MAAC Matchups for 2012 Sears BracketBusters Announced
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. - Nine of the 10 MAAC men's basketball programs have received their pairings for the 10th annual Sears BracketBusters - a two-day men's basketball event pitting potential NCAA Championship hopefuls against each other February 17-18.
For the seventh straight year, ESPNU will feature five Sears BracketBusters games, while ESPN or ESPN2 will televise up to six and ESPN3 will carry two. The television matchups are selected by ESPN, while a Committee of Conference Commissioners determines the additional non-televised games.
2012 Sears BracketBusters non-television pairings for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
UMBC (3-17, 2-6 America East) at Canisius (4-17, 1-10 MAAC)
Fairfield (11-10, 6-4 MAAC) at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (14-9, 7-4 Horizon)
Boston University (11-12, 7-2 America East) at Loyola (16-5, 9-2 MAAC)
UNC Wilmington (8-13, 4-7 CAA) at Manhattan (16-7, 9-2 MAAC)
Marist (7-14, 2-8 MAAC) at Maine (10-10, 4-5 America East)
Niagara (9-14, 4-7 MAAC) at Vermont (13-10, 7-2 America East)
Rider (9-14, 6-5 MAAC) at Albany (14-9, 6-3 America East)
Hartford (4-17, 4-5 America East) at Saint Peter's (4-18, 3-8 MAAC)
Siena (10-11, 5-6 MAAC) at Hofstra (7-16, 1-10 CAA)
In last year's BracketBusters series, the MAAC posted an unprecedented 9-1 record for the multi-day event, including two victories featured on ESPNU - Fairfield's 76-69 win over Austin Peay and Iona's 77-57 triumph at Liberty.
As part of the agreement, all 13 of the Sears BracketBusters home teams in televised games, as well as the remaining 58 home squads, will play a return game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the 2013-14 season.
Sears BracketBusters is part of ESPN's college basketball franchise programming, along with Rivalry Week, Feast Week presented by Lowe's, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers, Judgment Week and Championship Week Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods.