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#TBT: Over 30 years, parameters for ‘Greatest College Basketball Schedule Ever’ have changed a bit

Photo of Laurel DaggettLaurel DaggettNovember 14, 2013
An early college basketball telecast on ESPN featuring Houston and LSU. (ESPN)
Hakeem Olajuwon (34 white jersey) and his Houston Cougars took on LSU on Dec. 29, 1981, in this example of ESPN’s college basketball coverage in the early 1980s. (ESPN)
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“Greatest College Basketball Schedule Ever” – Click to enlarge.

Editor’s note: Welcome to another edition of Front Row’s #TBT: Throwback Thursday.

ESPN’s college basketball game coverage this week featured the Tip-Off Marathon of nearly 30 hours of hoops. This season, ESPN will be providing fans with more than 1,500 games across its networks.

A little more than 30 years ago, the network was touting the “Greatest College Basketball Schedule Ever” for the 1982-83 season that included. . . wait for it. . . a whopping 163 games. (The Marathon alone had 18 games or 11 percent of the ’82-’83 schedule in a single day!)

Here’s a cheat sheet to help you track analysts and commentators for this season.

Photo of Laurel DaggettLaurel DaggettNovember 14, 2013
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