TV news outta South Bend:

One of the premier rivalries in women’s college basketball once again will take center stage on Jan. 16, when Notre Dame and Connecticut square off as the centerpiece of the first-ever ESPN women’s basketball College GameDay broadcast from Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. The matchup between the Fighting Irish and Huskies — one of two on the 2009-10 BIG EAST Conference regular season schedule — will tip off at 9 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live to a national cable audience by ESPN.

ESPN’s College GameDay will air live from Gampel Pavilion twice during the day on Jan. 16, first from 11 a.m.-noon (ET), and again from 8-9 p.m. (ET), the second broadcast leading directly into the network’s “Saturday Primetime” coverage of the Notre Dame-Connecticut game. GameDay, which made its debut in January 2005 with a Pittsburgh-UConn men’s basketball game, is hosted by Rece Davis, with expert analysis from former longtime Fighting Irish men’s basketball coach Richard “Digger” Phelps, legendary Indiana, Army and Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Bob Knight, former North Carolina standout Hubert Davis and former Duke great Jay Bilas.

“This is a historic announcement for all of women’s basketball,” Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said. “We are thrilled to be a part of this momentous day and look forward to joining Connecticut in representing the BIG EAST, which we consider to be the nation’s top women’s basketball conference. I’m sure our fans are eagerly anticipating this game and will team up with UConn’s supporters to make it a day to remember.”