The puck drops on the 2015 NCAA Tournament Friday with extensive television coverage planned for both sides of the U.S.-Canada border on ESPN and TSN.

Infographic: TV Schedule | On Our Site

ESPN continues its coverage of the NCAA Tournament, broadcasting every game for the 11th consecutive year, the Frozen Four for the 21st year and the championship for the 36th year. ESPNU and ESPN2 will carry 10 of the 12 games this weekend, with the other two available on ESPN3.

TSN, which will air more than 40 NCAA games this season through a partnership with College Hockey Inc., is providing the most comprehensive coverage the tournament has ever had in Canada. Ten of the 12 games this weekend will be broadcast on the air, the Frozen Four will be on TSN2, and all 15 games in the tournament will be available to stream on TSN GO.

Broadcasters from both networks have been active in promoting the tournament. ESPN's John Buccigross, always a passionate supporter of the college game on Twitter (@Buccigross), wrote a terrific "50 things to know" about the tournament on ESPN.com. It's a must read, and closes with this:

50. But, while, about 30 percent of NHL players played college hockey, 70 percent did not. And getting a degree, meeting driven, smart, thoughtful people, and educating yourself can be a fruitful bridge from teenager to non-NHL playing adult.

I've always been anti-fraternity. I was when I attended college. It all seemed contrived. I prefer fraternities, like college hockey, that are organic. Pledging the college hockey world requires that you are selfless, thoughtful and intense. My kind of people. And those kinds of people are also usually the most fun.

This is the most fun time of the year, and the party will be televised.

On TSN, former NHL general manager Craig Button has provided coverage all year of rising stars in college like Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin as the network's Director of Scouting. He offered a list of 10 players to watch on TSN.ca, and shared these thoughts with College Hockey Inc.:

“Johnny Gaudreau has electrified NHL fans this season as he did last year in the NCAA. Jack Eichel has been a dominant player for Boston University and his accomplishments are not commonplace. He could accomplish what only two other players , Tony Hrkac in 1987 with North Dakota and Paul Kariya in 1993 with Maine, have achieved in NCAA history. Lead the Nation in scoring, win the Hobey Baker Award and lead his team to a National Championship. And to think he could do this as a freshman which has only been achieved by Paul Kariya.

“Mike Reilly of Minnesota led all NCAA defensemen in scoring. Jim Vesey of Harvard is second in points to Eichel. Jamie Phillips of Michigan Tech leads all goalies with twenty-eight wins. And of course what would an NCAA tourney be without a cinderella team? Rochester Intsitute of Technology (RIT Tigers) won an automatic bid by winning their conference championship.

"The drama and electricity surrounding the NCAA Tournament is must watch. When you consider the players who will star today for the college teams and tomorrow in the NHL, there is no better way to get a glimpse of what the future looks like, today."