Butler basketball snubbed again on network TV schedule
As has been the case in recent basketball seasons, Big East schedule-makers don’t consider the Butler Bulldogs a marquee attraction.
In the schedule released Friday, none of the Bulldogs' 20 Big East games is set for the Fox or CBS networks. Two on Fox are possible: Sunday, Jan. 22, at Connecticut and Saturday, March 4, at Xavier.
The latter, the regular-season finale, pairs Xavier’s Sean Miller against Butler’s Thad Matta, both in their first seasons coaching at former schools.
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All of Butler’s other Big East games will be nationally televised by FS1 or CBS Sports Network.
Matta has taken over for one of his former players, LaVall Jordan, who was fired after five seasons. The Bulldogs were 14-19 last season, 6-14 in the Big East. A 4-6 conference home record was their worst since the first year in the Big East, 2014.
Butler has not played in the NCAA tournament since 2018, missing out in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Butler retained all but one of the players eligible to return and added four transfers.
Fox will televise 17 regular-season games, two wild-card selections March 4 and the Big East tournament championship game March 11. CBS has three telecasts: Oklahoma at Villanova, Dec. 3; Xavier at Creighton, Jan. 28; Connecticut at St. John’s, Feb. 25.
Beginning of Big East play could be difficult for the Bulldogs. Their opening games are against two of the conference’s top-rated teams: Connecticut at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Dec. 17 and at Creighton on Dec. 22. Butler has never beaten UConn and has lost seven in a row at Creighton.
FS1 will provide live look-in coverage of opening night Nov. 7, which includes Butler’s home game against New Orleans. Full coverage will be on the Fox Sports app.
Butler will play 16 games at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Its Big East home schedule includes two Fridays, two Saturdays and one Sunday.
The Bulldogs play neither Marquette nor Xavier until February. By then, they will have played UConn, Creighton, Providence and Seton Hall twice each.
Tipoff times and TV assignments for games Nov. 14 at Penn State and Dec. 10 at California are to be announced.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
Butler 2022-23 schedule
Oct. 29, Sat., Tiffin (exhibition), 7 p.m.
Nov. 1, Tues., Davenport (exhibition), 7 p.m.
Nov. 7, Mon., New Orleans, 6:30 p.m., FS1 (whiparound)
Nov. 14, Mon., at Penn State, TBA
Nov. 17, Thurs., St. Francis, 6:30 p.m., FS2
Nov. 19, Sat., The Citadel, 7 p.m., FS2
Nov. 23, Wed., vs. Tennessee at Paradise Island, Bahamas, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Nov. 24, Thurs., vs. BYU or USC at Paradise Island, Bahamas, 1:30 or 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPN3
Nov. 25, Fri., vs. TBA at Paradise Island, Bahamas
Nov. 30, Wed., Kansas State, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Dec. 3, Sat., Tennessee Tech, 2 p.m., FS1
Dec. 6, Tues., Yale, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Dec. 10, Sat., at California, TBA
Dec. 17, Sat., Connecticut, 7 p.m., FS1
Dec. 22, Thurs., at Creighton, 8 p.m., FS1
Dec. 29, Thurs., Providence, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Jan. 1, Sun., at Georgetown, 6:30 pm., FS1
Jan. 4, Wed., DePaul, 9 p.m., CBSSN
Jan. 7, Sat., at Seton Hall, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Jan. 10, Tues., at St. John’s, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Jan. 13, Fri., Villanova, 7 p.m., FS1
Jan. 17, Tues., Creighton, 6:30 or 7 p.m., FS1
Jan. 22, Sun., at Connecticut, noon Fox or FS1
Jan. 25, Wed., at Providence, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Jan. 28, Sat., Seton Hall, 4 p.m., FS1
Feb. 4, Sat., at Marquette, 2 p.m., FS1
Feb. 7, Tues., St. John’s, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Feb. 10, Fri., Xavier, 6:30 or 7 p.m., FS1
Feb. 14, Tues., at Villanova, 8 p.m., CBSSN
Feb. 19, Sun., Georgetown, 3 p.m., FS1
Feb. 22, Wed. at DePaul, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Feb. 28, Tues., Marquette, 6:30 p.m., FS1
March 4, Sat., at Xavier, TBA, Fox or FS1
March 8-11, Wed.-Sat, at Big East tournament, FS1 and Fox
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball: Big East schedule rough start, few network TV games
