WACO (September 19, 2012) -- For the second straight season, the Baylor Lady Bears will appear on the ESPN family of networks a league-high five times, including two Big Monday contests, the Big 12 Conference announced Wednesday as it released the league’s ESPN television slate.

Baylor’s first ESPN appearance will be on Tuesday, Nov. 13, when the Lady Bears host Kentucky on ESPN2 (5 p.m. CST) in the State Farm Tip Off Classic. Two telecasts are scheduled for December as Baylor hits the road to take on Notre Dame Dec. 5 (ESPNU, 6 p.m. CST) in a rematch of the 2012 NCAA title game and hosts Tennessee on Dec. 18 (ESPN, 7 p.m. CST).

The Lady Bears make their first Big Monday appearance of the season when they travel to Hartford, Conn., to take on the Connecticut Huskies, Feb. 18, on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. (CST). BU’s final Big Monday game will be at Oklahoma on Feb. 25 on ESPN2 (6 p.m. CST).

Coupled with yesterday’s release of the Big 12’s FOX Sports Net schedule, Baylor will appear on national television a minimum of 10 times with the possibility of adding more national and regional broadcasts.

Additional broadcasts will be announced as they become available.

The Lady Bears have put together their most challenging schedule as 16 of the 21 teams on the schedule participated in postseason competition a year ago; 13 opponents participated in the 2012 NCAA Championships and three teams played in the Postseason WNIT. All told, 24 of BU’s 30 games before the Big 12 Tournament will be against 2011-12 postseason entrants.

Included on Baylor’s schedule are contests against the three other NCAA Final Four participants; Stanford, Connecticut and Notre Dame.

Baylor and head coach Kim Mulkey returns all five starters off last season undefeated NCAA championship team, including All-Americans Brittney Griner, Odyssey Sims and Destiny Williams.