First Dance: Northwestern Hoops Doc Breathes Life Into Big Ten Network

Lacking star-power and content that reaches both coasts, the Big Ten Network finally hit a home run with First Dance, a star-studded documentary about Northwestern’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Following the success of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series in 2009, media brands from all different mediums are jumping in the sports documentary world. Some have had big budgets with powerful names attached, like 89 Blocks, while others get made for next to nothing, like Bills Mafia. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, instead, the success of a sports documentary lies within all stages of the storytelling process.

Recently, the Big Ten Network mastered the process with First Dance, a documentary detailing the Northwestern basketball program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament during the 2016–17 season.

Originally airing on January 23rd, 2018, First Dance broke the mold of normal Big Ten Network programming. Sure, they’ve done a few documentaries over the years, but nothing with the cache, star-power, and reachability of First Dance.

The hour-long film benefits from a number of key elements, most of which come from the subject itself. Northwestern, a team that’s struggled in high-profile athletics for over 100 years, has simply never had their story told. But when it hits, it’s remarkable. There were gobs of failed coaches, a fan-base you truly felt for, and a totally out of nowhere scandal that deserves its own film.

And while Northwestern has failed to make headlines from their team’s performance, their alumni are the ones actually making the headlines — thanks to their world-famous Medill School of Journalism. This is what brings us to the best part of the film: the star-studded cast of alumni (and some non-alumni) speaking on-screen. It’s like seeing the 1992 Dream Team, only with media members and entertainers instead of athletes. Some highlights include former NBA coach Doug Collins, Mike Greenberg from ESPN, Julia Louis-Dreyfus from Seinfeld, and Seth Meyers from Late Night with Seth Meyers…plus a TON more.

It’s fair to say this story was handed to the network on a silver platter, which it was, but it was one that needed BTN as much as they needed it. Veteran BTN staffers Matt Engel, Kevin Shaw, and Julian Darnell were tasked with the project, and they delivered. The calls were made, the talent was booked, and editor John Castelli put it all into a beautiful package.

Overall, First Dance will be as fresh as BTN ever gets without doing a complete overhaul. Too often, the network seems stale and colorless, but this film is actually cool and has the depth to reach more than just Midwesterners.

The documentary is available on-demand for BTN subscribers on Hulu and BTN2Go.