Big Ten basketball is just around the corner.

With just 37 days remaining until Penn State’s opening scrimmage against Philadelphia University, the Big Ten Conference announced the start times and television arrangements for each Big Ten game for the 2012-13 season.

At least 23 of the Lions’ 31 games will be televised, with 12 games being broadcast on the Big Ten Network and 9 games on the ESPN family of networks. Per the Big Ten’s media agreements, every conference game will be nationally televised.

After the Philly U. scrimmage and opening non-conference contest with St. Francis (PA), the Nittany Lions will head to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament. Penn State will face a difficult test to open the tournament on November 15 as they square off with NC State, who is ranked No. 6 in the ESPN preseason poll. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 5 p.m, the first of two Penn State games on ESPN2 for the season (Jan. 26 noon tip vs. Ohio State).

At least seven of the team’s games will be on ESPNU, including the November 28 home game against Boston College as a part of the yearly ACC/Big Ten Challenge six Big Ten Conference games.

Penn State’s first home Big Ten test will be on January 7 against Indiana, who is ranked the pre-season No. 1 team in a number of publications.

Other notable home games include:

• Saturday January 19 vs. Nebraska, 1 p.m. “THON Hoops Day” where all student ticket proceeds benefit the Penn State Dance Marathon.
• Saturday January 26 vs. Ohio State, 12:00 p.m. Coaches vs. Cancer “Band Together” Day.
• Wednesday February 27 vs. Michigan, 6:30 p.m. Senior Night.

Also, be on the lookout for several promotions similar to last year. Hoops Marketing Manager Loren Crispell recently hinted on Twitter that we could see several snapback hat promotions, as well as a pinnie.

We are entering year two of the Pat Chambers Era of Penn State basketball. Expect a significant improvement over last year’s 12-20 squad. Chambers and his staff instituted the foundation of Penn State basketball’s future.

All-Big Ten point guard Tim Frazier, who led Penn State in nearly every statistical category, is returning for his final season. Frazier, teamed with junior Jermaine Marshall and Southern Miss transfer and Philly native DJ Newbill, forms a formidable back-court that can compete with any group in the Big Ten. Come out and support these guys, because the program is certainly on the rise.

Here is the team’s full schedule:

• Nov. 3 vs. Philadelphia (EX) 4:00 p.m. BTN.com
• Nov. 9 vs. St. Francis (PA) 7:00 p.m. BTN.com

Puerto Rico Tip-Off

• Nov. 15 vs. North Carolina State 5:00 p.m. ET ESPN2
• Nov. 16 Providence/UMass TBA
• Nov. 18 TBA
• Nov. 23 vs. Bucknell 4:30 p.m. BTN.com
• Nov. 28 vs. Boston College 9:15 p.m. ESPNU (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
• Dec. 1 vs. Penn 2:00 p.m. ET ESPN3
• Dec. 5 at La Salle 7:00 p.m. ET NO TV
• Dec. 8 vs. Army 4:00 p.m. ET BTN
• Dec. 15 vs. Delaware State 2:00 p.m. BTN.com
• Dec. 23 vs. New Hampshire 11:00 a.m. BTN
• Dec. 29 vs. Duquesne 4:00 p.m. ESPN3

Big Ten Play

• Jan 3 at Wisconsin 6:30/8:30 p.m. BTN
• Jan 7 at Indiana 7 p.m. BTN
• Jan 10 vs.Northwestern 8 p.m. ESPNU
• Jan 13 at Purdue TBA BTN
• Jan 16 vs. Michigan State 7 p.m. BTN
• Jan 19 vs.Nebraska 1 p.m. ESPNU
• Jan 23 at Indiana 7 p.m. BTN
• Jan 26 vs. Ohio State 12 p.m. ESPN2
• Jan 31 at Iowa 8 p.m. ESPNU
• Feb 5 vs. Purdue 7 p.m. BTN
• Feb 9 at Nebraska 9 p.m. ESPNU
• Feb 14 vs.Iowa 9 p.m. ESPNU
• Feb 17 at Michigan Noon BTN
• Feb 21 at Illinois 8:15 p.m. BTN
• Feb 27 vs. Michigan 6:30 p.m. BTN
• Mar 2/3 at Minnesota TBA BTN/ESPN/CBS
• Mar 7 at Northwestern 7 p.m. ESPNU
• Mar 10 vs. Wisconsin 12 p.m. BTN