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Rex Brown

Clemson head coach Oliver Purnell shouts instructions to his team during a game last season at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson. For only the third time in school history, each of Clemson’s 16 regular season ACC games will be televised this season.

CLEMSON — The Clemson men’s basketball schedule for the 2009-10 season was announced Tuesday by the ACC, and for only the third time in school history, each of Clemson’s 16 regular season ACC games will be televised.

Nine of the 16 regular season league games will be broadcast to a national television audience, including the Jan. 23 tilt with Duke, which will be showcased following ESPN College GameDay from Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers, who are coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, will have 11 guaranteed games overall on national television.

“We are looking forward to playing our most challenging schedule to date,” Tigers head coach Oliver Purnell said. “It gives us an opportunity to get better and for our program to receive unprecedented exposure.”

The non-conference schedule is highlighted by a trip to Anaheim, Calif., for the 76 Classic over Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 26-29). The Tigers will square off against Texas A&M in the first round of the event, which features six schools that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, including the Aggies.

Clemson returns home after the 76 Classic with a pair of tough games. The Tigers host Illinois on Dec. 2 for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and then take on archrival South Carolina on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. in a game that will be televised regionally by Fox Sports South.

For the first time in over 84 years, Clemson will take on College of Charleston this season. The game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 19, and will be televised by Fox Sports South.

Clemson’s ACC schedule features a pair of national television games against Duke, including the Tigers’ conference opener Jan. 3 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils then come to Clemson three weeks later for a Saturday, Jan. 23 primetime showdown at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The popular ESPN show College GameDay will originate live from Littlejohn Coliseum at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. that day.

The Tigers will also play two games apiece against Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland. Three of those four teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.

Clemson plays just one game against defending national champion North Carolina, hosting the Tar Heels on Jan. 13 in front of a national TV audience on ESPN at 9 p.m.

Clemson will conclude the regular season portion of the ACC schedule with three road trips in its final four games. All three teams (Maryland, Florida State and Wake Forest) were NCAA Tournament participants a season ago. Two of the games will be featured on Fox Sports as part of the network’s “Sunday Night Hoops” package. Clemson will have a total of four games on “Sunday Night Hoops” this upcoming season.

The ACC Tournament will return to Greensboro, N.C., in 2010 from March 11-14. The last time the tournament was held in Greensboro was in 2006.

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2009-10 Clemson men’s basketball schedule

Date Day Opponent Time TV

Nov. 6 Fri. FRANCIS MARION (exhibition) 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 13 Fri. PRESBYTERIAN 8 p.m.

Nov. 17 Tue. at Liberty TBA TBA

Nov. 20 Fri. at UNC Greensboro 7 p.m. FSS

Nov. 23 Mon. WINTHROP 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 26 Thu. #Texas A&M 4:30 p.m. ESPN2

Nov. 27 Fri. #West Virginia/Long Beach St. 2:30/5 p.m. ESPN/ESPNU

Nov. 29 Sun. #TBA TBA ESPN2/ESPNU

Dec. 2 Wed. ILLINOIS (Big Ten/ACC Challenge) 7:15 p.m. ESPN

Dec. 6 Sun. SOUTH CAROLINA 1 p.m. FSS

Dec. 13 Sun. FURMAN 4 p.m.

Dec. 16 Wed. at East Carolina 7 p.m.

Dec. 19 Sat. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON TBA FSS

Dec. 22 Tue. WESTERN CAROLINA 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 29 Tue. SC STATE 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 3 Sun. at Duke 7:45 p.m. FSN

Jan. 9 Sat. BOSTON COLLEGE 4 p.m. Raycom

Jan. 13 Wed. NORTH CAROLINA 9 p.m. ESPN

Jan. 16 Sat. at NC State Noon/1:30 p.m. Raycom

Jan. 19 Tue. at Georgia Tech 7 p.m. ESPN2

Jan. 23 Sat. DUKE 9 p.m. ESPN

Jan. 26 Tue. at Boston College 7 p.m. ESPN2

Jan. 31 Sun. MARYLAND 5:30 p.m. FSN

Feb. 6 Sat. at Virginia Tech 4 p.m. Raycom split

Feb. 10 Wed. FLORIDA STATE 7 p.m. ESPN2

Feb. 13 Sat. MIAMI (Fla.) Noon RSN

Feb. 20 Sat. VIRGINIA 7 p.m. RSN

Feb. 24 Wed. at Maryland 9 p.m. Raycom

Feb. 28 Sun. at Florida State 5:30 p.m. FSN

Mar. 2 Tue. GEORGIA TECH 8 p.m. Raycom split

Mar. 7 Sun. at Wake Forest 6 p.m. FSN

Mar. 11-14 Thu-Sun. ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.) TBA TBA

HOME GAMES IN ALL CAPS

# – 76 Classic (Anaheim, Calif.)

Note: All times are Eastern; FSN – Fox Sports National; FSS – Fox Sports South; RSN – Regional Sports Network