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During an address at the conference's annual media days, Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman announced several new additions to the channel's football lineup. The most notable item was the introduction of 'BTN Tailgate', which will be broadcasted live from a different Big Ten campus each week.
Who has the best tailgate in the Big Ten? Easy. We do. Coming to B1G campuses Saturdays starting 9/24. #BTNTailgate pic.twitter.com/NawhiGlkWT
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) July 26, 2016
In the largest programming initiative in network history, BTN will take its college football pregame coverage on the road in 2016 with the debut of BTN Tailgate. BTN Tailgate will begin at 10:30 a.m. ET and is a live, 90-minute show originating from a different Big Ten campus each week during conference play.
BTN Tailgate will be Big Ten football fans' home this fall with previews, highlights, special guests and analysis from host Dave Revsine and BTN's football experts Gerry DiNardo and former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Anthony Adams.
While this may be a complete rip-off of ESPN's College Gameday, it sounds pretty cool! Better yet, the Fighting Illini will be perfectly suited to hold the show directly outside of Memorial Stadium. The 2015 season featured the introduction of 'Grange Grove', and it quickly became a fantastic addition to what had become a very bland tailgating experience in recent years.
The Orange and Blue will have seven opportunities to host BTN Tailgate this Fall. Hopefully the network does indeed decide to visit Champaign in the near future because using the Red Grange statue as a backdrop would be pretty damn cool.
Red Grange is loving the sunny skies over Memorial Stadium today pic.twitter.com/Lxq2GZPEks
— Univ. of Illinois (@Illinois_Alma) February 4, 2016