Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference BracketBusters Games Announced

The seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters pairings have been announced, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is reaping the benefits.

Three of the 10 MAAC games will be televised.

ESPNU is televising five total BracketBusters games, while ESPN360.com is showing two. ESPN2 is offering six contests (also simulcast on ESPN360). So for the MAAC to get three of 13 total is a great deal for the conference.

The three televised games are Hofstra (14-8, 6-5 Colonial Athletic Association) at Fairfield (14-9, 7-5 MAAC), Illinois State (18-4, 7-4 Missouri Valley Conference) at Niagara (17-6, 8-3 MAAC), and the game everyone should have their eyes on, Northern Iowa (16-6, 10-1 MVC) at Siena (18-5, 12-0 MAAC).

Game time and network assignments will not be announced until next Monday, and the games will be played either Friday, Feb. 20 or Saturday, Feb. 21.

Other MAAC BracketBusters games are Canisius at Bowling Green, Iona at Boston University, Loyola (MD) at Drexel, Manhattan at William & Mary, Hartford at Marist, University of Maryland Baltimore County at Rider, and St. Peter's at Youngstown St.

In last year's BracketBusters games, the MAAC produced six winners in Canisius, Fairfield, Loyola, Niagara, Rider, and Siena.

Each conference has the opportunity to select participating teams prior to the season, and matchups are then determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences.

As a part of the agreement, home teams for this month's BracketBusters pool will visit their opponents' home court in November or December of the 2009-2010 season.

Other marquee matchups include Butler at Davidson, Utah St. at St. Mary's, Virginia Commonwealth at Nevada, and George Mason at Creighton.