March 11, 2009
CHICAGO -- The Big Ten Network will debut a new series, "The Big Ten Quad," with Eddie George at 10 p.m. CT on Friday, March 13, immediately following the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals.
In each episode of the eight-week series, George, the Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL running back, hosts three Big Ten personalities in an open forum taped in front of a live studio audience at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. New episodes will air at 8 p.m. CT on Mondays, beginning March 23, and will re-air throughout the week.
“The exciting part of 'The Big Ten Quad' is its unpredictability. The show will capture natural conversations that would take place even if the cameras weren't rolling," Big Ten Network Vice President, Programming Mike Feller said. "Eddie will be a great fit as a host because he is a good conversationalist and he has a strong intellectual curiosity. He will be able to relate to a variety of guests with his experience in the Big Ten and professional sports."
"The Big Ten is about true passion and tradition, but each athlete or coach has had their own unique experience. My role each week is to ask the right questions and let the conversation flow from there," George said.
A partial list of this season's guests includes:
• Bret Bielema, current Wisconsin head football coach and former University of Iowa defensive lineman
• Quinn Buckner, former Indiana basketball player, member of the Hoosiers' 1976 National Championship team, 1976 Olympic gold medalist and member of the Boston Celtics' 1984 NBA Championship team
• Ron Dayne, former Wisconsin running back, 1999 Heisman Trophy winner, NCAA career rushing record-holder and member of the New York Giants' Super Bowl XXXV team
• Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern head football coach, former Wildcat linebacker, two-time winner of the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame
• Jeff George, former Illinois quarterback and first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts and a 15-year NFL veteran
• Gene Keady, former Purdue basketball coach, seven-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, former NBA and U.S. Olympic Team assistant coach and Big Ten Network basketball analyst
• Mike Hart, Michigan's all-time leading rusher, two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and three-time All-Big Ten selection
• Desmond Howard, former Michigan wide receiver, 1991 Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl XXXI MVP
• Roy Marble, Iowa's all-time leader in points and steals and first round 1989 NBA draft pick
• Michael Redd, former Ohio State guard and member of the Buckeyes' 2000 Final Four team, a 2004 NBA All-Star and 2008 Olympic gold medalist
George was the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner as a running back for Ohio State. He was the first-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers and was named the NFL's 1996 Rookie of the Year. George's NFL career lasted eight seasons, including four Pro Bowl selections and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV with the Tennessee Titans. He finished his NFL career in 2004 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He is one of only 30 players in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards. Ohio State retired George's number 27 in 2001.
Since retiring from football, George has worked in television in a variety of roles. Most recently, he served as a studio analyst during FOX's coverage of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 BCS Championship Games alongside host Chris Rose and analysts such as Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Emmitt Smith.
“The Big Ten Quad” is the network's third original series. The network debuted “Minnesota Basketball: The Journey,” which chronicled coach Tubby Smith's first season in Minneapolis, and “Illinois Football: The Journey,” which took viewers behind the scenes of the team following its appearance in the 2008 Rose Bowl. Upcoming Big Ten Network series this summer will delve into the conference's history and tradition with programs that look back at the Big Ten's best coaches, players, team and moments. New, original programming will also debut this fall.
About the Big Ten Network:
The Big Ten Network is the first nationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live events, and nearly all of them in HD, the network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising more Olympic sporting events and women's sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation's finest universities. Each year, the network offers approximately 35 football games, 105 regular season men's basketball games; 55 women's basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; Big Ten Tonight, a nightly studio show; coaches' shows; and classic games. Available to all cable and satellite providers nationwide, the network currently has agreements with more than 250 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland), DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on the Big Ten Network, go to www.BigTenNetwork.com.