NBC Sports to broadcast 16 NCAA games this season

The NBC Sports Group will air 16 live college hockey games this season on the NBC Sports Network, including four from the Hockey East tournament (one quarterfinal, both semifinals and the championship final).

This season is the first time that NBC will broadcast college hockey games.

“We are excited to be launching our first-ever college hockey package by building a destination on Friday nights on the NBC Sports Network with many of the preeminent brands in the sport,” president of programming for NBC Sports Jon Miller said in a statement.

It was also announced that a multi-year deal with Notre Dame to have Irish home games televised on the NBC Sports Network will start with the 2013-14 season, the same year Notre Dame joins Hockey East.

2011-12 NBC SPORTS COLLEGE HOCKEY SCHEDULE

Saturday, Dec. 31 – Boston University at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. (VERSUS)

Jan. 6 – Dartmouth at Rensselaer, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 – Minnesota-Duluth at Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 – Michigan at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 27 – Yale at Harvard, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 3 – Cornell at Rensselaer, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 – Boston College at Vermont, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 – Minnesota at Denver, 10 p.m.
Feb. 17 – Dartmouth at Yale, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 24 – Boston University at Vermont, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 24 – North Dakota at Denver, 10 p.m.

March 2 – Denver at Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m.

Hockey East Tournament
March 9 – Quarterfinals, 7:30 p.m.
March 16 – Semifinals 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
March 17 – Finals 8 p.m.