WMU Football 2012 TV Schedule Announced
CLEVELAND - The Mid-American Conference announced its television schedule for the 2012 football season on Thursday afternoon. Western Michigan will appear on the ESPN family of networks four times with one appearance on the Big Ten Network.
The Broncos, playing all of their games on Saturday in 2012, opens the season with three of their first four games on television beginning with the season opener at Illinois on Sept. 1. WMU and the Illini, which escaped with a 23-20 win over the Broncos in 2011, host Western Michigan on ESPNU at 12 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. CDT.
The kick time at Illinois is the earliest for WMU since closing the 2005 season at Northern Illinois. The next time WMU will kick off that early is two weeks later when the Broncos travel to Minnesota on Sept. 15. The Golden Gophers host WMU at TCF Bank Stadium at 12 p.m EDT/11 a.m. CDT as well with the game airing on the Big Ten Network.
The following week Western Michigan hosts Connecticut, a team the Broncos defeated 38-31 in 2011 when the Huskies were coming off a 2010 Big East championship, at 2 p.m., with the game airing live on ESPN3.
WMU hosts Northern Illinois at 12 p.m. on Oct. 27, airing on ESPN Regional Television/ESPN GamePlan. The Broncos' final game scheduled to be televised is "The Battle for the Cannon" at Central Michigan on Nov. 3, airing live on ESPN3. A game time for against CMU has yet to be determined.
ESPN reserves the right to select other games throughout the season utilizing its contracted 12-day selection rights. More information on those games selected will be announced as that information becomes available.
All games airing on the ESPN family of networks are also available on the Watch ESPN app and WatchESPN.com.
Two other conference road game times have been established as well. WMU travels to Kent State for the Golden Flashes' 2012 Homecoming Game at 3:30 p.m., on Oct. 20. The Broncos' final road game of the season, at Buffalo on Nov. 10, kicks off at 12 p.m.
Kick times for all remaining non-televised games will be announced next week.
2012 WMU Football TV Schedule/Game Times
9/1 at Illinois - 12 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. CDT - ESPNU
9/15 at Minnesota - 12 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. CDT - BTN
9/22 Connecticut - 2 p.m. - ESPN3
10/27 Northern Illinois - 12 p.m. - ESPN Regional/ESPN GamePlan
11/3 at Central Michigan - TBD - ESPN3
2012 WMU Football Non-TV Game Times
9/8 Eastern Illinois - 7 p.m.
9/29 Toledo - TBD
10/6 UMass (Homecoming) - 2 p.m.
10/13 at Ball State - TBD
10/20 at Kent State - 3:30 p.m.
11/10 at Buffalo - 12 p.m.
11/17 Eastern Michigan TBD
2012-13 MAC Championship/Bowl Game Dates/Times
11/30 MAC Championship Game (at Ford Field) - 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
12/15 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
12/26 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl - 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
1/6 GoDaddy.com Bowl - 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
