Is Marquette vs. University of Wisconsin-Madison a big game?

[GGGG]

This really seems to be a scheduling quirk. Usually, this game is the second week of December. Because it's the first Satuday, it's competing with all the college football championship games and season finales, which will get more coverage from the 4-letter network. I'm a little surprised it didn't end up on a true national telecast, but I think the Big 10 saw it as a flagship game for the network as a basketball broadcast.

BTW, I found out the reasoning behind this.  UNLV couldn't come to Madison this week because of the MVC/MWC challenge, couldn't come 12/17 due to a previously scheduled game with Illinois, and therefore had to come 12/10.  (Their contract called for a Saturday game.)  MU was completely open to that.