Charter Communications Tuesday said it appears close to an agreement with the Big Ten Network that would let the Madison-area cable TV provider broadcast Badgers games.

The announcement came a day after Time Warner Cable reached a deal with the network.

"I can confirm we are in pretty active negotiations and discussions with them. I can't confirm that a deal has been crafted yet," John Miller, director of communications for Charter's Central Division, said Tuesday.

Asked if a deal is possible today, Miller said, "It is; (but) anything is possible. We are very optimistic that a deal will be done very soon."

The Badgers are scheduled to play Akron at Camp Randall on Saturday; kickoff is 11 a.m. But even if Charter reaches an agreement with the Big Ten Network soon, it's not certain there's enough time to prepare that quickly, Miller said.

"I could not make a call on whether or not we would have the network up on the air on time for that game. There are so many engineering logistics that have to be done," he said.

Miller said it's also not clear yet on which channel the Big Ten Network might air.

Miller said gaining access to the Big Ten Network has been a major focus for Charter for the past 14 months. The price for the service has been the big problem, he said.

"If we are to do an agreement, it must be one that is in the best interest of all of our customers, not just Big Ten fans," Miller said. "We take prices and costs very seriously."

The Big Ten Network is available with satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network. In addition to the Akron game, the Badgers' Sept. 6 game against Marshall at Camp Randall is also scheduled to be carried by the Big Ten Network.

The Big Ten Network and Time Warner Cable announced Monday night that the network would be included in Time Warner's expanded basic cable service starting this weekend. The Badgers' Saturday opener against Akron will be available in southeastern Wisconsin on Channel 63 and in northern Wisconsin on Channel 72.

The Big Ten Network launched last year.

State Journal reporter Judy Newman contributed to this report.