Manhattan ? The national spotlight that already has defined the short tenure of Kansas State basketball coach Bob Huggins doesn’t appear to be dimming.

School officials announced their 2006-07 men’s basketball schedule Wednesday, highlighted by four nationally televised games, including two appearances on ESPN’s “Big Monday” and the Wildcats’ first appearance on ABC Sports in nearly 20 years.

It’s a marked change for a team that has wallowed in the shadow of the Kansas Jayhawks and Wichita State Shockers and struggled to escape mediocrity. Kansas State has appeared on national TV only once in each of the past three seasons.

“We are obviously excited about the exposure all these television opportunities give our program,” Huggins, who was hired on March 23, said in a written statement. “I think every kid in America wants to see their team showcased on national television for their family and friends back home.”

While start times and TV arrangements for the Wildcats’ nonconference schedule have not been finalized, at least 13 of their 16 Big 12 games will be shown on TV.

Their game against defending Big 12 co-champion Texas in Austin on Feb. 3 will be the first time the Wildcats have been on ABC since losing to Oklahoma in the Big Eight Tournament championship on March 13, 1988.

Kansas State’s game against the Sooners on March 3 also will be televised by ABC, and games against Texas Tech on Jan. 8 and Kansas on Feb. 19 will be televised nationally by ESPN.

“Now that we have these opportunities, we need to continue to prepare ourselves for the challenges that we will face in the upcoming season,” Huggins said.

Kansas State opens its regular season against William & Mary on Nov. 11 at Bramlage Coliseum, but the Wildcats quickly dive into an upgraded nonconference schedule that includes a road game against California and a matchup with Atlantic 10 power Xavier in Cincinnati.