A whopping 13 of Kansas University’s 16 Big 12 Conference men’s basketball games will be shown on major TV networks, the league announced Wednesday.

Long a favorite of ESPN, the Jayhawks in 2009-10 will play four times on ESPN Big Monday (Jan. 25 vs. Missouri, Feb. 8 at Texas, Feb. 15 at Texas A&M and Feb. 22 vs. Oklahoma) and two other times on ESPN on Saturday (Jan. 23 at Iowa State and Jan. 30 at Kansas State).

The Jayhawks will play three times on ESPN2 (Jan. 13 at Nebraska, Jan. 20 vs. Baylor and Feb. 3 at Colorado). And KU will play twice on ESPNU (Feb. 6 vs. Nebraska and Feb. 13 vs. Iowa State).

KU will play twice on CBS (Feb. 27 at Oklahoma State and March 6 at Missouri).

The other three league games — Jan. 16 vs Texas Tech, Feb. 20 vs. Colorado and March 3 vs. Kansas State — will air on the Big 12 Network. Those three games will be available nationally on the ESPN Full Court package.

Adding in the nonconference slate, which was recently released, KU will play on three CBS, nine ESPN, five ESPN2, two ESPNU and one Fox Sport Network telecasts.

“It’s been our goal to get every game on some form of national TV,” KU senior associate athletic director Larry Keating said. “It obviously helps when the team is as highly ranked as it is.”

KU is expected to be everybody’s preseason No. 1 this season.

“We like the fact our alums across the country can have access to every single game through the networks or Full Court package,” Keating added.

As far as the order of the Big 12 schedule, KU opens on Jan. 13 at Nebraska and follows with a pair of home contests against South teams Texas Tech (Jan. 16) and Baylor (Jan. 20).

The schedule will conclude with a home game against Oklahoma on Feb. 22, a trip to Oklahoma State on Feb. 27, a home game against Kansas State on Senior Night (March 3) and finale on March 6 at Missouri.

“That’s a function of TV selecting good games at the end of the season,” Keating said. “We look forward to a great season. I think it works out fine.”

Notes: There are still three KU games that could be picked up by the ESPN family or will appear on J-TV. Those games include Dec. 9 vs. Radford, Dec. 29 vs. Belmont and Jan. 5 vs. Cornell. … KU will play 14 games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams. … After hosting Hofstra in the season opener Nov. 13 on Jayhawk-TV, KU’s first game away from home will be a Hall of Fame Showcase battle against Memphis Nov. 17 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. It is the first meeting between the two teams since KU defeated the Tigers, 75-68, in overtime to win the 2008 NCAA Championship … The Hall of Fame has not yet set opponents for KU’s three home games in the Classic. It previously has been reported that Tennessee Tech, Oakland and Central Arkansas are the likely foes. … KU will meet UCLA in the Big 12/Pac 10 Hardwood Series Dec. 6 at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on Fox Sports Network. UCLA won the last matchup with Kansas, 68-55, in the 2007 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. … Other highlighted nonconference contests include Dec. 12 against LaSalle at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., as well as home games against Michigan (Dec. 19) and California (Dec. 22) and trips to Tennessee (Jan. 10) and Temple (Jan. 2).

The full Big 12 schedule is shown below.

2009-10 KU men’s basketball Big 12 schedule

Jan. 13 — at Nebraska (ESPN2), 8 p.m.

Jan. 16 — TEXAS TECH (Big 12), 12:30 p.m.

Jan. 20 — BAYLOR (ESPN2), 8 p.m.

Jan. 23 — at Iowa State (ESPN), 3 p.m.

Jan. 25 — MISSOURI (ESPN), 8 p.m.

Jan. 30 — at Kansas State (ESPN), 6 p.m.

Feb. 3 — at Colorado (ESPN2), 8 p.m.

Feb. 6 — NEBRASKA (ESPNU), 5 p.m.

Feb. 8 — at Texas (ESPN), 8 p.m.

Feb. 13 — IOWA STATE (ESPNU), 7 p.m.

Feb. 15 — at Texas A&M (ESPN), 8 p.m.

Feb. 20 — COLORADO (Big 12), 3 p.m.

Feb. 22 — OKLAHOMA (ESPN), 8 p.m.

Feb. 27 — at Oklahoma State (CBS), 3 p.m.

March 3 — KANSAS STATE (Big 12), 7 p.m.

March 6 — at Missouri (CBS), 1 p.m.