March 23, 2007
CHICAGO -- The Big Ten Network announced today that Wildcat fan and Wilmette resident William F. Appleby is a grand prize winner in the "Road to the Big Ten Tournament Sweepstakes," winning a trip for two to the 2008 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis.
Appleby entered online after obtaining an official sweepstakes ticket at the Indiana-Northwestern basketball game on February 28th at Welsh-Ryan Arena as a part of the Big Ten Network Basketball Tour.
"Being a long-time Wildcat fan, I was extremely excited to learn that I had won a trip to the 2008 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. Entering the contest was an afterthought as I had stuck the game piece in my pocket, only to find it the next day," said Appleby. "I'm already looking forward our 2008 hoops season, and now I'm looking forward to Indy as well. Thanks to the Big Ten Network for this wonderful opportunity."
The Big Ten Network Basketball Tour promoted the upcoming 24-hour a day, 365-day a year television network that is dedicated exclusively to the Big Ten Conference and scheduled to launch this August.
"The Big Ten Network congratulates Mr. Appleby on being a grand prize winner of the Road to the Big Ten Tournament Sweepstakes," said Mark Silverman, president of the Big Ten Network. "Our basketball tour generated extremely positive reactions from fans all around the Big Ten, and we look forward to seeing the winners at next year's tournament."
The Big Ten Network Basketball tour visited all 11 Big Ten basketball arenas during select games throughout the 2007 season. Fans at each of these games had the opportunity to win a trip to the 2007 or 2008 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.
Launching in August 2007, the Big Ten Network will carry many of the games and events previously available only through syndication, providing greater exposure for these and other Big Ten sports. The sports programming on the Big Ten Network and/or through alternative Big Ten Network platforms will include, but is not limited to:
35-plus football games, with each school having at least two games aired (at least one of which will be a conference game);
At least 105 regular-season men's basketball games;
At least 55 regular-season women's basketball games;
Big Ten championships and tournaments;
170 Olympic sporting events; and,
Coverage from the conference's vast library of historic sporting events, including bowl games.
The Big Ten Conference's compelling athletic competition positions the network as the go-to destination for Big Ten alumni and fans across the nation. In addition to traditional distribution through cable and satellite, select Big Ten Network content will also be available through alternative media platforms such as the Internet, iPods, cell phones and/or other emerging technologies.
The Big Ten Network, scheduled to launch in August 2007, is dedicated exclusively to the Big Ten Conference and will be the destination for Big Ten fans across the country. Operating 24-hours a day, 365-days a year, the Big Ten Network is majority-owned by the Big Ten Conference, while Fox holds a minority interest in the network. Showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports as well as original programming produced by the conference's 11 institutions, it will be available to all carriers and distributors nationwide. For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit www.bigten.org. For employment opportunities, interested candidates should submit resumes to bigten.jobs@fox.com.