BTN To Go Behind The Scenes With Tubby

"Minnesota Basketball: The Journey." That's the title of an upcoming 8-episode series on the Big Ten Network that will aim to take us behind the scenes as Tubby Smith attempts to turn around the University of Minnesota men's basketball program.

According to a release put out today by the Big Ten Conference, "The Journey"will first air on Friday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. CT with an hour long episode. Subsequent episodes will be 30 minutes long.

Via the release:

MINNESOTA BASKETBALL: THE JOURNEY will follow the Gophers' entire season, including activities on the basketball court and beyond. The show will take viewers on campus and deep inside the Minnesota basketball program with the players, coaches and support staff. Big Ten Network cameras will travel with the Gophers on the team plane, capture practices, pre-game shoot-arounds and time-out huddles, as well as many of Smith's pre-game, halftime and post-game speeches in the locker room.

"As Tubby Smith brings his history of success north, the transformation of Minnesota basketball will undoubtedly be an interesting story to tell," said Big Ten Network Executive Producer Leon Schweir. "We plan to capture it all."

While the program will debut this Friday, subsequent episodes won't air until January.

If these are done well, it has the potential to be compelling television. However, it's not easy to do programs like these well--especially in a 30-minute format with commercial interruptions.

Nonetheless, I plan to tune in. The Big Ten Network desperately needed some original programming, and it pleases me that they are branching out and bringing attention to our men's basketball team.

It also might be another reason to say goodbye to Comcast and call DirecTV.