Network Debuts “16” - Series of Shows about Greatest 16 Teams in College Basketball History 

Coverage Includes Encore Showings of Every 2012 NCAA Tournament Game

         CBS Sports Network’s coverage of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship includes more than 100 hours of live studio programming. Coverage tips off on “Selection Sunday,” March 11 with BRACKET BREAKDOWN (4:00-6:00 PM, ET). Following the NCAA BASKETBALL SELECTION SHOW on CBS, a special live edition of the TIM BRANDO SHOW (7:00-8:00 PM, ET) features interviews with coaches from across the country. BRACKET BREAKDOWN returns from 8:00-10:30 PM, ET with additional “Selection Sunday” coverage.

       Tournament programming on the Network is anchored by BRACKET BREAKDOWN and FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK, which provide fans complete news, highlights and analysis throughout the Tournament. BRACKET BREAKDOWN previews all 67 Tournament games, analyzes the match-ups and recaps each day’s action, while FULL COURT PRESS complements the live game coverage with highlights, press conferences, interviews, breaking news and in-depth analysis. Both shows will air live from New Orleans, the site of the 2012 Final Four, beginning Thursday, March 29.

      CBS Sports Network’s coverage also includes encore showings of every 2012 Tournament game that airs on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.

      Studio programming will be anchored by Adam Zucker and Dave Ryan, who will be joined by analysts Steve Lappas, Wally Szczerbiak, Pete Gillen, Mateen Cleaves, Alaa Abdelnaby, Insider Jon Rothstein and guest analyst, former Houston coach Tom Penders, as well as CBSSports.com Bracketology expert Jerry Palm and writers Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish. The Network will also feature top current college coaches as guest analysts throughout the Tournament.

      Original programming includes “16,” a slate of four 30-minute shows that count down the 16 greatest teams in the history of college basketball, as chosen by a CBS panel of experts. The shows debut on Monday, March 19 (10:00 PM, ET and 10:30 PM, ET) and Tuesday, March 20 (10:00 PM, ET and 10:30 PM, ET), after the 2012 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 field is determined.

      The list was chosen by a total of 31 voters, including CBS Sports announcers and producers, CBS Sports Network talent and CBSSports.com writers, who have combined to cover hundreds of Final Fours over more than four decades. Fans also can join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #CBS16.  For more information, go to http://bit.ly/yonQca.

      The Network also returns COLLEGE HOOPS CONFIDENTIAL, an all-access series bringing fans behind-the-scenes with top teams from across the country. The CONFIDENTIAL series debuts on Monday, March 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET), with an inside look at *#7-ranked Ohio State and #12-ranked Baylor and returns on Wednesday, March 14 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET) featuring #20-ranked UNLV and #5-ranked Missouri.

      Coverage also includes exclusive, behind-the-scenes access with Missouri, Wisconsin and Murray State. The Network will embed with the teams throughout their journeys with features running as part of Tournament coverage. 

      In addition, CBS Sports Network will debut a one-hour documentary tracing the making of the 2012 Final Four court, from cutting down trees in the woods of Wisconsin to installing the finished court in New Orleans. COLLEGE HOOPS CONFIDENTIAL: COURT OF CHAMPIONS debuts Sunday, April 1 (9:00 PM, ET).

      Below is a full programming schedule (all times ET), which is also available online at www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

Sunday, March 11

4:00-6:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

7:00-8:00 PM – TIM BRANDO SHOW

8:00-10:30 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Monday, March 12

4:00-8:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

8:00-8:30 PM – COLLEGE HOOPS CONFIDENTIAL: Ohio State

8:30-9:00 PM – COLLEGE HOOPS CONFIDENTIAL: Baylor

9:00-11:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Tuesday, March 13

4:00-6:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

12:30-1:30 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Wednesday, March 14

4:00-6:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

8:00-8:30 PM – COLLEGE HOOPS CONFIDENTIAL: UNLV

8:30-9:00 PM – COLLEGE HOOPS CONFIDENTIAL: Missouri

11:00-11:30 PM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

11:30 PM-12:30 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Thursday, March 15

2:00 PM-1:00 AM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

1:00-2:00 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Friday, March 16

2:00 PM-1:00 AM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

1:00-2:00 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Saturday, March 17

2:00 PM-12:30 AM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

12:30-1:30 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Sunday, March 18

4:30-6:00 PM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

8:00 PM-12:30 AM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

12:30-1:30 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Monday, March 19

10:00-10:30 PM – 16

10:30-11:00 PM – 16

Tuesday, March 20

10:00-10:30 PM – 16

10:30-11:00 PM – 16

Thursday, March 22

4:00-7:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

9:00-9:30 PM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

11:30 PM-1:00 AM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

1:00-2:00 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Friday, March 23

4:00-7:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

10:00 PM-1:00 AM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

1:00-2:00 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Saturday, March 24

6:30-10:00 PM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

10:00-10:30 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Sunday, March 25

4:30-6:00 PM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

8:00-9:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Friday, March 30

4:00-7:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Saturday, March 31

1:00-3:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

8:30-9:00 PM – FULL COURT PRESS PRESENTED BY BUICK

11:00-11:30 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

11:30 PM-12:30 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

Sunday, April 1

4:00-6:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

9:00-9:30 PM – COLLEGE HOOPS CONFIDENTIAL: Court of Champions

Monday, April 2

6:00-8:00 PM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

11:30 PM-12:00 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

12:00-1:00 AM – BRACKET BREAKDOWN

* * * * * 

*AP Poll as of 3/5/12

Contacts:

Dan Sabreen    212-975-5936              dsabreen@cbs.com

Mariel Brady     212-975-5373              mariel.brady@cbs.com