College Hoops Tip-Off 2021: Big Ten Network Heads to Full Venues for 200-Game Schedule

College Hoops Tip-Off 2021: Big Ten Network Heads to Full Venues for 200-Game Schedule The network's MICR' workflow will supply remote support By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - 12:43 pm

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The Big Ten Network tipped off its nearly 200-game (134 men's, 60 women's) basketball schedule last night with a men's non-conference doubleheader featuring Eastern Michigan-Indiana and Jackson State-No. 11 Illinois. The schedule will take at-home viewers to venues with full crowds around the country, and the production crew will deploy new elements - notably, a graphics package - and pandemic-era production tools - such as a remote workflow.

We learned a lot out of necessity last year, says Alex Bertsche, senior coordinating producer, men's basketball, Big Ten Network. We'll use some of these technological aspects moving forward, but, as we get closer to pre-pandemic normal, we'll need to balance [new workflows] with what we did last year to give our viewers the best coverage possible.

Broadcast Enhancements: Graphics Package, On-Air Rebrand Headline Additions Both men's and women's basketball will receive a handful of upgrades this year. Similar to partner Fox Sports, productions of the men's games will have a new graphics package that contrasts with what was seen last year and in prior years. The look of the broadcast will be distinctly different, with the new package developed with Fox's help.

Big Ten Network basketball coverage has a new graphics package this season.

It's bright, bold, colorful and will convey a real sense of energy and excitement, says Bertsche. It has been fun to see it come together, and we're very grateful to have the partnership with Fox Sports to get it implemented.

On the women's side, telecasts have undergone a rebranding. For example, every Thursday night will be referred to as B1G Access Thursdays. To generate extra buzz on each of the conference's campuses, the network will tap into the production crew of each institution and will also use social media to drive interest.

Our on-campus producers will continue to create content profiling players, coaches, trainers, and anyone else connected to the program, says Sue Maryott, coordinating producer, women's basketball, Big Ten Network. We have also asked our teams to submit [suggestions] for a B1G women's basketball hashtag. Similar to our #B1GBlockParty for volleyball, we will have a hashtag exclusive to our women's-basketball coverage to create a dialogue with our viewers during the games.

Cloud-Based Solutions: Remote Workflows Take Over Men's, Women's Productions Essential production personnel will be onsite in the television compound and inside the venue, but, with the pandemic continuing, remote workflows will again be deployed throughout the college basketball season. This season, Big Ten Network will have its announcers and normal in-venue staffers - camera operators, courtside audio specialist - once again onsite. Starting in January, talent - including Kevin Kugler, Brandon Gaudin, Dave Revsine, Cory Provus, Jason Ross, Telly Hughes, Jeff Levering, Lisa Byington, and Jason Horowitz - will be onsite for every game.

A handful of men's games will be produced via the at-home production workflow that the network calls MICR. Crew members will work from the network's Chicago headquarters. Although others may see this approach as a drastic change that may hamper the production, Bertsche views MICR productions as a chance to keep the core of the production crew intact without worrying about travel.

Although the crew was onsite at last season's Big Ten Tournament, more than 90% of women's basketball games this season will be produced remotely in Chicago.

We don't look at MICR productions as a downgrade but as an incredible advantage, he says. The ability to keep consistent crew, from the producer/director to other technical staff, has been beneficial for our on-air product. They're also able to do a Maryland game on Friday night, a Nebraska game on Saturday afternoon, and still sleep in their bed in Chicago.

The camera complement for the men's-basketball productions will be fairly standard, unless it's a marquee matchup. For example, a non-conference doubleheader (No. 21 Maryland vs. Florida and No. 7 Purdue vs. NC State) on Sunday, Dec. 12 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, and Iowa vs. Utah State on Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD, will get a 10- to 12-camera setup including multiple super-slo-mo cameras and robos through and above the backboard.

In the later months of the schedule, Bertsche will assess what's working and add technologies that have become synonymous with the Big Ten Tournament. This season's will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis March 9-13, 2022.

Analyst Andy Katz will be another familiar face on men's-basketball broadcasts.

As the season progresses, he explains, we'll continue to assess what additions we can make for our most important games. But, for some, we'll also utilize Rail Cam or Skycam as we did at Lucas Oil Stadium last year for our coverage of the Men's Basketball Tournament. We loved that a lot of people got to see a lot of different angles of the play on and surrounding the court.

As for women's-basketball broadcasts, the MICR model will handle more than 90% of games, with the producer/director duo as well as replay, graphics, and other crew members working from a control room in Chicago. These games will be called by newcomer Sloane Martin as lead play-by-play voice, Mike Hall, Chris Vosters, and Matt Schumacker.

These shows will run as they have for years with cameras, video, A2

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