USC Game May Not Be on TV

Because there are now 64 teams in the NCAA tournament, ESPN will be able to televise only 22 of the 32 first-round games Thursday and Friday--16 live and 6 tape-delayed. CBS will televise two first-round games, both airing at 11:30 p.m.

USC’s first-round game against Illinois State Thursday night at 7:30 is not scheduled to be carried by ESPN or CBS, but it will be offered by NCAA Productions to local stations such as Channel 11 or Channel 5.

At this time, neither Thursday night’s Nevada Las Vegas-San Diego State game or Friday night’s Pepperdine-Duke game are scheduled to be televised by ESPN or CBS.

ESPN Sunday announced the 10 first-round games it will televise live. The network will later announce the six tape-delayed telecasts. The TV schedule:

Thursday: ESPN: 9 a.m.--Georgetown vs. Lehigh; 11:30 a.m.--Purdue vs. Auburn; 1:30 p.m.--Iowa vs. Arkansas; 4 p.m.--North Carolina vs. Middle Tennessee St.; 6:30 p.m.--Notre Dame vs. Oregon State. CBS: 11:30 p.m.--Washington vs. Kentucky (delayed).

Friday: ESPN: 9 a.m.--Illinois vs. Northeastern; 11 a.m.--North Carolina St. vs. Nevada Reno; 1:30 p.m.--Tulsa vs. Texas El Paso; 4 p.m.--Syracuse vs. DePaul; 6:30 p.m.--Villanova vs. Dayton. CBS: 11:30 p.m.--Alabama vs. Arizona (delayed).