In less than a month, one of the biggest endeavors in conference history will take place. The new Big Ten Network will be available to viewers on August 30, launching a series of television channels solely devoted to the publication and showing of Big Ten-related media.

The network will be centered on the advertising campaign slogan of “This is Big Ten Country. And this is where it lives.” Although the hope is that the network will be a great asset to the conference, there are still problems that will have to be addressed.

“The Big Ten Network will launch … with a programming lineup unparalleled in college sports television today,” the network said in a press release.

“(The network will feature) between 350 and 400 live events including football, men’s and women’s basketball, Olympic sports, available conference championships and more original high-definition programming than any new network in television history,” it added.

Network President Mark Silverman addressed the media on Tuesday to talk about what he considered to be the three main concerns regarding the network: content of the network, the obligation of the network to the fans and the distribution of the network to potential subscribers and operators.

Much like the advent of sports-specific networks that have given greater coverage to all sports, the Big Ten Network will offer the same content but exclusively tailored to the conference.

The 24-hour network will feature programming produced at the studio and also university-produced campus content. Each of the 11 schools in the conference will receive 60 to 70 games on the network from all available university sports. About half of the featured games from the schools will be basketball and football. In addition, classic games have also been acquired for all schools, as well as coaching shows.

“I look at (the network) as being 11 mini-networks,” Silverman said. “And we want to be able to deliver to each university programming that is relevant to them and has their games and their coaches.”

In addition to the programming, Silverman also said the network will feature top announcers and anchors. Dave Revsine will be the network’s lead studio host and host of Big Ten Tonight, the flagship show. Revsine, a Northwestern graduate, was formerly on ESPN’s SportsCenter, among other jobs associated with the network.

Joining Revsine on the network roster will be Wayne Larrivee, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith, to name a few.

“I can’t express how excited we are to pull together studio talent and game broadcasters with as much passion for and knowledge of college football,” Silverman said in a statement.

One of the problems facing the network, though, involves the distribution of the network to cable providers. Although the network has been picked up by DirectTV, AT&T; U-verse and Buckeye Cable, it has yet to be picked up by Insight Communications and Comcast Cable, two of the Midwest’s largest providers.

The network and many stations are still in negotiations. Silverman said that he is looking for the network to be put on the expanded basic packages on cable carriers and he, among others, know that the negotiations are far from over.

“Just generally speaking, I think we’re at halftime (with negotiations),” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said. “I think that we need to continue to work hard with them.”

Silverman added that in the south there are channels such as CSS Sports Network, which are similar to the Big Ten Network which are included in basic cable. Although the price for the network is unknown as of now, Silverman said that it would be approximately one-third of what the Comcast Sports Network would be.

“What we’re asking for is not revolutionary,” Silverman said. “We think that that it is right.”