We’ve finally made it. The unofficial start of the college football season is here with Big Ten Media Days.
In just a few short hours, the two-day event will begin at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago. We’ll hear all about how each and every coach in the Big Ten “loves his team” this year and how it was “a great offseason.”
The format is a little different than in year’s past as the Big Ten has opted to split its Media Days coverage. Half of the league’s teams will take their turns at the podium Thursday with the other half hitting the spotlight Friday morning.
Eleven Warriors will have live coverage from Chicago over the next two days, so be sure to follow along on Twitter: @11W, @TimShoemaker and @EricSeger33.
The following is what you need to know about Big Ten Football Media Days.
WHO: Big Ten coaches and select players, BTN President Mark Silverman, College Football Playoff CFO Reid Sigmon, Big Ten Coordinator of Football Officials Bill Carollo and Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany
WHAT: 44th annual Big Ten Football Media Days and Kickoff Luncheon
WHEN: Beginning 1 p.m. ET Thursday, July 30 and 9 a.m. Friday, July 31, 2015
WHERE: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place (Chicago, Illinois).
TV: Carried live on BTN and BTN2GO
OPENING MEDIA SESSIONS WITH COACHES
Day 1 of Big Ten Football Media Days kicks off 1 p.m. ET on Thursday with Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio taking the podium. Each coach will be up at the podium for 15 minutes for an open Q&A from the media. All of these press conferences will be live on BTN.
Of note: Ohio State’s Urban Meyer will take the stage Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh will be at the podium 9:15 a.m. on Friday.
Here’s the full schedule for coaches:
| COACH | TIMe (ET) |
|---|---|
| Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) | 1 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. |
| Tim Beckman (Illinois) | 1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. |
| Paul Chryst (Wisconsin) | 1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. |
| Randy Edsall (Maryland) | 1:45 p.m. - 2 p.m. |
| Kevin Wilson (Indiana) | 2 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. |
| Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) | 2:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. |
| Urban Meyer (Ohio State) | 2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. |
| COACH | TIMe (ET) |
|---|---|
| Jerry Kill (Minnesota) | 9 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. |
| Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) | 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. |
| Kyle Flood (Rutgers) | 9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. |
| Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) | 9:45 a.m. - 10 a.m. |
| Mike Riley (Nebraska) | 10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. |
| Darrell Hazell (Purdue) | 10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. |
| James Franklin (Penn State) | 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. |
ONE-ON-ONE PODIUM INTERVIEWS
Following each press conference, players and coaches will break out for podium and roundtable interviews. You’ll want to have Twitter refreshing all day — again, be sure to follow @11W, @TimShoemaker and @EricSeger33 — because some of the day’s best contest will come during this one-on-one time between the media and the players/coaches.
Ohio State will have seniors Taylor Decker, Joshua Perry and Adolphus Washington in attendance. They will take their individual podiums from 3:15 p.m. ET to 3:45 p.m. then will be at individual roundtables from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45. Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer will be at his individual podium from 3:45 p.m. to 4:15 then at a roundtable from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15.
Here’s the full list of players attending Big Ten Media Days:
| East Division | |
|---|---|
| INDIANA | Adarius Rayner - DL (SR), Jason Spriggs - OL (SR), Nate Sudfeld - QB (SR) |
| MARYLAND | Brad Craddock - K (SR), William Likely - DB (JR), Andrew Zeller - OL (SR) |
| MICHIGAN | Joe Bolden - LB (SR), Jehu Chesson - WR (SR), James Ross III - LB (SR) |
| MICHIGAN STATE | Jack Allen - OL (SR), Shilique Calhoun - DL (SR), Connor Cook - QB (SR) |
| OHIO STATE | Taylor Decker - OL (SR), Joshua Perry - LB (SR), Adolphus Washington - DL (SR) |
| PENN STATE | Jordan Lucas - S (SR), Angelo Mangiro - OL (SR), Anthony Zettel - DL (SR) |
| RUTGERS | Leonte Carroo - WR (SR), Darius Hamilton - DL (SR), Keith Lumpkin - OL (SR) |
| West Division | |
| ILLINOIS | Josh Ferguson - RB (SR), Ted Karras - OL (SR), Mason Monheim - LB (SR) |
| IOWA | Austin Blythe - OL (SR), Jordan Lomax - DB (SR), Drew Ott - DE (SR) |
| MINNESOTA | Briean Boddy-Calhoun - DB (SR), Theiren Cockran - DL (SR), Mitch Leidner - QB (JR) |
| NEBRASKA | Tommy Armstrong Jr. - QB (JR), Nate Gerry - S (JR), Jordan Westerkamp - WR (JR) |
| NORTHWESTERN | Traveon Henry - S (SR), Christian Jones - WR (SR), Dan Vitale - RB (SR) |
| PURDUE | Danny Anthrop - WR (SR), Robert Kugler - C (SR), Frankie Williams - CB (SR) |
| WISCONSIN | Michael Caputo - S (SR), Corey Clement - RB (JR), Joel Stave - QB (SR) |
TELEVISION
In what is also a change from previous years, BTN will now carry more than 13 hours of live coverage over the two-day event. BTN will carry the press conferences live from all 14 coaches as well as Jim Delany’s press conference Friday from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. ET .
Following the conclusion of the live press conference coverage Thursday, players and coaches will visit the BTN set for BTN Live from 3 to 7 p.m alongside Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith.
BTN will also air the seven press conferences live Friday morning, beginning 9 a.m. ET with Minnesota’s Jerry Kill. BTN Live will return again Friday with players and coaches visiting the set live from 3 to 7 p.m. ET.
