ESPN Announces Tip Off College Hoops Marathon

In exactly three months, ESPN will mark the opening of the college basketball season with the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon providing more than 24 hours of consecutive basketball coverage over Monday, Nov. 11 and Tuesday, Nov. 12. The schedule includes 16 men's matchups and two top-25 women's games across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, ending with the third installment of the State Farm Champions Classic - featuring Michigan State vs. Kentucky and Kansas vs. Duke - from the United Center in Chicago.

ESPN2 will televise nine straight games tipping off every two hours beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 11, while ESPNU hosts a men's doubleheader also at 7 p.m. ESPN's schedule of six consecutive games will begin at 1 p.m. on Nov. 12 and culminate with a 30-minute live presentation of College GameDay Covered by State Farm and the Champions Classic doubleheader starting at 7 from Chicago. ESPN2 will continue Marathon action with a prime time doubleheader at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

All telecasts will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members and on Apple TV to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

Marathon highlights:

· Nine teams in the men's ESPN.com preseason top 25 are playing in this year's marathon.

· The Champions Classic will provide top action from four of the sport's winningest programs when No. 3 Michigan State faces No. 1 Kentucky at 7:30 p.m., followed by No. 5 Kansas meeting No. 6 Duke at 9:30 p.m.

· No. 18 Gonzaga is at home against Colorado State at 9 p.m. - one of two men's games on ESPNU.

· No. 13 Wichita State hosts Western Kentucky at 1 a.m. on ESPN2 and NIT Champion and No. 19 Baylor facing South Carolina at 3 p.m. on ESPN.

· No. 14 VCU travels to Virginia at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by No. 7 Florida taking on Wisconsin at 9 p.m.

· Seventeen men's teams participated in the 2013 NCAA Championship: Akron, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Gonzaga, Kansas, La Salle, Michigan State, New Mexico State, NC State, Saint Mary's, Temple, VCU, Western Kentucky, Wichita State and Wisconsin.

· NCAA Championship "Cinderella" teams advancing to the Sweet 16 include Florida Gulf Coast at 7 a.m. against Hartford and La Salle at 9 a.m. hosting Quinnipiac.

· Duke and Florida advanced to the Elite 8.

· Wichita State was a Final Four participant.

· Four women's teams in the espnW.com 2013-14 preseason top 25 help tip-off the marathon on Monday, Nov. 11, including defending National Champion and No. 1 Connecticut hosting No. 4 Stanford at 7 p.m., followed by No. 3 Tennessee at No. 7 North Carolina at 9 p.m., both on ESPN2.

· Seventeen conferences will be represented including five appearances from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC).

· Additional conferences represented: America East (1), American (3), Atlantic Sun (1), Atlantic 10 (3), Big Ten (2), Big 12 (3), Big West (1), Metro Atlantic Athletic (1), Mid-American (2), Missouri Valley (1), Mountain West (1), Pac-12 (2), Sun Belt (1), West Coast (3) and Western Athletic (1).

2013 College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon Schedule (Subject to change)

Date Time (ET) Game Network

Mon, Nov 11

7 p.m. No. 4 Stanford at No. 1 Connecticut (women's) ESPN2 Kent State at Temple ESPNU

9 p.m. No. 3 Tennessee at No. 7 North Carolina (women's) ESPN2 Colorado State at No. 18 Gonzaga ESPNU

11 p.m. BYU at Stanford ESPN2

Tues, Nov 12

1 a.m. Western Kentucky at No. 13 Wichita State ESPN2

3 a.m. Akron at Saint Mary's ESPN2

5 a.m. New Mexico State at Hawaii ESPN2

7 a.m. Hartford at Florida Gulf Coast ESPN2

9 a.m. Quinnipiac at LaSalle ESPN2

11 a.m. LSU at UMass ESPN2

1 p.m. West Virginia at Virginia Tech ESPN

3 p.m. South Carolina at No. 19 Baylor ESPN

5 p.m. NC State at Cincinnati ESPN

7 p.m. College GameDay (United Center, Chicago) ESPN No. 14 VCU at Virginia ESPN2

7:30 p.m. Champions Classic (United Center, Chicago) No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Kentucky ESPN

9 p.m. No. 7 Florida at Wisconsin ESPN2

9:30 p.m. Champions Classic (United Center, Chicago) No. 5 Kansas vs. No. 6 Duke ESPN -30- Media contact: Rachel Margolis Siegal at 860-766-2798 or rachel.m.siegal@espn.com

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