Today’s date is September 17, 2009, and in exactly two months, November 17, 2009, something greater than you or I happens:

College basketball returns.

Naturally, ESPN will be all over it, offering 24-hours of coverage. The idea alone, even if Kentucky is not on the WWL’s opening day schedule, is enough to make one giddy with anticipation. Here’s the upcoming schedule, which, if you are a college basketball, should read like what happens when you get to heaven.

All times are in Eastern Standard:

12 a.m. Cal State Fullerton at UCLA ESPN / ESPN360.com

2 a.m. San Diego State at St. Mary’s ESPN / ESPN360.com

4 a.m. Northern Colorado at Hawaii ESPN / ESPN360.com

6 a.m. Monmouth at St. Peter’s ESPN / ESPN360.com

8 a.m. Drexel at Niagara ESPN / ESPN360.com

10 a.m. Clemson at Liberty ESPN / ESPN360.com

12 noon Northeastern at Siena ESPN / ESPN360.com

2 p.m. Arkansas Little-Rock at Tulsa ESPN / ESPN360.com

4 p.m. Temple at Georgetown ESPN / ESPN360.com

5:30 p.m. O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic: Binghamton at Pittsburgh ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

6 p.m. Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT from Durham, N.C. (Duke University)* ESPN / ESPN360.com

7 p.m. ESPNU Road to the Championship: Tennessee vs. Texas Tech (women’s game from San Antonio) ESPNU

7:30 p.m. Hall of Fame Showcase: Arkansas vs. Louisville (from St. Louis) ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

8 p.m. Gonzaga at Michigan State ESPN / ESPN360.com

8 p.m. Northern Illinois at Illinois ESPN360.com

9 p.m. O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic: Duquesne at Iowa ESPNU

9:30 p.m. ESPNU Road to the Championship: Connecticut vs. Texas (women’s game from San Antonio) ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

10 p.m. Hall of Fame Showcase: Memphis vs. Kansas (from St. Louis) ESPN / ESPN360.com

11:30 p.m. Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT from Tempe, Ariz. (Arizona State University)* ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

Note the 12am starting time, meaning you can pull a college basketball all-nighter if you so choose. The highlights of CBB’s opening day have to be the Memphis/Kansas game, the Louisville/Arkansas game (Pitino’s first game back since Karen Sypher), as well as Gonzaga at Michigan State. Of course, the Cal State Fullerton/UCLA game to start the whole shebang should be worthwhile as well, if, for nothing else, to see how Ben Howland bounces back with a much younger squad than previous seasons.

H/t to the Sporting Blog for the initial post.

Tags: College Basketball Tip-Off, Dick Vitale, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Kansas Jayhawks, Louisville Cardinals, Michigan State Spartans, UCLA Bruins

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