Weekend watchdog

The Big East Conference has returned to its roots - focused on basketball.
With new partner FoxSports1, they kick off the season Friday with Providence facing former conference foe Boston College. Tip is 6 p.m.
Another Big East squad goes to the Far East to start the campaign. Georgetown plays Oregon in South Korea on ESPN Friday at 8 p.m. (Saturday morning local time). Connecticut, which joined the remaining football squads in the new American Athletic Conference, faces Maryland on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m.
MASN starts its season Friday at 7 p.m. as VCU hosts Illinois State. Over on MASN2, Oklahoma meets Alabama at 5 p.m. and Colorado takes on Baylor at 10 p.m.
The NBA enters its second week on Comcast as the Wizards host Brooklyn Friday at 7 p.m. They visit Oklahoma City Sunday at 7 p.m.
Sunday, the Ravens try to bounce back against Cincinnati at 1 p.m. on CBS, followed by Broncos-Chargers. Fox offers the Eagles' trip to Green Bay at 1 p.m.
Dallas meets New Orleans Sunday night on NBC, then it's the Florida battle between the Dolphins and Buccaneers on ESPN Monday night.
The college football weekend continues Friday at 8:30 p.m. when Louisville meets Connecticut.
CBS has a doubleheader Saturday, with top-ranked Alabama facing LSU at 8 p.m. In the afternoon, Texas A&M hosts Mississippi State.
Florida State travels to Wake Forest on ABC at noon, with other areas getting Kansas State-Texas Tech. Nebraska battles Michigan in a key Big Ten contest at 3:30 p.m. and Notre Dame visits Pittsburgh at 8 p.m.
Fox brings a pair of contests, with USC-California at 3 p.m. before West Virginia faces Texas at 7 p.m.
Virginia hosts North Carolina on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
Maryland meets Syracuse on Comcast at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN starts the day in the SEC at noon, with Auburn against Tennessee. BYU takes on Wisconsin at 3:30 p.m. The Hokies try to bounce back against Miami at 7 p.m., followed by UCLA-Arizona at 10 p.m.
Minnesota meets Penn State at noon on ESPN2. In primetime, Houston goes against Central Florida at 7 p.m. before Fresno State against Wyoming at 10:15 p.m.
Kansas plays Oklahoma State on FoxSports1 at 4 p.m.
MASN has a pair of contests, starting at noon with SMU-Cincinnati followed by Liberty battling Presbyterian at 3:30 p.m. MASN2 brings TCU against Iowa State at noon and Tulsa traveling to East Carolina at 3:45 p.m.
NBC Sports network features the CAA at 12:30 p.m. with James Madison facing New Hampshire. Across the state, Cornell takes on Dartmouth at 4 p.m.
Jimmie Johnson has the lead heading into the next-to-last race of the Sprint Cup, Sunday at 3 p.m. in Phoenix on ESPN. The Nationwide racers go on ESPN2 Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Capitals travek to Phoenix Saturday at 8 p.m. on Comcast.
In college ice hockey, Minnesota travels to Notre Dame Friday at 8 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
West Ham meets Norwich Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC. Chelsea takes on West Bromwich Saturday at 10 a.m. and there's a trio of contests Sunday - Tottenham Hotspur against Newcastle United at 7 p.m. followed by Sunderland-Manchester City and Manchester United taking on Arsenal at 11 a.m.
The MLS playoffs with the conference finals this weekend. Houston and Kansas City play Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on NBC in the Eastern final, while the Western Conference final goes Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
It's United States against Brazil in a women's contest Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.
FoxSports1 has a pair of women's college soccer championships Sunday - Big East at 2 p.m. and Big 12 at 4:30 p.m. The best in tennis meet for the ATP World Tour championship on ESPN2 Friday at 3 p.m.
The ACC crowns its field hockey champion this weekend. Comcast has coverage of the semifinals Friday at 1 and 3:30 p.m., with the final Sunday at 1 p.m.