HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. –  ESPN will air three Northern Kentucky men's basketball games this season on its family of linear networks. An additional ESPN-broadcasted game that features the Norse may also be in the cards, as the contest has been identified as a potential wildcard game.
 
Northern Kentucky's matchup against UIC in the Windy City is set to run on ESPN2. That contest will be held Friday, Jan. 10, in the Flames' Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
Two weeks later, NKU's rivalry game at Wright State airs on ESPNU. The Jan. 24 contest is being held at the Raiders' Nutter Center.
 
Norse fans may not have to wait all that long to catch Northern Kentucky back in action on one of the ESPN networks. ESPN will select between either NKU's game at Green Bay or Oakland at Detroit on Friday, Jan. 31, as part of the network's wildcard contest. Final selections will occur no less than two weeks prior to the game.
 
The regular-season and 2019-20 Horizon League campaign ends for Northern Kentucky with a second nationally-televised ESPNU meeting with Wright State on Feb. 28. With both regular-season games between the Norse and Raiders airing on ESPNU this season, NKU and WSU will meet in five-straight nationally-televised regular-season games dating back to the final matchup of the 2017-18 campaign. Taking the 2019 Horizon League Tournament Championship into consideration, Northern Kentucky and Wright State will have played six-straight nationally-televised games.
 
NKU returns four starters and 10 players from last year's Horizon League regular-season and tournament championship team, which participated in its third-straight postseason and second NCAA Tournament in the last three years. Tyler Sharpe is NKU's leading returning scorer at 14.4 ppg. Jalen Tate was third on the team in scoring at 13.7, but averaged a team-best 4.1 assists per game. Dantez Walton also averaged double figures in scoring, pouring in 11.1 points per game. He also chipped in 5.5 rebounds. Trevon Faulkner is the team's fourth returning starter.
 
Interested in becoming a season-ticket holder? Season tickets are affordable and can be purchased online at Norsetickets.com or by calling Micki Ford at 859-572-7848. Northern Kentucky also has four- and six-game mini plans, as well as single-game tickets currently available online.  Norse Kids Club Membership, which is $30 for youth 12-and-under, includes admission to men's basketball.