PARK RIDGE, Ill. — The Big Ten announced its 2011-12 conference women’s basketball schedule, revealing extensive exposure for its 12 institutions.

In total, 45 regular season conference games will be broadcast to a national audience, 38 of which will be televised live by BTN, six on ESPN2 and one on CBS Sports.

Numerous non-conference games will be televised nationally by BTN, and the network will stream a select number of games throughout the entire 2011-12 season on www.btn.com. Dates, times and distribution for the non-conference schedule will be announced prior to the start of the season.

For the first time in conference history, the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament will feature 11 games, all of which will be broadcast to a national audience. It will be the fifth consecutive season the entire tournament, held March 1-4 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, will be televised nationally. The first 10 games will appear on BTN, while the championship game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Conference action opens Friday, Dec. 30, with a BTN doubleheader beginning at 6 p.m.

Indiana hosts defending Big Ten Champion Michigan State, while new Wisconsin head coach Bobbie Kelsey opens her Big Ten coaching career as the Badgers host 2011 conference tournament champion Ohio State at 8 p.m.

Big Ten women’s basketball will be a regular part of ESPN2’s college basketball lineup beginning Sunday, Jan. 15, when Michigan State hosts Ohio State at 4 p.m.

Those games will also be simulcast on ESPN3. CBS Sports will televise Big Ten women’s basketball when Penn State hosts Michigan State at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7.