NBC Sports Network Releases 2012-13 College Hockey Broadcast Schedule

On Tuesday, NBC Sports Network announced its college hockey broadcast schedule for the coming season. There are quite a few more games than there were last season. Eight additional games, to be exact, and 24 in total. Seems like the network is beefing its college schedule in anticipation of an NHL lockout.

Here's the official NBC Sports Network release.

NBC Sports Network will offer more college hockey games this season than ever before, increasing coverage by eight games and starting two months earlier than last season. By compiling a schedule of contests from the ECAC, Hockey East, the University of Denver, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Nebraska-Omaha, NBC Sports Network will air 24 games, including two appearances by preseason No. 1 Boston College.

Aww, you shouldn't have.

This year's NBCSN broadcast schedule is highlighted by both games of the weekend home-and-home between Green Line rivals Boston College and Boston University. The Friday, November 30 game at Agganis Arena starts at 7:30, while the return trip down the B line starts also starts at 7:30 the following line.

In addition to two BC-BU games, NBCSN will also pick up Hockey East contests between Boston University-Maine (February 15) and Maine-New Hampshire (March 8). And ... this is why these two programs are referred to as the Big Four.

On top of NBC Sports Network's coverage of four regular season matchups, the network will also air one game of the Hockey East Quarterfinals (March 15, 7 PM), both Hockey East Semifinals (March 22 at 4 PM and 7 PM) and the Hockey East Championship Game (March 23, 7 PM).

NBC Sports Network is channel 603 on DirecTV and 159 on Dish Network.

Complete NBC Sports Network schedule after the jump.

2012-13 NCAA Hockey on NBC Sports Network Schedule (all times ET)

Oct. 12 and 13
Ice Breaker Tournament, Kansas City, Mo.
Oct. 12 - Notre Dame vs. Maine, 7 p.m., followed by Army vs. Nebraska-Omaha
Oct. 13 - Tournament Championship, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 16 - Harvard vs. Cornell, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 30 - Boston College vs. Boston University, 7:30 p.m., Wisconsin vs. Denver, 10 p.m.
Dec. 1 - Boston University vs. Boston College, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 7 - Michigan State vs. Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 4 - Colorado College vs. Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 - Union vs. Princeton, 7:30 p.m., Nebraska-Omaha vs. Denver, 10 p.m.
Jan. 18 - Harvard vs. Yale, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 25 - Yale vs. Cornell, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 1 - Dartmouth vs. Union, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 8 - North Dakota vs. Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 15 - Boston University vs. Maine, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 22 - Yale vs. Quinnipiac, 7:30 p.m., North Dakota vs. Denver, 10 p.m.
Mar. 1 - Wisconsin vs. Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 8 - Maine vs. New Hampshire, 7:30 p.m.

Hockey East Tournament
Mar. 15 - Quarterfinal, 7 p.m.
Mar. 22 - Semifinals, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Mar. 23 - Final, 7 p.m.