general admission seating for Wednesday’s first-round games.

Single-session ticket prices range from $20 to $85 depending on the session and seat location. All-session tickets are available for $200 or $275 depending on seat location, which represents a savings over purchasing single-session tickets for all seven sessions. Orders will be limited to eight all-session or single-session tickets. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or going to www.unitedcenter.com.

With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will now begin with two games on Wednesday, followed by four games on Thursday andFriday, the semifinals on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday. Wednesday’s games will feature general admission seating, allowing fans to witness the action from the best available seats in the United Center.

The 2015 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to Chicago for the ninth time, including the inaugural event in 1998 and most recently in 2013. For more information, including a full bracket and lodging information, go to bigten.org.

Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament (single-session ticket pricing):

Session 1 (First Rd.; two games beginning at 3:30 p.m.) – Wed., March 11 – ($25)

Session 2 (Second Rd.: two games beginning at 11 a.m.) – Thu., March 12 – ($20-$40)

Session 3 (Second Rd.; two games beginning at 5:30 p.m.) – Thu., March 12 – ($20-$40)

Session 4 (Quarterfinals; two games beginning at 11 a.m.) – Fri., March 13 – ($40-$70)

Session 5 (Quarterfinals; two games beginning at 5:30 p.m.) – Fri., March 13 – ($40-$70)

Session 6 (Semifinals; two games beginning at Noon) – Sat., March 14 – ($50-$85)

Session 7 (Championship Game; beginning at 2:30 p.m.) – Sun., March 15 – ($50-$85)

Big Ten Seeks Feedback on Whether Freshmen Should Compete

Posted on February 24, 2015

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The Big Ten says it is seeking more feedback on whether freshmen should compete in athletics.

The conference released a statement Tuesday indicating it wants to know what others think and will seek input from national leaders inside and outside college athletics before the 2016 NCAA National Convention.

The Big Ten is seeking feedback on establishing “a year of readiness for all sports — or select sports; student-athlete time demands; playing seasons; initial eligibility requirements; and other areas impacting academics on college campuses across the country.”

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany says the conference “won’t go it alone on any of these matters” and plans to work with “our colleagues in the NCAA Division I governance structure.”

Boldt Earns Big Ten Honor

Posted on February 23, 2015

Lincoln – Nebraska outfielder Ryan Boldt was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday following a stellar performance during a 3-1 series victory over the BYU Cougars last week in Peoria, Ariz.

A sophomore from Red Wing, Minn., Boldt hit .625 (10-for-16) in the series, with at least two hits in every game, including a pair of three-hit performances. Boldt slugged .750 in the series and had an on-base percentage of .684, while two of his three walks were intentional.

On the season, Boldt is hitting .520 (13-for-25) with eight runs scored, while walking five times to just two strikeouts.

Monday’s award marks the third time Boldt has earned a weekly award from the conference office, as he was twice named Big Ten Freshman of the Week last season.

Big Ten Gauging Interest in Making Freshmen Ineligible

Posted on February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The Big Ten is studying whether freshmen athletes should be ineligible to compete while they adjust to college life.

The league said Friday it has reached out to members to see if they are interested “in beginning a national discussion regarding a year of readiness for student-athletes.”

The Big Ten says it has provided background information to its schools, but no proposals have been made.

The University of Maryland’s student newspaper, The Diamondback, reported Thursday that the Big Ten has distributed a document titled “A Year of Readiness” that explores the idea of making freshmen ineligible in football and men’s basketball.

For decades, the NCAA barred freshmen from competing in all sports. That changed for football and basketball in 1972.

2015 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Single-Session Tickets on Sale Thursday

Posted on February 17, 2015

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Beginning Thursday, Feb. 19, at 10 a.m. CT, both all-session and single-session tickets for the 2015 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament will be on sale to the general public. Tickets can be purchased through the Sears Centre Arena ticket offices at 1-888-SEARS-TIX (732-7784) or www.searscentre.com.

All individual session tickets are $15, while all-session tickets are available for $90. Other than the fan blocks for that university’s respective games, the women’s tournament will feature general admission seating, allowing fans to witness the action from the best available seats in Sears Centre Arena.

The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held in the Chicagoland area from March 4-8 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The tournament week features all 14 Big Ten teams competing in 13 games over five days for the 2015 tournament crown and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The bracket for the 2015 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, along with information on tickets, travel, lodging, tournament history and more can be found at bigten.org.

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament (All times are CT):

Session 1 (First Round; two games beginning at 5 p.m.) – Wednesday, March 4

Session 2 (Second Round; two games beginning at 11:30 a.m.) – Thursday, March 5

Session 3 (Second Round; two games beginning at 6 p.m.) – Thursday, March 5

Session 4 (Quarterfinals; two games beginning at 11:30 a.m.) – Friday, March 6

Session 5 (Quarterfinals; two games beginning at 6 p.m.) – Friday, March 6

Session 6 (Semifinals; two games beginning at 6 p.m.) – Saturday, March 7

Session 7 (Championship Game; beginning at 6 p.m.) – Sunday, March 8

Iowa Claims Big Ten Wrestling Dual Meet Championship

Posted on February 14, 2015

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Top-ranked Iowa clinched the outright Big Ten Wrestling Dual Meet Championship with its 22-9 win over No. 16 Michigan on Friday evening. The regular season conference title marks the seventh in the past eight years for the Hawkeyes. Iowa finished the conference season with a 9-0 record and currently sits at 14-0 overall.

The Hawkeyes claimed seven bouts against the Wolverines, with wins from Thomas Gilman (125), Cory Clark (133), Josh Dziewa (141), Brandon Sorensen (149), Nick Moore (165), Michael Evans (174) and Nathan Burak (197).

The 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be held from March 7-8 at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Last season, Penn State won its fourth straight Big Ten Championships title, while Iowa leads all schools with 34 Big Ten Championships titles.

Big Ten Drops Bowl-Revenue Sanction against Penn State

Posted on February 13, 2015

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Another sanction against Penn State from the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal is going away.

Big Ten officials said Thursday that the conference will restore Penn State’s share of the conference bowl revenues next season after a three-season ban.

The school says the financial hit from losing three years of bowl revenues is about $9.6 million. Next season, it’ll get an estimated $6.6 million.

The Big Ten’s decision follows the NCAA’s agreement last month to drop its remaining sanctions, including restoring 112 football wins it had stripped and reinstating Joe Paterno as the winningest coach in major college football history.

Last fall, the NCAA agreed to reinstate Penn State’s full complement of scholarships and end a four-year bowl ban a year early by letting the team participate in post-season play.

BTN to Air Seven Big Ten Winter Championships

Posted on February 12, 2015

CHICAGO – For the eighth consecutive year, BTN will televise seven winter Big Ten Championships, including wrestling, men’s and women’s swimming & diving, men’s and women’s indoor track & field and men’s and women’s gymnastics.

Coverage begins at 9 AM ET on Sunday, Feb. 22, with the Big Ten Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships from Ohio State. The Big Ten Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships will air at 11:30 AM ET on Sunday, March 1, from Iowa.

Coverage continues at 10:30 AM ET on Sunday, March 8, with the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships. Both the men’s and women’s events will take place at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, OH.

BTN’s coverage of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be carried live at 3 PM ET on Sunday, March 8, from Ohio State.

On Saturday, March 21, BTN will televise the first session of the Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Championships live at 11:30 AM ET, followed by the second session live at4:30 PM ET. Michigan will host the women’s event. The network will also have live coverage of the Big Ten Men’s Gymnastics Championships at 7 PM ET on Friday, March 27, and at 7 PM ET on Saturday, March 28. The men’s event will take place at Penn State.

The Big Ten currently has 43 teams ranked in the top 25 nationally in Olympic sports programs for the winter season:

Men’s gymnastics: No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Illinois, No. 5 Michigan, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 9 Iowa, No. 10 Minnesota, No. 11 Nebraska,
Women’s gymnastics: No. 5 Michigan, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 11 Penn State, No. 15 Illinois, No. 22 Minnesota, No. 24 Ohio State
Men’s swimming & diving: No. 6 Michigan, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 15 Indiana, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 21 Iowa, No. 23 Wisconsin
Women’s swimming & diving: No. 13 Indiana, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Purdue, No. 19 Minnesota, No. 21 Wisconsin, No. 23 Ohio State
Men’s indoor track & field: No. 5 Penn State, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 20 Purdue, No. 23 Michigan State
Women’s indoor track & field: No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 20 Michigan, No. 21 Maryland
Wrestling: No. 1 Iowa, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Minnesota, No. 5 Penn State, No. 10 Nebraska, No. 12 Illinois, No. 16 Michigan, No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 21 Rutgers, No. 24 Purdue

The complete television schedule for the Big Ten Winter Championships appears below. For more information, go to www.btn.com or www.bigten.org.

2015 BTN Winter Championships Schedule:

Sport	Dates	Site	Air Date and Time (ET)
Women’s Swimming & Diving	February 18-21	Columbus, OH	Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9 AM
Men’s Swimming & Diving	February 25 – 28	Iowa City, IA	Sunday, March 1 at 11:30 AM
Indoor Track & Field	February 27-28	Geneva, OH	Sunday, March 8 at 10:30 AM
Wrestling	March 7 – 8	Columbus, OH	Sunday, March 8 at 3 PM (LIVE)
Women’s Gymnastics	March 21	Ann Arbor, MI	Saturday, March 21 at 11:30 (LIVE)
Women’s Gymnastics	March 21	Ann Arbor, MI	Saturday, March 21 at 4:30 PM (LIVE)
Men’s Gymnastics	March 27 – 28	State College, PA	Friday, March 27 at 7 PM (LIVE)
Men’s Gymnastics	March 27 – 28	State College, PA	Saturday, March 28 at 7 PM (LIVE)

Big Ten Baseball Teams Open 2015 Campaign this Weekend

Posted on February 12, 2015February 12, 2015

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Big Ten programs help open the 2015 NCAA baseball season this weekend as all 13 squads are scheduled to take the field for the first time Feb. 13-15. Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers each have opening-weekend series scheduled, while Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern and Ohio State are each slated to take part in various tournaments around the country.

Illinois’ first game is slated against New Mexico State at the Lamar University Cardinal Classic in Beaumont, Texas, while Indiana will play a three-game series at Stanford. Iowa takes on Kansas State in Port Charlotte, Fla., as part of the Snowbird Baseball Classic.

Maryland opens the Caravelle Resort Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., against Western Kentucky, while Michigan travels to Long Beach State for a weekend series. Michigan State and Northwestern each travel to Surprise, Ariz., for the Oregon State Tournament.

Minnesota plays at Houston to open its season, while Nebraska is at UNLV. Like the Hawkeyes, Ohio State travels to the Snowbird Baseball Classic and will face George Mason. Penn State travels to Elon for its season opener, and Purdue is at Western Carolina. Rutgers opens its season with a weekend series at Miami.

Maryland was selected as the preseason Big Ten favorite following a vote of the conference coaches. The Terrapins were followed in the preseason poll by Nebraska in second place, No. 3 Illinois, Indiana in fourth place, No. 5 Michigan and Ohio State in sixth place. In addition, the conference coaches selected a Preseason Players to Watch list.