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ESPN Announces SEC Football Selections For 1st 3 Weeks of the 2012 Season

The SEC Football schedule is out and for the South, this is like Christmas Day when you get to finally open the presents. Fans of the 14 member schools have been looking forward to this since the end of the last college football season. ESPN has selected its games for the first three weeks of the 2012 season and the network has selected 33 games to air on its various networks and platforms including the Mothership, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and the SEC Network.

In addition, those games not selected either by CBS and ESPN have gone to the other conference partners, Fox Sports Net, CSS and local pay per view. Matt’s College Sports has that schedule through September 15.

For ESPN, it begins its SEC schedule on August 30 with South Carolina at Vanderbilt in primetime. On September 8, ESPN will have an SEC conference tripleheader starting at noon with Auburn at Mississippi State, then at 3:30 p.m. the network airs Florida at Texas A&M (that being the Aggies’ first SEC Conference game) and at 7 p.m., it will be Washington taking on LSU in the Bayou.

We have the SEC on ESPN schedule through September 15 below.

ESPN Outlets Cover 33 SEC College Football Games in First Three Weeks of Season

ESPN has selected the Southeastern Conference college football games for coverage across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and the SEC Network during the first three weeks of the 2012 season. Overall, 33 games involving SEC teams will be carried from the season opener on Thursday, Aug. 30 (South Carolina at Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN) to Saturday, Sept. 15. Additional selections will be determined as the season progresses. Highlights:

• The first three weeks will include multiple games involving all six of the SEC teams ranked in the College Football Live preseason top 25 poll, highlighted by five of the top nine.
• On Saturday, Sept. 8, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise the first conference games of new members Texas A&M and Missouri: No. 25 Florida at Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN and No. 6 Georgia at Missouri at 7:45 p.m. on ESPN2.
• Additional conference showdowns in the first three weeks include No. 8 South Carolina at Vanderbilt (Thursday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. on ESPN); Auburn at Mississippi State (Saturday, Sept. 8, at noon on ESPN); and No. 25 Florida at Tennessee (Saturday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. on ESPN).
• ESPN will offer an SEC tripleheader on Saturday, Sept. 8 beginning with Auburn at Mississippi State at noon followed by No. 25 Florida at Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. and Washington at No. 2 LSU at 7 p.m.
• The first three games for No. 2 LSU and first two for No. 3 Alabama, the competing teams in last season’s BCS National Championship Game, won by Alabama 21-0:
• No. 2 LSU against North Texas (Saturday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. on ESPNU), against Washington (Saturday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m. on ESPN) and against Idaho (Saturday, Sept. 15 on ESPN3).
• No. 3 Alabama against No. 10 Michigan in the Cowboys Classic from Arlington (Saturday, Sept. 1, at 8 p.m. on ABC) and against Western Kentucky (Saturday, Sept. 8, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN3 and the SEC Network).

2012 SEC Schedule for August 30 through September 15
(additional selections will be announced):

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network
Thu, Aug 30	7 p.m.	No. 8 South Carolina at Vanderbilt *	ESPN
	7:30 p.m.	Texas A&M vs. Louisiana Tech (Shreveport, La.) *	ESPNU
Fri, Aug 31	7:30 p.m.	Kickoff Game: NC State vs. Tennessee (Atlanta) *	ESPNU
Sat, Sep 1	Noon	Buffalo at No. 6 Georgia	ESPN3 *** & SEC Network
	3:30 p.m.	Bowling Green at No. 25 Florida	ESPN
	7 p.m.	Kickoff Game: No. 18 Clemson vs. Auburn (Atlanta) *	ESPN
	7 p.m.	North Texas at No. 2 LSU	ESPNU
	7 p.m.	Jackson State at Mississippi State	ESPN3 *** & RSN
	7 p.m.	Central Arkansas at Mississippi	ESPN3 *** & PPV
	8 p.m.	Cowboys Classic: No. 10 Michigan vs. No. 3 Alabama (Arlington) *	ABC
	TBA	Jacksonville State at No. 9 Arkansas	ESPN3 *** & PPV
	TBA	Southeastern Louisiana at Missouri	ESPN3 *** & PPV
Sun, Sep 2	3:30 p.m.	Kentucky at Louisville *	ESPN
Sat, Sep 8	Noon	Auburn at Mississippi State	ESPN
	Noon	East Carolina at No. 8 South Carolina	ESPN3 *** & SEC Network
	3:30 p.m.	No. 25 Florida at Texas A&M	ESPN
	3:30 p.m.	Western Kentucky at No. 3 Alabama	ESPN3 *** & SEC Network
	4 p.m.	Georgia State at Tennessee	ESPN3 *** & PPV
	7 p.m.	Washington at No. 2 LSU	ESPN
	7 p.m.	Louisiana-Monroe at No. 9 Arkansas (Little Rock, Ark.)	ESPNU
	7 p.m.	UTEP at Mississippi	ESPN3 *** & RSN
	7:30 p.m.	Kent State at Kentucky	ESPN3 *** & RSN
	7:45 p.m.	No. 6 Georgia at Missouri	ESPN2
Sat, Sep 15	Noon	Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn	ESPN3 *** & SEC Network
	12:30 p.m.	Presbyterian at Vanderbilt	ESPN3 *** & RSN
	6 p.m.	No. 25 Florida at Tennessee	ESPN
	7 p.m.	Arizona State at Missouri	ESPN2
	7 p.m.	Western Kentucky at Kentucky	ESPNU
	7 p.m.	Mississippi State at Troy *	ESPN3 **
	7 p.m.	UAB at No. 8 South Carolina	ESPN3 *** & RSN
	7:30 p.m.	Florida Atlantic at No. 6 Georgia	ESPN3 *** & RSN
	8 p.m.	Idaho at No. 2 LSU	ESPN3 *** & PPV
	9:15 p.m.	No. 22 Texas at Mississippi	ESPN

* Previously announced
** ESPN3 Exclusive
*** Local blackout may apply

More throughout the day. Keep it here.

ESPN Airs USA Basketball’s Pre-Olympic Exhibition Games

If you want to see the U.S. Olympic men’s and women’s basketball teams in action before the London Olympics, then then ESPN Family of Networks will provide you with seven opportunities including one tonight. ESPN will air seven exhibition games, five for the men and two for the women, as the teams get ready to play in the Olympic Basketball Tournament in London.

ESPN will air one game tonight (USA men vs. Dominican Republic), ESPN2 will take five and ESPN3 has one game all to itself next Wednesday as the USA women take on Great Britain.

Mark Jones and Fran Fraschilla will call the games.

We have a look at the schedule for you.

ESPN to Show Seven USA Basketball Men’s & Women’s National Team Exhibition Games

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3 will combine to air seven USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Team exhibition games  – five men’s and two women’s – beginning with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team vs. the Dominican Republic on Thursday, July 12, at 9 p.m. ET. All games will be available on WatchESPN and generally carried on ESPN Mobile TV.

Mark Jones will provide play-by-play for all ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts with International basketball expert and analyst Fran Fraschilla. In addition, ESPN will provide extensive coverage of USA Basketball on SportsCenter, espnW.com, ESPN.com’s NBA section and ESPN’s NBA Facebook page.

USA Basketball National Team rosters: men’s; women’s.

USA Basketball Men’s & Women’s National Team Exhibition Game Schedule (Subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game/Commentators	Networks	Location
Thurs, July 12	9 p.m.	USA Basketball Men’s National Team vs. Dominican Republic Jones, Fraschilla	ESPN, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Mobile TV	Las Vegas
Mon, July 16	5:30 p.m.	USA Basketball Women’s National Team vs. Brazil Jones, Fraschilla	ESPN2, ESPN3, WatchESPN,ESPN Mobile TV	Washington, D.C.
Mon, July 16	8 p.m.	USA Basketball Men’s National Team vs. Brazil Jones, Fraschilla	ESPN2, ESPN3, WatchESPN	Washington, D.C.
Wed, July 18	2 p.m.	USA Basketball Women’s National Team vs. Great Britain TBD	ESPN3	Manchester, England
Thurs, July 19	2 p.m.	USA Basketball Men’s National Team vs. Great Britain Jones, Fraschilla	ESPN2, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Mobile TV	Manchester, England
Mon, July 23	Midnight^ (Sun, July 22)	USA Basketball Men’s National Team vs. Argentina Jones, Fraschilla	ESPN2, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Mobile TV	Barcelona, Spain
Tues, July 24	4:30 p.m.	USA Basketball Men’s National Team vs. Spain Jones, Fraschilla	ESPN2, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Mobile TV	Barcelona, Spain

^ – Tape delay

There you have it.

Some 4th of July Sports Media Thoughts

On this 4th of July holiday, let’s do some All-American sports media thoughts. They’re in bullet form as always.

• The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir gave us some food for thought in his latest column this week on the MLB rights negotiations. Richard raised the possibility of MLB awarding the entire broadcast contract to one network, having the company air all five jewels, the All-Star Game, Wild Card Playoffs, League Divisional Playoffs, League Championship Series and the World Series. However, that is highly unlikely. MLB has had one broadcaster in the past to air all of its showcases, NBC from 1965 through 1975 and CBS from 1990 to 1994.

  In this current contract, ESPN and Fox share All-Star Game Week, TBS has the Wild Card Playoffs, TBS and MLB Network have the League Division Series, Fox and TBS split the League Championship Series and Fox carries the World Series.

  With NBC extremely interested in getting back into baseball needing programming for NBC Sports Network, ESPN hoping to regain a piece of the postseason, TBS and Fox wanting to keep their present packages or even expand them (Fox does have plans to launch its own cable sports network) and MLB looking for more inventory for MLB Network, this negotiation looks to be a big battleground among the networks. Someone is going to leave the bargaining table very disappointed when all is said and done.

  No matter what, Major League Baseball is bound to get very rich from the networks. As Sandomir reports, MLB currently receives $711 million per year from ESPN, Fox and TBS. Expect that to possibly reach or even surpass $1 billion when the dust settles.

• On Tuesday, Erin Andrews did what many ex-ESPN’ers do, make her first national appearance as an ex-ESPN’er on the Dan Patrick Show. While Erin didn’t trash her former employer, she did make some news by stating that she’ll be roaming the sidelines for NFL games in addition to hosting Fox’s college football studio and having a role on Fox’s MLB Postseason coverage.

  Some have speculated that Erin might replace Pam Oliver on Fox’s NFL “A” team with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. That is not going to happen. Can you imagine what would happen to the Fox executive who had to tell Pam that she was booted from the NFL on Fox? Pam takes crap from no one and is willing to fight anyone at any time. That executive’s limbs would be ripped from his/her joints, so no, Pam Oliver is not going anywhere.

  And let’s think about this realistically. Erin will host the College Football studio from Los Angeles. It would not be conducive to have Erin travel cross country especially when the Fox college football game will most likely end after 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday and then be on the sidelines for a potential 1 p.m. game on Sunday. Yes, she’ll work some NFL games, but if she does a back-to-back, it’ll be on the West Coast.

  It will be nice to have Erin on the NFL.

• Is there any way for Fox Soccer Plus to sublicense some Australian Rules Football games to ESPN2? It doesn’t seem right not to have some Aussie Footy on basic cable.
• Some of you have asked and there is still no US TV for Canadian Football League games. The 2012 season started last week and the only US outlet was ESPN3 online. NFL Network had picked up CFL games in the past, but never went beyond the regular season and never aired the Grey Cup. Unless a cable network steps up, it appears the only way to see the CFL in the US is ESPN3. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.

Enjoy your 4th.

ESPN and Wimbledon: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

I don’t know why I made a Casablanca reference in the headline, but it seemed to be right. Starting this year, ESPN begins the first of a 12 year partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to televise the Championships Wimbledon from start to finish. It marks the first time that all of the action will be seen on one network from beginning to end.

ESPN will start its coverage of the first four days of the Fortnight on ESPN2, Monday, June 25. Then the ESPN Mothership will air its first-ever action from SW19 starting on Friday, June 25.

What makes ESPN’s coverage unique will be that both ESPN and ESPN2 will carry matches simultaneously starting with the Round of 16 on Monday, July 2 through the Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals on Wednesday, July 4.

From Thursday, July 5 through Sunday, July 8, ESPN will be the network of record for Wimbledon ending with the Gentlemen’s Finals.

I already told you about the “Breakfast at Wimbledon” pre-match program that premieres on the middle Saturday of action on June 29 and will air consecutively from July 5 – 8.

For those of you who don’t have cable, ESPN throws scraps to ABC with a highlight program on the middle Sunday, June 30 from 3 – 6 p.m. ET and again the following weekend by showing the Ladies and Gentlemen’s Finals on tape delay. If both matches end under three hours, then they’ll be shown in their entirety.

Altogether, ESPN and ESPN2 will air a total of 140 hours of tennis action. ESPN 3D which 73 people across the country will carry the Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals through to the Final. And ESPN3 will have a lot of matches that won’t be seen on TV. Got it? Good.

And I buried the lede. The most important thing in all this? No more NBC tape delayed shenanigans! Everything will be live!

Here’s ESPN’s press release on the whole Wimbledon enchilada.

New Era of Wimbledon on TV:  First Ball to Finals in ESPN’s 10^th Championships

140 Live Hours on ESPN & ESPN2 including “Cross Court Coverage,” Highlights on ABC, Nine Screens on ESPN3
John McEnroe Makes ESPN/Wimbledon Debut, “Breakfast at Wimbledon” Returns as ESPN Preview Show

A new era of television coverage for one of sport’s most prestigious and historic events will begin when ESPN presents The Championships, Wimbledon complete, live and exclusively across its networks from first ball Monday, June 25, with day-long marathon telecasts through to the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Finals, Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8, respectively.  ESPN’s 10^th Wimbledon will expand to 140 live hours in high definition on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD – including three days when the two networks offer all-day “cross court coverage” (airing matches simultaneously) – plus highlights and reairs of both Finals on ABC.  All the action on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.

In addition, ESPN3 will also increase its schedule to more than 800 hours of a multi-screen offering – all available TV courts (up to nine) presented from first ball to last ball each day – which will be available along with ESPN and ESPN2’s action via the WatchESPN app.  The service will also offer matches on demand after they occur.

The new schedule is the result of a 12-year agreement between ESPN and the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced just after the conclusion of the 2011 Championships.

As previously announced, ESPN 3D, which presented its first tennis at Wimbledon a year ago with one live match and others on delay, will televise five days of action live from Centre Court.  ESPN 3D’s coverage will begin with the Gentlemen’s quarterfinals Wednesday, July 4, and continue through the Finals. Each day’s telecast will be reaired that night at 9 p.m.

“This Wimbledon is the culmination of a dream we at ESPN have had for more than 10 years, to deliver every match and every key moment live as it happens to fans wherever they are,” said John Skipper, ESPN president. “The Club entrusted the care of their wonderful event to us and we intend to fulfill their trust and present a Wimbledon that uses modern technology to serve fans across all devices while being mindful of the great history and traditions of the fortnight.”

As previously announced, Hall of Famer John McEnroe is adding Wimbledon to his ESPN repertoire, having worked the US Open since 2009.  He will be joined by returnees Darren Cahill, Cliff Drysdale, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver.  Chris Fowler will call matches and serve as studio host, sharing that role with Hannah Storm and Mike Tirico.  The voice of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Tirico has worked the US Open for ESPN as a host and calling matches and will fill those roles in his Wimbledon debut. Tom Rinaldi will provide essays and features.

Surveying the Fields

Three players dominate the top of the men’s game with 28 of the last 29 Major championships – No. 1-ranked and defending  champion, Novak Djokovic, two-time champ and No. 2 Rafael Nadal who recently defeated Djokovic for the French Open crown, and No. 3 Roger Federer, who counts six Wimbledon crowns in his tally of 16 Grand Slam titles.  Everyone else – starting with British hopeful No. 4 Andy Murray seeking his first Grand Slam title and hoping to end Great Britain’s 76-year Wimbledon drought (Fred Perry, 1936) – is hoping for a slot in the semifinals.

Among the women, it’s a very different story.  Six different women have won the last six Majors, but having regained the No. 1 ranking with the French Open championship, 2004 Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova is the favorite in a crowded field.  Serena Williams has four Wimbledon trophies, and looks to rebound from her first-round ouster in Paris and her No. 6 ranking.  No. 2 Victoria Azarenka won this year’s Australian Open, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska has never reached a Major semifinal, No. 4 Petra Kvitova is the defending champ, No. 5 Sam Stosur won the 2011 US Open and former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is ranked No. 7.  The field also includes two big names with a combined 11 Major titles – Venus Williams has five Wimbledon victories among her seven Major wins, and Kim Clijsters would love to add a Wimbledon crown to her collection of four Major victories in what is likely her final Wimbledon, having announced she will retire this year.

Scheduling Highlights: All Live, ESPN & ESPN2’s “Cross Court Coverage” for “Greatest Day in Tennis”

For the first time in the U.S., ESPN networks will show all of Wimbledon live, from first ball through the finals, including up to nine courts simultaneously on ESPN3 and an unprecedented ESPN/ESPN2 dual network “cross court coverage” approach for July 2-4:

• ESPN2 HD will begin daylong live weekday programming Monday, June 25, at 6:30 a.m. and continuing each weekday through Wednesday, July 4, at 7 a.m. (except Friday, June 29)
• ESPN HD will first be live on Friday, June 29, from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. and then on Saturday, June 30, starting at 7 a.m. with Breakfast at Wimbledon, a one-hour preview of the day’s matches that marks the return of the iconic branding after that being featured on air for many years. Breakfast at Wimbledon will also precede the network’s live, national telecasts of the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Semifinals and Finals, Thursday, July 5 – Sunday, July 8.

• On the “middle Sunday,” a scheduled day off as is Wimbledon tradition, ABC will broadcast a three-hour review of the first week at 3 p.m.  ABC will also reair the finals on the day they take place, July 7 and 8 at 3 p.m.
• For the second Monday – Wednesday (July 2-4), ESPN will be live alongside ESPN2 to allow for live coverage of each and every match from the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals.  In this unprecedented “Cross Court Coverage,” ESPN will focus on Centre Court matches while ESPN2 offers fans a “grounds pass” with action from Court 1 and other courts.  The first of these three days, Monday, July 2 – when all 32 players are on the court in eight Gentlemen’s and eight Ladies’ Round of 16 matches, something that is unique to Wimbledon – is commonly referred to as “the greatest day in tennis.”
• ESPN 3D will pick up coverage with live Centre Court action Wednesday, July 4 through the Finals.
• ESPN3 will provide a multi-court offering of live play, including a simulcast of ESPN and ESPN2, with all-day coverage from all nine TV courts plus press conferences totaling more than 800 hours.  In addition, the service – which reaches more than 73 million U.S. homes – will offer replays on demand.

ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually and accessible online via WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold level members. It is currently available to 73 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.

The WatchESPN App – for fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription via Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV or Comcast Xfinity – will provide access to for ESPN2’s live coverage online at WatchESPN.com and through the WatchESPN app on smartphones and tablets, in addition to ESPN3’s multi-screen offering.

ESPN On Demand (TV/Mobile) will offer historic matches and  highlights of the 2012 Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ finals.

ESPN Mobile will provide point-by-point coverage of every Wimbledon match with live scores on the ESPN mobile Web and ScoreCenter app.  Additionally, ESPN will offer video highlights of Wimbledon via the ScoreCenter app for iPhone.  ESPN Alerts will also notify fans who opt in to receive alerts of developing stories, match results and highlights.

ESPN Mobile TV will simulcast 105 hours of live ESPN/ESPN2 coverage throughout the tournament.

ESPN Interactive TV, now in its fifth year at Wimbledon, will provide multi-screen coverage of five  matches in addition to the match airing on ESPN2 or ESPN through the second Monday of the tournament on ESPN3 and through DirecTV. Fans will also receive interviews, features, press conferences and, new for 2012, a studio wrap-around presence hosted by SportsCenter anchor Ryan Burr with a roster of guest analysts. In addition to the video offerings, DirecTV viewers can access results, schedules, draws and other interactive features through the remote control “Red Button.”  In total, ESPN will provide more than 350 hours of coverage through this unique application.

ESPN Classic will air four great Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Finals from the past, each upon a significant anniversary – matches won by Bjorn Borg (1977), Jimmy Connors (1982), Andre Agassi (1992) and Roger Federer (2007). Each match will air twice on the day of the anniversary (except Federer’s 2007 victory, which took place on July 8).

Date	Times (ET)	Event
Mon, July 2	1 a.m. & 10 p.m.	1977 Gentlemen’s Final: 35th Anniversary of Bjorn Borg defeating Jimmy Connors for the second of five consecutive Wimbledon titles
Wed, July 4	1 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.	1982 Gentlemen’s Final: 30th Anniversary of Jimmy Connors defeating John McEnroe in five sets
Thur, July 5	1 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.	1992 Gentlemen’s Final:  20th Anniversary of 22-year old Andre Agassi defeating Goran Ivanisevic
Mon, July 9	2 a.m. & 11 a.m.	2007 Gentlemen’s Final: 5th Anniversary of Roger Federer’s Fifth Wimbledon title, defeating Rafael Nadal

More Wimbledon from ESPN, Inc.

ESPN.com will have previews, reviews, the latest news and videos and more:

• Courtcast: A multi-tool application with live events via the ESPN3 syndicated player, all-court scoring, match stats, Cover It Live conversations, poll questions, rolling Twitter feeds and scrolling bottom line;
• Slam Central: A daily destination for all Wimbledon fixtures;
• Five Things We Learned: Video series reviewing the top news of the day;
• Grass Stains: A daily notebook wrapping up the best and worst of the day;
• Digital Serve: Daily original videos previewing the next day;
• Star Watch: Daily blog focusing on one of the game’s elite.

espnW

espnW.com will offer daily columns, blog posts and video, with an emphasis on the women’s side of the tournament.

ESPNDeportes.com will provide live scores and draws, in depth news and coverage of Latin American players, columns, blogs, live chats, video, highlights and news, including ESPiando Wimbledon that will recap the day’s play.

ESPN International will reach 33 million homes in Spanish speaking Latin America and the Caribbean with over 90 live hours of television across ESPN Latin America and ESPN Caribbean.  In addition to daily primetime highlight programs on ESPN Latin America, ESPN+ in the Southern Cone and ESPN Dos in the Northern Cone will supplement the coverage on ESPN Latin America with an additional 50+ live hours.  Also, ESPN’s broadband service, ESPN Play, will offer over 700 hours of live coverage throughout both regions with over 10 simultaneous early round windows available.

ESPN & WIMBLEDON 2012

Date	Time (ET)	Event	Network
Mon, June 25	6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.	Early Round Action	ESPN2/ESPN3	Live
Tue, June 16 – Thur, June 28	7 a.m. – 5 p.m.	Early Round Action	ESPN2/ESPN3 (begins at 6:30 a.m.)	Live
Fri, June 29	7 a.m. – 5 p.m.	Early Round Action	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
Sat, June 30	7 – 8 a.m.	Breakfast at Wimbledon	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
	8 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Quarterfinals	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
Sun, July 1	3 – 6 p.m.	Highlights of Week One	ABC	Tape
Mon, July 2	7 a.m. – 5 p.m.	Round of 16	ESPN2/ESPN3	Live
	8 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Round of 16, Centre Court	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
Tue, July 3	7 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Ladies’ Quarterfinals	ESPN2/ESPN3	Live
	8 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Ladies’ Quarterfinals, Centre Court	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
Wed, July 4	7 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals	ESPN2/ESPN3	Live
	8 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals, Centre Court	ESPN/ESPN3D/ESPN3	Live
Thur, July 5	7 – 8 a.m.	Breakfast at Wimbledon	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
	8 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Ladies’ Semifinals	ESPN/ESPN3D/ESPN3	Live
Fri, July 6	7 – 8 a.m.	Breakfast at Wimbledon	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
	8 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Gentlemen’s Semifinals	ESPN/ESPN3D/ESPN3	Live
Sat, July 7	8 a.m. – 9 a.m.	Breakfast at Wimbledon	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
	9 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Ladies’ Final	ESPN/ESPN3D/ESPN3	Live
	3 – 6 p.m.	Ladies’ Final	ABC	Tape
Sun, July 8	8 a.m. – 9 a.m.	Breakfast at Wimbledon	ESPN/ESPN3	Live
	9 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Gentlemen’s Final	ESPN/ESPN3D/ESPN3	Live
	3 – 6 p.m.	Gentlemen’s Final	ABC	Tape

And that is the end of a very lengthy press release.

ESPN Adds A Whole Slew of Games To Its 2012 College Football Schedule

This came into the Fang’s Bites inbox last week, but due to my family commitments, I couldn’t post it until now. This is from ESPN regarding its 2012 college football schedule. This adds 68 games to an already extensive schedule. These include contests from the Big East, Big Ten, Mid-American, SEC, Sun Belt and WAC.

Some of the contests include Texas A&M’s first-ever game as a member of the Southeastern Conference. There will also be 8 Big Ten home games in the first three weeks of the 2012 season.

In addition, ESPN will air Penn State at Ohio marking the debut of new Nittany Lion coach Bill O’Brien, marking the first time that Joe Paterno will not be overseeing the PSU program dating back to 1966.

Here’s what ESPN is saying about its schedule.

Sixty-Eight College Football Games Added to ESPN’s 2012 Schedule

ESPN continues to build its extensive 2012 college football schedule, adding 68 games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. The matchups involve home games from the SEC, Big Ten, BIG EAST, Mid-American, Sun Belt and Western Athletic conferences. The announcement also includes the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and six ESPNU Thursday night telecasts from the two prominent HBCU (Historically Black College/University) leagues.

In the first three weeks, ESPN will televise games from all 11 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences plus BYU, Notre Dame and Navy. Additional selections, including home games from the SEC, Pac-12 and Big 12, will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Every game will also be available via WatchESPN, which delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 on PCs, smartphones and tablets to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV.

Highlights:

• Five additional season-kickoff games on Thursday, Aug. 30: the opening night will be highlighted by an ESPN doubleheader beginning with South Carolina at Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET followed by the previously announced Washington State at BYU game at 10:15 p.m. ESPNU will televise Texas A&M’s first game as a member of the Southeastern Conference when the Aggies visit defending Western Athletic Conference champion Louisiana Tech at 7:30 p.m.
• Eight home Big Ten Conference games in the first three weeks of the season, highlighted by a 3:30 p.m. game on ABC and ESPN2 each Saturday: Southern Mississippi at Nebraska (Sept. 1), Air Force at Michigan (Sept. 8) and Navy at Penn State (Sept. 15).
• Including two previously announced games, ESPN networks will cover the debut of eight head coaches with their new team in the first weekend: Tim Beckman (Illinois), Terry Bowden (Akron), Paul Chryst (Pittsburgh), Ellis Johnson (Southern Miss), Bill O’Brien (Penn State) and Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M); previously announced games include Larry Fedora (North Carolina against Elon Saturday, Sept. 1, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN3) and Mike Leach (Washington State at BYU Thursday, Aug. 30, at 10:15 p.m. on ESPN).
• ESPN’s telecast of Penn State against Ohio (Saturday, Sept. 1, at noon) will mark the debut of Nittany Lions head coach Bill O’Brien, the school’s first new head coach in 46 years.
• Three defending conference champions in the opening weekend: Louisiana Tech (WAC), Northern Illinois (MAC) and Southern Mississippi (Conference USA).
• ESPNU will televise three games involving Big Ten teams on the first two Saturdays of the season, including a doubleheader from the state of Illinois on September 1: Western Michigan at Illinois at noon followed by Iowa vs. Northern Illinois from Chicago’s Soldier Field at 3:30 p.m. ESPNU will also televise Michigan State at Central Michigan on September 8 at 3:30 p.m.
• Multiple games involving teams ranked in a preseason College Football Live preseason top 25 poll.

ESPN will provide the most extensive multiplatform college football coverage with more than 450 regular-season and postseason games, concluding with the Discover BCS National Championship, across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN Radio, ESPN 3D, ESPN Mobile, ESPN GamePlan and ESPN Goal Line. In addition to game action, ESPN will deliver news, analysis, features and highlights across College GameDay, College Football Live and multiple other television shows as well as ESPN.com, ESPN Radio and ESPN The Magazine.

Newly Announced ESPN 2012 College Football Telecasts (additional selections will be announced later):

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network
Thu, Aug 30	7 p.m.	South Carolina at Vanderbilt	ESPN
	7 p.m.	Central Florida at Akron	ESPN3*
	7 p.m.	Eastern Michigan at Ball State	ESPN3*
	7:30 p.m.	Texas A&M vs. Louisiana Tech (from Independence Stadium – Shreveport, LA)	ESPNU
	7:30 p.m.	Massachusetts at Connecticut	ESPN3 & BIG EAST Local Package
Fri, Aug 31	TBD	Villanova at Temple	ESPN3*
Sat, Sep 1	Noon	Ohio at Penn State	ESPN
	Noon	Northwestern at Syracuse	ESPN2
	Noon	Western Michigan at Illinois	ESPNU
	3:30 p.m.	Southern Mississippi at No. 17 Nebraska	ABC & ESPN2**
	3:30 p.m.	Iowa vs. Northern Illinois (from Solider Field – Chicago)	ESPNU
	6 p.m.	Youngstown State at Pittsburgh	ESPN3*
	7 p.m.	Tennessee-Chattanooga at South Florida	ESPN3*
Sun, Sep 2	Noon	MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney: Bethune-Cookman vs. Alabama State (from Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium – Orlando)	ESPN
Sat, Sep 8	Noon	Central Florida at No. 20 Ohio State	ESPN2
	Noon	Maryland at Temple	ESPNU
	Noon	NC State at Connecticut	ESPN3 & BIG EAST Network
	3:30 p.m.	Air Force at No. 10 Michigan	ABC & ESPN2**
	3:30 p.m.	No. 12 Michigan State at Central Michigan	ESPNU
	3:30 p.m.	Indiana at Massachusetts	ESPN3*
	3:30 p.m.	Howard at Rutgers	ESPN3 & BIG EAST Local Package
	7 p.m.	Memphis at Arkansas State	ESPN3*
	7 p.m.	Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy	ESPN3*
	TBD	Texas Tech at Texas State	TBD
Thu, Sep 13	7:30 p.m.	Mississippi Valley State at Southern	ESPNU
Sat, Sep 15	Noon	California at No. 20 Ohio State	ABC
	Noon	Arkansas State at No. 17 Nebraska	ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
	Noon	No. 19 Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh	ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
	3:30 p.m.	Navy at Penn State	ABC & ESPN2**
	3:30 p.m.	North Carolina at Louisville	ABC & ESPN2**
	7 p.m.	Rice at Louisiana Tech	ESPN3*
	7 p.m.	Delaware State at Cincinnati	ESPN3*
	7 p.m.	Mississippi State at Troy	ESPN3*
	8 p.m.	Colorado State at San Jose State	ESPN3*
Wed, Sep 19	7 p.m.	Kent State at Buffalo	ESPNU
Thu, Sep 20	7:30 p.m.	Arkansas Pine Bluff at Alabama State	ESPNU
Sat, Sep 22	Noon	Massachusetts at Miami (OH)	ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week
	2 p.m.	Connecticut at Western Michigan	ESPN3*
	3:30 p.m.	Gardner-Webb at Pittsburgh	ESPN3*
	4:30 pm	South Florida at Ball State	ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Louisville at Florida International	ESPNU or ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky	ESPN3*
	8 p.m.	New Mexico at New Mexico State	ESPN3*
	TBD	Kansas at Northern Illinois	ESPNU or ESPN3
Thu, Sep 27	7:30 p.m.	Morgan State at North Carolina A&T	ESPNU
Sat, Sep 29	Noon	Buffalo at Connecticut	ESPN3 & BIG EAST Network
	Noon	Ball State at Kent State	ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week
	8 p.m.	UNLV at Utah State	ESPN3*
	TBD	Nevada at Texas State	TBD
Sat, Oct 6	Noon	Buffalo at Ohio	ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week
	7 p.m.	UNLV at Louisiana Tech	ESPN3 & WAC Syndication
Sat, Oct 13	4 p.m.	Utah State at San Jose State	ESPN3 & WAC Syndication
Thu, Oct 18	7:30 p.m.	Hampton at NC Central	ESPNU
Sat, Oct 20	Noon	Northern Illinois at Akron	ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week
	1 p.m.	Army at Eastern Michigan	ESPN3*
	3:30 pm	Pittsburgh at Buffalo	ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Idaho at Louisiana Tech	ESPN3 & WAC Syndication
	TBD	Cincinnati at Toledo	ESPNU or ESPN3
Thu, Oct 25	7:30 p.m.	Delaware State at Morgan State	ESPNU
Sat, Oct 27	Noon	Northern Illinois at Western Michigan	ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week
	3:30 pm	Kent State at Rutgers	ESPN3 & BIG EAST Local Package
Sat, Nov 3	4 p.m.	Texas-San Antonio at Louisiana Tech	ESPN3 & WAC Syndication
	TBD	Western Michigan at Central Michigan	ESPN3*
Sat, Nov 10	3:30 p.m.	Navy at Troy	ESPN3*
Sat, Nov 17	Noon	Rutgers at Cincinnati	ESPN3 & BIG EAST Network
	Noon	Kent State at Bowling Green	ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week
Thu, Nov 22	4 p.m.	Tuskegee at Alabama State	ESPNU
Sat, Nov 24	3 p.m.	Idaho at Utah State	ESPN3 & WAC Syndication

* ESPN3 exclusive game
** Reverse mirror in which ESPN2 will regionalize two games on ABC to markets not receiving the telecasts

More college football stuff coming up.

Networks of ESPN To Air 83 Games of NCAA Division I Baseball Championship

Starting this weekend, the ESPN Family of Networks will begin airing the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. In total, 83 games will be aired over ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. It begins with the regionals this weekend, then the Super Regionals the following weekend and one of college sports’ greatest events, the College World Series in Omaha, NE to be played for the second time at TD Ameritrade Park.

This is a very long press release that will require a page break so get ready to scroll if you want to take a look at the entire NCAA Baseball Championship schedule.

We’ll begin with the text of the announcement, then do the jump break.

Record-Setting 83 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Games Scheduled

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will combine to provide a record schedule of up to 83 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship games from June 1 to June 26, culminating with the College World Series. The addition of up to 14 games from two more Regional series surpasses the previous high of a maximum 69 games set last year.

The schedule includes complete coverage of six Regionals (up to 42 games from June 1-4), two more than the previous two championships; all eight Super Regionals sites (up to 24 games from June 8-11); and every College World Series game (up to 17 games from June 15-26) from the TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

ESPN3 will double its exclusive coverage from last year – its first for exclusive games – offering a possible 28 contests from five Regionals sites. ESPNU will televise up to 20 games from the Regionals and Super Regionals while ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to cover a maximum 35 games from all three rounds, including the entire NCAA Men’s College World Series for the 10th straight year.

Every game will also be available via WatchESPN, which delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 on PCs, smartphones and tablets to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV.

Seven of the analysts have played in the College World Series: Chris Burke (Tennessee), Randy Flores (USC), Jay Payton (Georgia Tech), Kyle Peterson (Stanford), Nomar Garciaparra (Georgia Tech), Ben McDonald (LSU) and Paul Lo Duca (Arizona State).

Studio Coverage
Mike Rooney and Ben McDonald will provide analysis from the studio for the Regionals, Super Regionals and College World Series. Tennessee baseball coach Dave Serrano will serve as an ESPNU guest analyst during the Regionals on Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June. 2. In addition to providing pre- and post-game analysis, they will contribute on ESPNU’s SportsCenterU programs June 1 to June 3 at 3 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.

ESPNU will also provide extensive pre- and post-game studio reports during the College World Series as well as telecasts of the teams’ press conferences Thursday, June 14 at 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 23, at noon.

Regionals (June 1-4): ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will offer complete and exclusive coverage of six Regionals sites.

• Each site will feature four teams competing in a double-elimination format and each site winner (a total of 16 sites) will advance to the Super Regionals. 
• Adam Amin, Joe Davis, Justin Kutcher, Clay Matvick, Mark Neely and Ducis Rodgers are scheduled to provide play-by-play while Nick Belmonte, Chris Burke, Randy Flores, Danny Kanell, Jay Payton and Kyle Peterson will provide analysis.

And the jump break here. Then the schedules for the Regionals, Super Regionals and College World Series.
(continue reading…)

ESPN2 Announces French Open Coverage Plans; New Start Time

Starting Sunday, the second Grand Slam tournament on the Tennis calendar begins in Paris. Officially known as “Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros”, the French Open will go for two weeks. ESPN2 will have live tennis action for the first 6 days of the tournament starting at 5 a.m. ET and will last until 10 a.m. ET. During the second week, ESPN2′s start time will differ as the network has live coverage of the Round of 16 through to the Women’s Semifinals. For the previous four years, ESPN2 had begun its coverage at noon ET and went until 5 p.m. or until the conclusion of its matches.

Now as ESPN2 and Tennis Channel enter a new phase of joint Grand Slam coverage, ESPN2 which is the secondary rightsholder for this tournament will kick off the day with Tennis Channel picking things up from 10 a.m. ET until the conclusion.

Chris Fowler and Chris McKendry will share host duties. Fowler will be the main announcer as well. Chris Evert, Patrick McEnroe, Darren “Killer” Cahill, Brad Gilbert, Mary Joe Fernandez and Pam Shriver will all be on hand for ESPN2. Cliff Drysdale will skip Roland Garros and will be back for Wimbledon.

We have ESPN’s schedule of coverage.

ESPN at the French Open: New TV Schedule Live Every Day; Evert’s ESPN/Paris Debut

Djoker-Slam for Novak? Are Azarenka, Serena & Maria a New Big Three?
Action on ESPN2 HD & ESPN3 Starts Sunday, May 27; Women’s Semis Live June 7

The best tennis players in the world are headed for a collision on the red clay of Paris:  Roland Garros, the 2012 French Open starting on ESPN2 HD and ESPN3 on Sunday, May 27.  ESPN2’s new schedule of live action every day – starting at 5 a.m. ET most days – continues weekdays through Thursday, June 7, culminating with the women’s semifinals. ESPN3 will provide up to seven screens of action on the days ESPN2 is on the air, totaling 320 hours.

Chris Evert, who won the French Open a record seven times among her 18 Major singles championships, will work the event for ESPN for the first time. She joined the ESPN tennis team at last year’s Wimbledon.

The Storylines

Both sides of the draw present intriguing storylines, as challengers to the “trivalry” of Djokovic/Federer/Nadal (winners of 27 of the last 28 Majors) seem to be closing and the previously wide-open women’s field seems to be coalescing around a new “Big Three.”

Defending and six-time champ Rafael Nadal is ranked No. 2, after beating top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the finals in Rome on May 21.  The Serb has won the last three Majors and is seeking a historic “Djoker Slam,” but has never reached the final in Paris.  Roger Federer, a finalist a year ago, has the best record on the tour since the US Open.  After that, No. 4 Andy Murray had a career-best semifinal appearance last year and a slew of contenders are threatening to break up the Fab Four – local favorites Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Janko Tipsarevic, Juan Martin Del Potro and 6-9 American John Isner who recently cracked the Top 10 in rankings for the first time.

On the women’s side, Victoria Azarenka, who recently ascended to the world’s top ranking, enters Paris off a tremendous early season including an Australian Open title but also recent losses to Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams.  The trio seems to have separated themselves from the field in creating a new triumvirate at the top of the women’s game.  No. 2  Sharapova, the Aussie runnerup and winner last week in Rome, would love a French title to complete a career Grand Slam, and Williams, the 2002 champion, is playing far better than her No. 5 ranking.  In addition, the field includes four other former champions (Ana Ivanovic, Li Na, Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova) plus Venus Williams continues her comeback and enters her first Major since her sudden withdrawal from the US Open.

TV Coverage

After the opening day, ESPN2’s schedule will continue with an all-live telecast starting at 5 a.m. each day through Friday, June 1 and again on Monday, June 4.  The network will air live quarterfinal action Tuesday, June 5, at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, June 6 at 8 a.m.  ESPN2 will air the women’s semifinals live Thursday, June 7 at 8 a.m.  All the action on ESPN2 is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.

Chris Fowler and Chris McKendry will again share host duties on ESPN2, with Fowler also calling matches. They will be joined by Evert, along with returnees Darren Cahill, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver. Cliff Drysdale will rejoin the team next month for ESPN’s first-ever exclusive start-to-finish coverage of Wimbledon.

For the sixth consecutive year, ESPN2 is working with Tennis Channel to bring viewers an almost around-the-clock tournament experience, with each channel cross-promoting the other’s schedule. Tennis Channel will produce all coverage for both channels, with each making use of its own on-air team.

ESPN3

ESPN3’s French Open schedule totals 328 hours with a multi-screen offering of up to seven courts and ESPN2’s coverage and is available on the days the network is televising.  ESPN3 will begin each day early in the morning with the first ball in the air and continue to the last shot of the day.  Matches will also be available after they take place via replay. Additionally, ESPNPlay in Latin America and the Caribbean will provide customers with extensive live coverage with multiple windows totaling over 500 hours in both English and Spanish on broadband platforms in addition to televised coverage throughout the regions.

ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually and accessible online via WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold level members.  It is currently available to 73 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider.  The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.

Other ESPN Platforms

Fans will have a variety of ways to follow the French Open with live action and updates on an array of ESPN platforms wherever they are and regardless of whether there is live television offered.

ESPN.com will provide comprehensive coverage before, during and after the French Open, highlighted by an enhanced Courtcast section that – for the first time – will feature all the live action from ESPN3. As always, it will also include real-time scoring from all courts, plus continuous live polling with results revealed immediately in ESPN2’s telecasts. In addition to all the results, news, analysis, schedules and more, ESPN.com will provide live blogging throughout the tournament so fans can follow the action even when there is no live television coverage. Also, fans can watch Digital Serve daily with ESPN2 commentators discussing the latest action and previewing key matches. Other highlights include:

• The Latest Dirt – a daily notebook roundup of all the day’s action;
• Center Court – a tennis video show featured each week on all the major news from Roland Garros;
• Quest for the Quad – a daily look at Novak Djokovic via previews, match reactions, blogs and more as he attempts to complete the “Djoker Slam” for winning four straight majors;
• Slam Central – comprehensive coverage of everything that transpired each day;
• What We Learned – ESPN.com senior writer Greg Garber and others will highlight the day’s news and notes with quick video snippets on the overlooked storylines.

The WatchESPN App – for fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription via Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV or Comcast Xfinity – will provide access to for ESPN2’s live coverage online at WatchESPN.com and through the WatchESPN app on smartphones and tablets, in addition to ESPN3’s multi-screen offering.

ESPN Mobile TV will have 51 hours of live coverage, simulcasting all of ESPN2’s live programming, highlighted by the women’s semifinals Thursday, June 7.

ESPN Interactive TV, exclusive to DIRECTV, will present the French Open showing ESPN2 or Tennis Channel’s live coverage along with five other courts available with commentary.  Other features include interactive data, the tournament draw, up-to-date scores, and daily order of play.

ESPN International will present up to 130 hours of the French Open to more than 60 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean on a variety of regional networks.  Matches will be chosen based on local interest and commentary will be offered in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place

Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended added in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012.

ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call and John McEnroe playing.

In addition, broadband network ESPN3, now in nearly 72 million homes, carries thousands of hours of tennis annually, including all four Grand Slam events, plus ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments and WTA Premier Events, and season-ending championships for both tours. Also, ESPN Classic shows great matches from the past and the sport receives extensive coverage on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.  ESPN 3D aired its first tennis at Wimbledon in 2011.

2012 French Open on ESPN2 & ESPN2 HD

Date	Time (ET)	Event
Sun, May 27 – Fri, June 1	5 – 10 a.m.	Early Round Action	Live
Mon, June 4	5 – 10 a.m.	Round of 16	Live
Tue, June 5	1 – 7 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live & Same-day action
Wed, June 6	8 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live
Thur, June 7	8 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Women’s Semifinals	Live

2012 French Open on ESPN3

Date	Time (ET)	Event
Sun, May 27 – Fri, June 1	5 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Early Round Action	Live
Mon, June 4	8 a.m. – 7 p.m.	Round of 16	Live
Tue, June 5	8 a.m. – 7 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live
Wed, June 6	5 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live
Thur, June 7	5 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Men’s Doubles Semis Women’s Semifinals	Live

That will do it.

ESPN Networks All Over The NCAA Division I Softball Championship

In its increased commitment to the NCAA, the ESPN Family of Networks will have extensive coverage of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship including every game of the Women’s College World Series.

There will be coverage of up to 62 games from the regionals to the Super Regional games, all the way to the Women’s College World Series held again at Oklahoma City, OK. This will be the 12th year that the ESPN Family will carry all of the games of the WCWS.

Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza will be the main team for the Softball Championship and they’ll be assigned to the Louisville, KY Super Regional and then go to the Women’s College World Series.

The whole enchilada begins this Friday with coverage of eight games on ESPN2, ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network (that’s right) and continuing throughout the weekend.

Here’s the ESPN press release.

ESPN Provides Extensive Coverage of NCAA Division I Softball Championship

Every Women’s College World Series Contest for 12^th Straight Year

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will combine as the coverage home to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship with up to 62 games Friday, May 18 to Wednesday, June 6. The lineup will include telecasts of every Women’s College World Series (WCWS) contest for the 12^th straight event and every game from all eight Super Regional sites for the fifth straight year. Coverage begins with games from three Regional sites.

As mentioned on ESPNU’s 2012 NCAA Division I Softball Championship Selection Show, action begins Friday, May 18 with six telecasts from three sites -– Louisville, Ky.; College Station, Texas; Tucson, Ariz. ESPN3 will simulcast every Regional, Super Regional and WCWS game aired on ESPN networks.

SEC teams earned the most bids this year by conference with nine, followed closely by the Pac-12 with eight. The Pac-12 has won 23 of 29 NCAA Division I Softball Championships. The last non-Pac-12 school to win a title was Michigan in 2005. This year’s No. 1 seed, California, has the most consecutive championship appearances with 26, behind only Fresno State with 30.

2012 ESPN Highlights:

• More than 125 hours of NCAA Division I Softball Championship game action as well as studio hours surrounding the games with highlights, expert analysis and press conferences after Super Regionals.
• For the first time, the Longhorn Network will also offer exclusive games from a Regionals series, televising all games involving No. 8 Texas from the Austin, Texas Regional site, beginning Friday, May 19 at 5:30 ET.
• Super Regionals and WCWS games will include the expert opinion and experience from six U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists, one of which was a three-time NCAA Champion. All 11 analysts are former All-Americans and six played for teams that were seeded in this year’s Championship:
  • ESPN Softball Analysts at Super Regionals: Leah Amico (Arizona), Garland Cooper (Northwestern), Jennie Finch (Arizona), Amanda Freed (UCLA), Cheri Kemp (Missouri Western), Jessica Mendoza (Stanford), Amanda Scarborough (Texas A&M) and Michele Smith (Oklahoma State)
  • ESPN Softball Analysts in Studio: Charlotte Morgan (Alabama) and Stacey Nuveman (UCLA)
  • As part of ESPN’s celebration of 40 years of Title IX, espnW.com will give fans inside access on a team’s road to the WCWS with features, photos and player blogs from six of the top-25 programs.
  • ESPN International will provide the WCWS in 178 countries and territories on ESPN Australia, ESPN Africa, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Europe, ESPN Israel, ESPN Latin America, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Pacific Rim and ESPN Brazil.
  • In 2012, the ESPN networks will air over 400 hours of NCAA Spring Championships coverage, increasing more than 30 hours from 2011. As part of ESPN’s extended rights agreement with the NCAA, spring championship programming highlights seven sports over eight weeks: Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Volleyball, Baseball and Softball. For the first time, ESPN networks will also air the Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field and Women’s Lacrosse Championships.

NCAA Division I Softball Championship – Regionals
(Schedule subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup (location)	Regional Game	Network
Friday, May 18	4:30 p.m.	Kentucky vs. Michigan (Louisville, KY) Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	Game1	ESPN2/ESPN3
	5 p.m.	Texas State vs. LSU (College Station, TX) Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf	Game 1	ESPN3
	5 p.m.	Northwestern vs. No. 6 Texas (Austin, TX) TBD	Game 2	Longhorn Network
	5:30 p.m.	Notre Dame vs. Hawaii (Tucson, AZ) Pam Ward and Michele Smith	Game 1	ESPNU/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Valparaiso vs. No. 15 Louisville (Louisville, KY) Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	Game 2	ESPN2/ESPN3
	8 p.m.	Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 8 Texas A&M (College Station, TX) Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf	Game 2	ESPN3
	8 p.m.	North Dakota State vs. No. 13 Arizona (Tucson, AZ) Pam Ward and Michele Smith	Game 2	ESPNU/ESPN3
Saturday, May 19	1 p.m.	Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (Louisville, KY) Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	Game 3	ESPN/ESPN3
	2 p.m.	Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (College Station, TX)	Game 3	ESPN3
	3:30  p.m.	Game 1 loser vs. Game  2 loser (Louisville, KY) Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	Game 4	ESPN/ESPN3
	5 p.m.	Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (College Station, TX) Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf	Game 4	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser (Louisville, KY) Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	Game 5	ESPN/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (Tucson, AZ) Pam Ward and Michele Smith	Game 3	ESPNU/ESPN3
	8 p.m.	Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser (College Station, TX)	Game 5	ESPN3
	8:30 p.m.	Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (Tucson, AZ) Pam Ward and Michele Smith	Game 4	ESPNU/ESPN3
	11 p.m.	Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser (Tucson, AZ) Pam Ward and Michele Smith	Game 5	ESPNU/ESPN3
Sunday, May 20	1 p.m.	Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner (Louisville, KY) Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	Game 6	ESPN2/ESPN3
	2 p.m.	Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner (College Station, TX) Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf	Game 6	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (Louisville, KY)* Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	Game 7	ESPN2/ESPN3
	4:30 p.m.	Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (College Station, TX)* Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf	Game 7	ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner (Tucson, AZ) Pam Ward and Michele Smith	Game 6	ESPNU/ESPN3
	8 p.m.	Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (Tucson, AZ) * Pam Ward and Michele Smith	Game 7	ESPNU/ESPN3

NCAA Division I Softball Championship – Super Regionals

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup (Location)	Game	Network
Thu, May 24	8 p.m.	TBD (Site 1)	Game 1	ESPN2/ESPN3
	10 p.m.	TBD (Site 2)	Game 1	ESPN2/ESPN3
Fri, May 25	2 p.m.	TBD (Site 5)	Game 1	ESPNU/ESPN3
	4:30 p.m.	TBD (Site 1)	Game 2	ESPNU/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	TBD (Site 1) *	Game 3	ESPN or ESPN2/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	TBD (Site 3)	Game 1	ESPNU/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	TBD (Site 2)	Game 2	ESPN or ESPNU/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	TBD (Site 4)	Game 1	ESPNU/ESPN3
	11:30 p.m.	TBD (Site 2)*	Game 3	ESPNU/ESPN3
Sat, May 26	noon	TBD (Site 5)	Game 2	ESPN/ESPN3
	noon	TBD (Site 6)	Game 1	ESPNU/ESPN3
	2:30 PM	TBD (Site 5) *	Game 3	ESPN/ESPN3
	2:30 PM	TBD (Site 3)	Game 2	ESPNU/ESPN3
	5 p.m.	TBD (Site 4)	Game 2	ESPN/ESPN3
	5 p.m.	TBD (Site 3) *	Game 3	ESPNU/ESPN3
	7:30 PM	TBD (Site 4) *	Game 3	ESPN/ESPN3
	7:30 PM	TBD (Site 7)	Game 1	ESPNU/ESPN3
	10 p.m.	TBD (Site 8)	Game 1	ESPN2/ESPN3
Sun, May 27	1 p.m.	TBD (Site 6)	Game 2	ESPN/ESPN3
	3:30 PM	TBD (Site 6) *	Game 3	ESPN/ESPN3
	3:30 PM	TBD (Site 7)	Game 3	ESPNU/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	TBD (Site 7) *	Game 3	ESPNU/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	TBD (Site 8)	Game 2	ESPN2/ESPN3
	9:30 PM	TBD (Site 8) *	Game 3	ESPN2/ESPN3

NCAA Women’s College World Series, (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

Date	Time	Game	Network
Wed, May 30	2 p.m.	WCWS Press Conferences	ESPNU
	4 p.m.	WCWS Press Conferences	ESPNU
Thu, May 31	Noon	WCWS Pre-Game Show	ESPNU
	1 p.m.	Game 1	ESPN2/ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	Game 2	ESPN2/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Game 3	ESPN2/ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	Game 4	ESPN2/ESPN3
	11:30 p.m.	WCWS Post-Game Show	ESPNU
Fri, June 1	7 p.m.	Game 5	ESPN2/ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	Game 6	ESPN2/ESPN3
Sat, June 2	noon	Game 7	ESPN2/ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	Game 8	ESPN2/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Game 9	ESPN/ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	Game 10	ESPN/ESPN3
Sun, June 3	1 p.m.	Game 11	ESPN/ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	Game 12	ESPN/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Game 13*	ESPNU/ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	Game 14*	ESPNU/ESPN3
Mon, June 4	8 p.m.	Championship – Game 1	ESPN2/ESPN3
	10:30 p.m.	WCWS Post-Game Show	ESPNU
Tue, June 5	7:30 p.m.	WCWS Pre-Game Show	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Championship – Game 2	ESPN2/ESPN3
	10:30 p.m.	WCWS Post-Game Show	ESPNU
Wed, June 6	7:30 p.m.	WCWS Pre-Game Show	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Championship – Game 3*	ESPN/ESPN3
	10:30 p.m.	WCWS Post-Game Show	ESPNU

ESPN3 will carry every game; direct links to exclusive games included
* denotes “if necessary” game

That’s going to do it.

ESPN Networks Will Really Be Into Softball This Weekend

Starting today and going into the Women’s College World Series, the ESPN Family will air extensive coverage of college softball. Today, ESPN and ESPNU will carry the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals from Tuscaloosa, AL.

In addition, the ACC, Big East and Big South Championships will be seen on TV. ESPN3 will have other conference championships online.

It all leads to the NCAA Softball Selection Show will ESPNU will air on Sunday night. Check out the announcement from ESPN below.

ESPN Increases Softball Coverage with Ten Conference Championship Matchups

NCAA Softball heads into a week of more championship coverage than ever before across ESPN networks with the addition of the two Conference Championships to ESPNU – the ACC and Big South – and five exclusively live on ESPN3 with the Atlantic Sun, Missouri Valley, Southern, SWAC and Sun Belt.

In addition to simulcasting the entire SEC Softball Tournament and the five Conference Championship games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, ESPN3 will also show the ACC Softball Championship Quarterfinals and six championships exclusively. ESPN networks will air a combined 25 total softball tournament games over four days beginning Thursday, May 10.

ESPNU will close out the record week of championship coverage with the fifth annual NCAA Division I Softball Championship Selection Show on Sunday. May 13, at 10 p.m. and unveil the 64-team field for this season’s final matchups.

Date	Time	Championship	Network
Thu, May 10	Noon	SEC Softball Tournament Quarterfinal: LSU vs. Florida Cara Capuano and Michele Smith	ESPNU
	Noon	ACC Softball Championship Quarterfinal: Virginia vs. Georgia Tech	ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	SEC Softball Tournament Quarterfinal: Auburn vs. Tennessee Cara Capuano and Michele Smith	ESPNU
	2:30 p.m.	ACC Softball Championship Quarterfinal: North Carolina vs. Florida State	ESPN3
	5 p.m.	SEC Softball Tournament Quarterfinal: Kentucky vs. Georgia Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza	ESPNU
	5 p.m.	ACC Softball Championship Quarterfinal: Boston College vs. North Carolina	ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	SEC Softball Tournament Quarterfinal: Mississippi State vs. Alabama Beth Mowins, Michele Smith and Jessica Mendoza	ESPN
	8 p.m.	ACC Softball Championship Quarterfinal: Maryland vs. Virginia Tech	ESPN3
Fri, May 11	3 p.m.	SEC Softball Tournament Semifinal Beth Mowins, Michele Smith and Jessica Mendoza	ESPNU
	1 p.m.	ACC Softball Championship Semifinal	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	ACC Softball Championship Semifinal	ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	SEC Softball Tournament Semifinal Beth Mowins, Michele Smith and Jessica Mendoza	ESPNU
Sat, May 12	Noon	Atlantic Sun Softball Championship	ESPN3
	1:30 p.m.	Southern Softball Championship	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	Missouri Valley Softball Championship	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	Southland Softball Championship	ESPN3
	4 p.m.	ACC Softball Championship Cara Capuano and Cheri Kemp	ESPN
	4 p.m.	Sun Belt Softball Championship	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	BIG EAST Softball Championship Pam Ward and Jennie Finch	ESPN2
	8 p.m.	SEC Softball Championship Beth Mowins and Michele Smith	ESPN
Sun, May 13	Noon	Big South Softball Championship Holly Rowe and Garland Cooper	ESPNU
	2 p.m.	SWAC Softball Championship Adam Amin and Amanda Scarborough	ESPN3
	10 p.m.	NCAA Division I Softball Championship Selection Show	ESPNU

*All games listed will also air on ESPN3; viewing links attached to game designation

There you have it.

ESPN Platforms To Celebrate Title IX’s 40th Anniversary on June 23

ESPN has begun its three month-long recognition of Title IX. It has already launched a dedicated microsite and begun some programming initiatives.

ESPN’s networks will be all over the 40th anniversary weekend in June with documentaries, espnW features and a whole host of women’s sports. Let’s see what ESPN has planned for June 23.

ESPN Networks to Offer a Variety of Women in Sports Programming Throughout Title IX Anniversary Weekend

ESPN Schedule on June 23 Includes WNBA, USA Softball and Several Studio Shows

ESPN will offer a weekend of events and studio shows June 22-24 featuring women in sports across its networks — ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN Classic – highlighted by a full day of programming Saturday, June 23. The offering is part of the network’s three-month companywide initiative, The Power of IX, recognizing the 40th anniversary of Title IX, signed June 23, 1972.

The June 23 multi-network programming will be tied together, beginning at 11 a.m. ET, through studio coverage from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters. ESPN soccer analyst Julie Foudy will host from a Title IX-themed set and welcome special guests who have impacted or been affected by the law throughout the day. ESPN will also report from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J., where more than 30,000 Girl Scouts will be part of the B.I.G. Celebration (Believe in Girls) and the 100th anniversary of the organization.

“I am extremely proud of ESPN for recognizing and focusing on the 40th anniversary of this legislation,” said Carol Stiff, vice president, programming & acquisitions at ESPN. “The hours of programming multiple ESPN networks are dedicating on June 23 show the company’s ongoing commitment to increasing the coverage of women’s sports.”

ABC
SEC Storied: Lolo Jones — One of the brighter stars in the history of the LSU women’s track and field dynasty is Lori “Lolo” Jones. A standout hurdler, she won three NCAA titles and 11 All-American honors. But Jones had to overcome significant obstacles to get there. “Lolo” will explore her inspiring rise from an unstable home life to national stardom that included a spot on the 2008 United States Olympic team. The film will include her stunning disappointment in the 2008 Beijing Games and her journey to make it back to the Olympics this summer. This fourth installment of SEC Storied will run at 4 p.m., and also on ESPNU at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

ESPN Sports Saturday — A weekly look at the biggest stories in sports at 5 p.m., the show will include a discussion of Title IX. The show typically consists of informative debate from ESPN programs such as Pardon the Interruption, First Take, SportsNation, and Mike & Mike In the Morning, as well as game previews and predictions from NFL Live, College Gameday, NBA Countdown, Baseball Tonight and more.

ESPN
ESPN’s coverage will kick off with segments on SportsCenter at 11 a.m., with segments previewing the day’s events and sharing special Title IX vignettes and memories.

Two WNBA games will highlight ESPN’s day — Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx at 12:30 p.m. and Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury at 9 p.m. The four teams include Olympic Gold Medalists; NCAA National Champions; NCAA Women of the Year; Naismith, John R. Wooden and State Farm Players of the Year; All-Americans; Conference Players of the Year and NCAA record holders.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series – Road America 200 from Elkhart Lake, Wis., at 3:30 p.m.features Danica Patrick, one of the most successful women in the history of American racing. She is the only woman to win in the IndyCar Series and she is the highest female finisher at the Indianapolis 500 (third).

USA Softball will take on the Canadian National Team at 7 p.m. from Oklahoma City in the Title IX 40th Anniversary Celebration Game. The teams include current and former student-athletes who are now playing at an elite level.

ESPN2
Sporting Chance is a Title IX documentary produced by the NCAA in conjunction with Creative Street Entertainment Group.

E:60 Women’s Special will take some of the top profiles, investigations and stories of the series that featured female athletes. The newsmagazine show will run at 1 p.m.

A U.S. Women’s Soccer Special will air at 5 p.m., a 30-minute program showcasing the 1999 U.S. Women’s World Cup gold-medal winning team in a feature, followed by a roundtable discussion about the impact of Title IX on the growth and success of women’s soccer in this country. The panel will include soccer and women’s sports notables.

ESPNU
Honda Sports Awards will showcase the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program that annually recognizes the accomplishments of top female athletes in NCAA-member colleges with a variety of prestigious awards. ESPN’s Sage Steele will host the live 60-minute special from ESPN’s Los Angeles Production Center at 3 p.m.

ESPN3
National Pro Fastpitch will stage a doubleheader between the Florida Pride and Carolina Diamonds, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

ESPN Classic will have more than 50 hours of women’s programming relating to Title IX beginning Friday and running through Sunday.

Additional details will be announced at a later date.

ESPN’s Title IX – June 23 Programming (subject to change)

11 a.m. — SportsCenter, ESPN

11:30 a.m. — Women’s Athletic Programming, ESPN Classic

Noon — Sporting Chance, ESPN

12:30 p.m. — WNBA Game: Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx, ESPN

1 p.m. — E:60 Women’s Special, ESPN2
1 p.m. — National Pro Fastpitch: Florida at Carolina (Charlotte), ESPN3

2 p.m. — SEC Storied: Lolo Jones, ESPNU<

3 p.m. — NASCAR Countdown, ESPN
3 p.m. — Honda Sports Awards (ESPN’s Los Angeles Production Center), ESPNU

3:30 p.m. — NASCAR Nationwide: Road America 200 (Elkhart Lake, Wis.), ESPN

4 p.m. — SEC Storied: Lolo Jones, ABC
4 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Championships Programming, ESPNU
4 p.m. — National Pro Fastpitch: Florida at Carolina (Charlotte), ESPN3

5 p.m. — Sports Saturday: Week in Review, ABC
5 p.m. — U.S. Women Soccer National Team Documentary, ESPN2

7 p.m. — USA National Softball vs. Canada (Oklahoma City),ESPN
7 p.m. — SEC Storied: Lolo Jones, ESPNU

8 p.m. — Sporting Chance, ESPNU

9 p.m. — WNBA Game: Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury, ESPN
9 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Championships Programming, ESPNU
9 p.m. — Women’s Athletic Programming, ESPN Classic

There you have it.

The Masters on ESPN

Starting next Wednesday, the annual rite of Spring, The Masters^® takes place at the scenic Augusta National Country Club in Augusta, GA. For five days starting with the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, April 4 through to the Final Round on Sunday, April 8, we’ll hear the familiar “Augusta” theme that has accompanied CBS’ as well as USA Network’s and now ESPN’s coverage of The Masters^®.

This year mark’s the fifth consecutive year that ESPN will air the Par 3 as well as the first two rounds of the tournament.

Instead of “fans”, we’ll hear about “Patrons.” Instead of the “rough,” announcers will describe the “second cut.” And instead of Gary McCord, we have nobody.

Anyway, ESPN will have extensive coverage of the PGA Tour’s first major of the year starting with the annual Par 3 contest on Wednesday, April 4 where the golfers will be able to “let down their hair” so to speak and have fun on the golf course.

Then ESPN will get its coverage going in earnest on Thursday, April 5 with the 1st round airing live at 3 p.m. ESPN 3D which about 17 people across the country can watch will have three hours of daily coverage from Thursday through Sunday.

Other ESPN platforms covering The Masters include ESPN Radio, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPNews and ESPN International. To say ESPN has The Masters^® is a huge understatement.

ESPN’s Live Masters Coverage Returns for Fifth Year

Live Play on WatchESPN; ESPN 3D Coverage Expands; SportsCenter Reports Start Monday

In its fifth year of live coverage of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, ESPN will air 4.5 hours of live Tournament play daily from the first two rounds, the traditional Par 3 Contest the day preceding the Tournament and 14 total hours of action on the ESPN 3D Network. Expansive news, information and analysis will appear on a variety of ESPN platforms in the U.S. and around the world, including television, radio, online and mobile devices.

ESPN and ESPN HD will air 4.5 hours of live first and second round action on Thursday, April 5, and Friday, April 6, from 3-7:30 p.m. ET with an edited encore presentation in prime time each night from 8-11 p.m. ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language U.S. sports network, also will televise the first and second rounds live from 3-7:30 p.m. and the ESPN 3D Network will air three hours of live play from the first two rounds each day starting at 4:30 p.m. as well as live play from the Saturday and Sunday rounds and the Par 3 Contest.

Prior to the live television windows Thursday and Friday, ESPN’s flagship news and information program SportsCenter will air updates every 30 minutes beginning at 9 a.m. daily.

Mike Tirico will serve as host of ESPN’s Thursday and Friday telecasts and will conduct player interviews from Augusta National’s Butler Cabin with analyst Curtis Strange. CBS will again produce the telecasts with CBS’ golf announce crew also contributing to the coverage. Paco Aleman and analyst Silvia Bertolaccini will present on ESPN Deportes with John Sutcliffe serving as the on-course reporter.

SportsCenter at the Masters
Live reports on SportsCenter from Augusta National Golf Club begin Monday, April 2, in the afternoon and continue through Sunday. Media Day is Tuesday, April 3, and SportsCenter will air the news conferences of Tiger Woods (1 p.m.) and Phil Mickelson (2:30 p.m.). Tirico and Scott Van Pelt will host SportsCenter reports from the Masters and will be joined by analysts Andy North, Paul Azinger and Strange, and reporter Tom Rinaldi. Van Pelt, North and Rinaldi also will present a special one-hour preview SportsCenter at the Masters on Wednesday, April 4, at 5 p.m. following the Par 3 Contest telecast. ESPN the Magazine’s Rick Reilly will provide essays for SportsCenter Wednesday through Sunday.

The Masters on ESPN 3D
ESPN’s television coverage will include 14 hours of programming in 3D on the ESPN 3D network, an additional 2.5 hours from last year’s coverage. Included will be three hours daily from all four rounds of Tournament action plus two hours of Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest. Thursday and Friday’s telecasts begin at 4:30 p.m. while the weekend telecasts begin at 4 p.m. The Par 3 Contest airs at 3 p.m. In 2010, the Masters became the first major sporting event produced and broadcast live in 3D internationally on television and the Internet. Gannon will host ESPN 3D’s telecasts with analyst Azinger Wednesday through Friday, while Tirico, Azinger and Strange will have the call Saturday and Sunday.

Masters Par 3 Contest
The Masters Par 3 Contest will air live Wednesday, April 4, from 3-5 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN 3D and ESPN3. The Par 3 Contest, which began in 1960, was first televised by ESPN in 2008. On ESPN, Tirico, North and Strange will be joined by Rinaldi, who will conduct interviews on the putting green, and on-ground reporter Peter Kostis. Host Terry Gannon and analyst Azinger will be the announcers on ESPN 3D.

The Masters on ESPN Digital Platforms

WatchESPN
All Masters programming on ESPN also is available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app, which are accessible to fans who receive their video service from an affiliated provider.

ESPN.com 

• News, blogs and columns from ESPN.com national columnist Gene Wojciechowski and golf writers Farrell Evans and Bob Harig.
• “CoverItLive” application moderated by Michael Collins.
• “Championship Central” on the ESPN.com/Golf index page focusing on the majors and the Ryder Cup.
• The ESPN Golf Cast application, which offers an easy-to-use interface with scoring, “CoverItLive,” video and social media elements.
• “Road to The Masters” series tracking the latest news and historical look backs of the year’s first major. Included are 50+ Masters Moments video highlights.
• ESPNRadio.com with highlighted player interviews, course analysis and up-to-the minute updates of the Masters
• Video clips from ESPN golf analysts Andy North, Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger.
• Photo Galleries
• Live scoring from Masters.com
• ESPNDeportes.com editorial coverage of the Masters in Spanish will include comprehensive daily print and video content, with analysis from on-air talent Aleman, Bertolaccini and Sutcliffe.

ESPN3
ESPN’s multi-screen, live event sports network will simulcast ESPN’s telecast of the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, April 4, from 3-5 p.m.

Additional coverage of the Masters on ESPN platforms:

ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio will present updates from Augusta National Golf Club throughout the Masters Tournament Wednesday-Sunday, April 4-8. Reporter Dan Davis will have live hourly updates (4:40-9:40 p.m.) during the first two rounds and twice-an-hour reports at 20 and 40 minutes past the hour (1:20-8:40 p.m.) throughout the weekend’s SportsCenter Saturday and SportsCenter Sunday programs as well as during ESPN Radio’s NBA and MLB studio shows. Reports will also run on weekday’s SportsCenter AM (5-6 a.m.) and in SportsCenter Tonight (10 p.m.-1 a.m.) throughout the week.

ESPN the Magazine
The April 2 issue of ESPN the Magazine contains a multi-page Masters preview by Scott Miller. The Masters scorecards of three of this year’s favorites, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, are analyzed and Miller says the most crucial holes for each man lie back-to-back-to-back at Augusta (McIlroy – 10, Woods – 11, Mickelson – 12). Miller breaks down why the holes have made a difference to the three superstars in the Masters.

ESPN InternationalThis year 95 countries will see the Masters on ESPN platforms. Fans in these countries can follow the Masters on ESPN television, online, mobile and broadband platforms. The Masters is available in:

• Asia (17.5 hours to 22 countries and 174 million households via ESS), plus  two hours of Par 3 Contest coverage.
• Latin America and the Caribbean (all four rounds and the Par 3 Contest coverage to 51 Countries and more than 36 million households).
• In Canada, TSN and TSN-HD will air the first two rounds of the Masters and the Par 3 Contest live with same day re-airs in primetime of the final rounds. TSN’s networks reach approximately 15 million households.
• In Northern Africa and the Middle East, all four rounds and the Par 3 Contest will be televised to 21 countries.
• The Par 3 Contest, all four rounds of the Masters and exclusive broadband coverage of “Amen Corner,” a featured group and holes 15 and 16 will be live on ESPN Play in Spanish-speaking Latin America and on ESPN 360 in Brazil. Additionally, for the first time, a mobile/tablet version of ESPN Play will be available in Chile.

ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS will offer all the latest Masters news beginning Monday, April 2, with interviews, pre- and post-round news conferences and analysis from Scott Van Pelt, Andy North and Mike Tirico.

ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic will televise a 43-hour Masters Tribute featuring Official Masters Films beginning Tuesday, April 3, at 8 p.m. The tribute will include highlights from every year of the Masters from 1960 through 2011, with programming continuing all day Wednesday and through 3 p.m. on Thursday when first round coverage begins.

The Masters – Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA

Day/Date	Program	Start	End	Networks
Wednesday, April 4	Masters Par 3 Contest	3 p.m.	5 p.m.	ESPN, ESPN3, ESPN3D
Wednesday, April 4	SportsCenter at the Masters	5 p.m.	6 p.m.	ESPN
Thursday, April 5	First Round	3 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Thursday, April 5	First Round	4:30 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	ESPN 3D
Thursday, April 5	First Round (encore)	8 p.m.	11 p.m.	ESPN
Friday, April 6	Second Round	3 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Friday, April 6	Second Round	4:30 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	ESPN 3D
Friday, April 6	Second Round (encore)	8 p.m.	11 p.m.	ESPN
Saturday, April 7	Third Round	4 p.m.	7 p.m.	ESPN 3D
Sunday, April 8	Final Round	4 p.m.	7 p.m.	ESPN 3D

That is it for this post.

ESPN’s Coverage of NCAA Women’s Tournament Continues This Weekend

The other NCAA basketball tournament, the Division I Women’s Championship resumes this weekend with the Sweet 16. ESPN and ESPN2 will have coverage from four regional sites, Raleigh, NC; Kingston, RI; Des Moines, IA; and Fresno, CA.

And the main crew of Dave O’Brien and Doris Burke are in Kingston at the Ryan Center on the University of Rhode Island campus, the most beautiful campus in the world, to call that regional final. Yes, I’m a URI alum so I’m partial to the school. Holly Rowe will also be on hand to roam the sidelines to grab players and push other people out of the way to get her interviews. I may go to the Tuesday regional final to see if I can get Holly in a mosh pit afterwards.

ESPN will carry three of four games today and ESPN2 gets three out of four Regional Semifinals on Sunday.

We have the games, tip times and announcing assignments for the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Tournament.

Teams, Sites and Times Set for NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Regional Weekend

The Sweet Sixteen is set for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship and the action will begin Saturday, March 24, from the Des Moines, Iowa and Fresno, Calif., Regionals and Sunday from Raleigh, N.C., and Kingston, R.I. The final 15 games of the championship, beginning with the Regional Semifinals, will have national telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2, along with simulcasts on ESPN3.  Highlights:

• Two No. 11 seeds advanced to the Sweet 16 in the same year for the first time — Kansas vs. No. 2 Tennessee (Saturday at noon ET, ESPN) and Gonzaga vs. No. 2 Kentucky (Sunday at 6:30 p.m., ESPN2)
• All four No. 1 seeds are still in action – No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 4 Georgia Tech (Saturday at 2 p.m., ESPN); No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 5 South Carolina (Saturday at 11:30 p.m., ESPN2); No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 St. Bonaventure (Sunday at 2:30 p.m., ESPN2) and No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 4 Penn State (Sunday at 4:30 p.m., ESPN2)
• Anticipated No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchups pitting defending national champion  No. 3  Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Maryland (Sunday at noon, ESPN / ESPN3) and No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 St. John’s (Saturday at 9 p.m., ESPN / ESPN3)

Date	Time (ET)	Games/Commentators	Networks
Sat, Mar 24	Noon	No. 11 Kansas vs. No. 2 Tennessee (Des Moines, Iowa) Beth Mowins, Stephanie White & Samantha Steele	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	No. 4 Georgia Tech vs. No. 1 Baylor (Des Moines, Iowa) Beth Mowins, Stephanie White & Samantha Steele	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	No. 3 St. John’s vs. No. 2 Duke (Fresno, Calif.) Dave Pasch, Debbie Antonelli & Heather Cox	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	11:30 p.m.	No. 5 South Carolina vs. No. 1 Stanford (Fresno, Calif.) Dave Pasch, Debbie Antonelli & Heather Cox	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
Sun, Mar 25	Noon	No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Maryland (Raleigh, N.C.) Pam Ward, Rebecca Lobo & Allison Williams	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	No. 5 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 1 Notre Dame (Raleigh, N.C.) Pam Ward, Rebecca Lobo & Allison Williams	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
	4:30 p.m.	No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 1 Connecticut (Kingston, R.I.) Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke & Holly Rowe	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	No. 11 Gonzaga vs. No. 2 Kentucky (Kingston, R.I.) Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke & Holly Rowe	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
Mon, Mar 26	7 p.m.	(Des Moines, Iowa) Beth Mowins, Stephanie White & Samantha Steele	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	(Fresno, Calif.) Dave Pasch, Debbie Antonelli & Heather Cox	ESPN HD/ESPN3
Tue, Mar 27	7 p.m.	(Kingston, R.I.) Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke & Holly Rowe	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	(Raleigh, N.C.) Pam Ward, Rebecca Lobo & Allison Williams	ESPN HD/ESPN3

Saturday’s links will be coming up. That’s right, a rare Saturday linkfest.

ESPN Networks All Over The NCAA Hockey Championship

Starting with the Selection Show this Sunday and then starting in earnest on Friday, March 23, the ESPN Family of Networks, mainly ESPN2 and ESPNU will cover the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Championships starting with the Regional Semifinals and heading to the Frozen Four in Tampa, FL.

All but two of the games will be shown on the combination of ESPNU/ESPN3. ESPN2 will air one Frozen Four semifinal and the Championship Game on April 5 and 7 respectively.

John Buccigross and Barry Melrose will be seen on the Selection Show and they’ll call the East Regional in Bridgeport, CT. Barry will then head to Tampa and be joined by Gary Thorne who will call the Frozen Four.

We have details of the coverage from ESPN.

New Replay Graphics Highlight ESPN’s Complete NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Coverage

Sunday’s Selection Show to feature three-time Stanley Cup Champion Aaron Ward

For the eighth consecutive year, ESPN will present every glass-crushing moment of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship starting with the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show on Sunday, March 18, and culminating with the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla., April 5 and 7. All 15 games will air live on ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3. Four regional games will be shown on ESPN3 with additional coverage on ESPNU in tape delay. For 2012, ESPN will debut its Advanced Replay Tool (ART) which allows graphics to be used in a replay, a first in the network’s coverage of NCAA hockey.

As in past years, the tournament brackets will be announced on the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show by SportsCenter anchor John Buccigross, analyst Barry Melrose and new to the selection show this year, three-time Stanley Cup champion Aaron Ward. Airing Sunday, March 18, at noon ET on ESPNU, Ward’s three-consecutive NCAA Championship appearances while playing at Michigan brings a second layer of expertise to the passion and enthusiasm Melrose infuses into the 30-minute special. The show will also include features from current NHL standouts reflecting on their own NCAA memories, including Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis, Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, New Jersey’s Zach Praise and Ottawa’s Matt Gilroy.

The ART, developed by ESPN Emerging Technology, allows graphics to be instantaneously embedded within a replay, providing commentators greater visual resources to communicate analysis to viewers.  It has seen previous success in ESPN’s coverage of basketball, football and golf telecasts.

Melrose, Gary Thorne and Clay Matvick will utilize the tool during ESPN’s Frozen Four telecasts. Former NCAA players Sean Ritchlin (Michigan), Dave Starman (Hartford) and Billy Jaffe (Michigan) will also contribute analysis throughout the two week coverage span. ESPN has aired games from the Championship since 1980 and recently extended its commitment to the NCAA, which includes airing the entire Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship through 2024.

Date	Time (ET)	Game/Commentators	Network (s)
Sunday, Mar 18	noon	NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show John Buccigross, Barry Melrose and Aaron Ward	ESPNU
Friday, Mar 23	3 p.m.	East Regional Semifinal 1 (Bridgeport, Conn.) John Buccigross and Barry Melrose	ESPNU/ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	Midwest Regional Semifinal 1 (Green Bay, Wis.) Ben Holden and Sean Ritchlin	ESPN3
	6:30 p.m.	East Regional Semifinal 2 (Bridgeport, Conn.) John Buccigross and Barry Melrose	ESPNU/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	Midwest Regional Semifinal 2 (Green Bay, Wis.) Ben Holden and Sean Ritchlin	ESPNU/ESPN3
	11:30 p.m.	Midwest Regional Semifinal 1 (Green Bay, Wis.) Ben Holden and Sean Ritchlin	ESPNU*
Saturday, Mar 24	1:30 p.m.	West Regional Semifinal 1 (Saint Paul, Mass.) Clay Matvick and Dave Starman	ESPN3
	4 p.m.	Northeast Regional Semifinal 1 (Worcester, Mass.) Dan Parkhurst and Billy Jaffe	ESPNU/ESPN3
	5 p.m.	West Regional Semifinal 2  (Saint Paul, MN) Clay Matvick and Dave Starman	ESPN3
	6:30 p.m.	East Regional Final (Bridgeport, Conn.) John Buccigross and Barry Melrose	ESPNU/ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	Northeast Regional Semifinal 2 (Worcester, Mass.) Dan Parkhurst and Billy Jaffe	ESPN3
	9 p.m.	Midwest Regional Final (Green Bay, Wis.) Ben Holden and Sean Ritchlin	ESPNU/ESPN3
	11:30 p.m.	Northeast Regional Semifinal 2 (Worcester, Mass.) Dan Parkhurst and Billy Jaffe	ESPNU**
Sunday, Mar 25	12:30 p.m.	West Regional Semifinal 1 (Saint Paul, Minn.) Clay Matvick and Dave Starman	ESPNU**
	3 p.m.	West Regional Semifinal 2 (Saint Paul, Minn) Clay Matvick and Dave Starman	ESPNU**
	5:30 p.m.	West Regional Final (Saint Paul, Minn.) Clay Matvick and Dave Starman	ESPNU/ESPN3
	8 p.m.	Northeast Regional Final (Worcester, Mass.) Dan Parkhurst and Billy Jaffe	ESPNU/ESPN3
Thursday, Apr 5	4:30 p.m.	Frozen Four Semifinal 1 (Tampa Bay, Fla.) Gary Thorne, Clay Matvick and Barry Melrose	ESPNU/ESPN3
	8 p.m.	Frozen Four Semifinal 2  (Tampa Bay, Fla.) Gary Thorne, Clay Matvick and Barry Melrose	ESPN2/ESPN3
Saturday, Apr 7	7 p.m.	NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship (Tampa Bay, Fla.) Gary Thorne, Clay Matvick and Barry Melrose	ESPN2/ESPN3

*Tape Delayed from earlier March 23 live game on ESPN3
**Tape Delayed from earlier March 24 live game on ESPN3

That will end our posts for the night.

NCAA Women’s Tournament Begins on ESPN2/ESPN3 on Saturday

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament tips off on Saturday on ESPN2. All games will streamed online through ESPN3. There will be 16 sub-regional sites and thus, 16 announcing teams used. Five women will do play-by-play including Brenda VanLegen, Beth Mowins, Pam Ward, Cara Capuano and Holly Rowe. Beth and Pam will move to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 to call the regional semis and finals.

Trey Wingo, Kara Lawson and Carolyn Peck will be the studio crew throughout the Tournament.

For most of the country, ESPN2 will air Whip-Around coverage going to wherever the action is, but in areas of local interest, games will be shown in their entirety.

We have the full details of ESPN2′s coverage this weekend and for the entire NCAA Women’s Tournament.

ESPN2 and ESPN3 Open NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Coverage

ESPN tips-off its extensive coverage of all 63 game of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship – across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN FULL COURT – beginning Saturday, March 17 and concluding at the NCAA National Championship game Tuesday, April 3 in Denver.

During the first two rounds, ESPN2 will present 48 games within 12 telecast windows in a whip-around format with home market protection. ESPN FULL COURT, the pay-per-view package, will offer complete games as a supplement to ESPN2’s coverage. The final 15 games, beginning with the Regional Semifinals, will have national telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2.

In addition, ESPN will feature additional NCAA Championship content across its platforms, including SportsCenter, espnW, ESPN.com, ESPNEWS, WatchESPN and ESPN International.

First and Second Rounds – Regionalization & Home Market Protection

• Regionalized/Home Market Protection – In the home markets of the competing teams, ESPN2 will televise the game of local interest. While constant updates from the other games will be provided, the networks will not switch to another game during live action, thereby establishing home market protection.

• Whip-Around Coverage – For the first and second rounds, multiple games (as many as four) will begin within one telecast window on ESPN2. During those windows, the network plans to “whip-around” or switch to the best action from different games for viewers in the majority of the nation (except in the home markets of the competing teams). Select games will be made available to a full national audience on ESPNU.

Coverage Highlights

Sneak peak of Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins‘ SportScience feature

• The Elena Della Done feature from Outside the Lines
• An examination of the working relationship between UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and his associate head coach Chris Dailey
• Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins will be the focus of a SportsScience feature from the Sports Science Lab in Los Angeles
• Former Notre Dame men’s head coach and current ESPN analyst Digger Phelps sits down with the head coach of the Irish women Muffet McGraw and Diggens for a candid conversation
• Three espnW-produced pieces will be used during studio and game telecasts
• Interact on twitter via the #espnwbb hashtag throughout the entire tournament

Studio Coverage
Trey Wingo will host ESPN’s studio coverage from Bristol, Conn., along with analysts Kara Lawson and Carolyn Peck.

Commentators Notes

• Nell Fortner, who retired as head coach of Auburn at the conclusion of the regular season, will serve as an analyst through the first two rounds at the Tallahassee, Fla., site
• An analyst last season, Brenda VanLegen will return at the play-by-play position for the first- and second-rounds in West Lafayette, Ind., with analyst Stephen Bardo
• Play-by-play veteran Beth Mowins will have the call for the first time of a regional semifinal and final – from Des Moines, Iowa with analyst Stephanie White
• Two new reporters join the crew this year – Allison Williams will be at the Raleigh Regional, while Samantha Steele with join Mowins and White in Des Moines
• Several cross-over analysts from the men’s game will be part of the telecasts – Bardo in West Lafayette, Ind., Sean Farnham from Spokane, Wash., and Fran Fraschilla from Little Rock, Ark.
• Dave O’Brien returns at play-by-play for the Final Four, along with veteran analyst Doris Burke and reporters Holly Rowe and Rebecca Lobo

espnW

• Analysis and coverage from espnW writers Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays, Kate Fagan and Michelle Smith
• A blogger series with student-athletes competing in the NCAA Championship including Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Chelsea Gray (Duke), Samantha Prahalis (Ohio State), Elena Delle Donne (Delaware) and Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford)
• 5 Questions segments with analyst/reporter Lobo, and blogs and chats from the entire espnW team
• On-the-court video segments breaking down the x’s and o’s of each game throughout
• “Total Access” segments will include behind-the-scenes video with players and coaches at the Final Four
• Full coverage of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team roster announcement and top awards ceremonies from the Final Four

2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship
First & Second Round Schedule (Subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Networks
Sat, Mar 17	11 a.m.	First Round No. 9 Princeton vs. No. 8 Kansas State (Bridgeport, Conn.) Pam Ward & Rebecca Lobo No. 15 Navy vs. No. 2 Maryland (College Park, Md.) Bob Wischusen & LaChina Robinson No. 9 Texas vs. No. 8 West Virginia^ (Norfolk, Va.) Mark Jones & Mary Murphy No. 12 Eastern Michigan vs. No. 5 South Carolina (West Lafayette, Ind.) Brenda VanLengen & Stephen Bardo	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	Approx. 30 minutes after end of 11 a.m. games	First Round No. 16 Prairie View vs. No. 1 Connecticut (Bridgeport, Conn.) No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 7 Louisville^ (College Park, Md.) No. 16 Hampton vs. No. 1 Stanford (Norfolk, Va.) No. 13 South Dakota State vs. No. 4 Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.)	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	4 p.m.	First Round No. 15 McNeese State vs. No. 2 Kentucky (Ames, Iowa) Clay Matvick & Krista Blunk No. 15 UT-Martin vs. No. 2 Tennessee^ (Chicago, Ill.) Jon Sciambi & Brooke Weisbrod No. 11 Dayton vs. No. 6 Arkansas (College Station, Texas) Carter Blackburn & Tamika Raymond No. 11 Gonzaga vs. No. 6 Rutgers (Spokane, Wash.) Dave Flemming & Sean Farnham	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	Approx. 30 minutes after end of4 p.m. games	First Round No. 10 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Green Bay^ (Ames, Iowa) No. 10 BYU vs. No. 7 DePaul (Chicago, Ill.) No. 14 Albany vs. No. 3 Texas A&M (College Station, Texas) No. 14 Idaho State vs. No. 3 Miami (Fla.) (Spokane, Wash.)	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
Sun, Mar 18	Noon	First Round No. 9 Florida vs. No. 8 Ohio State^ (Bowling Green, Ohio) Cara Capuano & Abby Waner No. 12 Fresno State vs. No. 5 Georgetown (Chapel Hill, N.C.) Beth Mowins & Stephanie White No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 8 California (Notre Dame, Ind.) Dave O’Brien & Doris Burke No. 13 Marist vs. No. 4 Georgia (Tallahassee, Fla.) Justin Kutcher & Nell Fortner	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	Approx. 30 minutes after end ofNoon games	First Round No. 16 UC-Santa Barbara vs. No. 1 Baylor^ (Bowling Green, Ohio) No. 13 Sacred Heart vs. No. 4 Georgia Tech (Chapel Hill, N.C.) No. 16 Liberty vs. No. 1 Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Ind.) No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 5 St. Bonaventure (Tallahassee, Fla.)	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	5 p.m.	First Round No. 13 UTEP vs. No. 4 Penn State (Baton Rouge, La.) Bob Picozzi & Rosalyn Gold-Onwude No. 14 UALR vs. No. 3 Delaware^ (Little Rock, Ark.) Holly Rowe & Fran Fraschilla No. 10 Middle Tennessee State vs. No. 7 Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tenn.) Dave Pasch & Debbie Antonelli No. 14 Creighton vs. No. 3 St. John’s (Norman, Okla.) Marc Kestecher & Kayte Christensen	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	Approx. 30 minutes after end of5 p.m. games	First Round No. 12 San Diego State vs. No. 5 LSU (Baton Rouge, La.) No. 11 Kansas vs. No. 6 Nebraska (Little Rock, Ark.) No. 15 Samford vs. No. 2 Duke (Nashville, Tenn.) No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 6 Oklahoma^ (Norman, Okla.)	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
Mon, Mar 19	7 p.m.	Second Round (Bridgeport, Conn., College Park, Md., Norfolk, Va., West Lafayette, Ind.)	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	Second Round (Ames, Iowa, Chicago, Ill., College Station, Texas, Spokane, Wash)	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
Tue, Mar 20	7 p.m.	Second Round (Bowling Green, Ohio, Chapel Hill, N.C., Notre Dame, Ind., Tallahassee, Fla.)	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	Second Round (Baton Rouge, La., Little Rock, Ark., Nashville, Tenn., Norman, Okla.	ESPN2 HD / ESPN3

^ – Full national telecast – not part of Regionalized/Home Market Protection

2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship
Regional & Final Four Schedule (Subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Games	Networks
Sat, Mar 24	Noon	(Des Moines, Iowa) Beth Mowins, Stephanie White & Samantha Steele	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	2 p.m.	(Des Moines, Iowa)	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	(Fresno, Calif.) Dave Pasch, Debbie Antonelli & Heather Cox	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	11:30 p.m.	(Fresno, Calif.)	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
Sun, Mar 25	Noon	(Raleigh, N.C.) Pam Ward, Rebecca Lobo & Allison Williams	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	(Raleigh, N.C.)	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
	4:30 p.m.	(Kingston, R.I.) Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke & Holly Rowe	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	(Kingston, R.I.)	ESPN2 HD/ESPN3
Mon, Mar 26	7 p.m.	(Des Moines, Iowa)	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	(Fresno, Calif.)	ESPN HD/ESPN3
Tue, Mar 27	7 p.m.	(Raleigh, N.C.)	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	(Kingston, R.I.)	ESPN HD/ESPN3
Sun, Apr 1	6:30 p.m.	National Semifinal (Denver, Colo.) Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe	ESPN HD/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	National Semifinal (Denver, Colo.)	ESPN HD/ESPN3
Tue, Apr 3	8:30 p.m.	National Final (Denver, Colo.) Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe	ESPN HD/ESPN3

That’s going to do it.

Entire 2012 NIT First Round To Be Aired on ESPN Networks

Last night, the entire 32 team field for the 75th annual National Invitation Tournament was announced on ESPNU. The networks of ESPN will air all of the 16 first round games that will be held Tuesday and Wednesday.

The entire bracket can be seen here.

We have the schedules for Tuesday and Wednesday plus the networks that will air the games. Announcing assignments will be released later today.

Here is the schedule.

UPDATE — 2:45 p.m.: The announcing assignments and now the entire NIT schedule has been released so let’s provide that in the press release below.

Washington, Tennessee, Seton Hall and Arizona among Teams Slated for ESPN’s Exclusive Coverage of National Invitation Tournament

Exclusive coverage of the entire 75^th National Invitation Tournament begins on ESPN2, Tuesday March 13 at 7 p.m. ET, and continues across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 with coverage of all 31 games. In addition to five exclusive ESPN3 games during the first round, the broadband network will simulcast every first round, second round, quarterfinal, semifinal and final matchup. The semifinal on ESPN2 and the championship game on ESPN will also be simulcast in ESPN3D.

The 32-team field for the oldest tournament in college basketball was announced Sunday, March 11 during the ESPNU NIT Selection Show and includes teams representing 18 conferences, led by the Atlantic 10, Pac-12 and SEC with four selections each. Five teams in the 2012 field are previous NIT Champions: Dayton (1962, 1968, 2010), Minnesota (1993, 1998), La Salle (1952), Seton Hall (1953) and Stanford (1991).

Dayton is making its 24^th appearance in the NIT, the most among schools in this year’s tournament; the second highest in the tournament’s history, behind St. John’s (28). St. Joseph’s is making its 15^th NIT appearance and is currently tied for the fourth most NIT appearances without winning the title.

On Wednesday, March 14 during the 7 p.m. hour, Philadelphia will be the epicenter for college hoops when La Salle, Drexel and St. Joseph’s all host NIT games at home. Drexel, making its sixth appearance in the NIT, is tied with three other schools for the most NIT games without a win.

Bucknell, UCF, Northern Iowa and Savannah State are all making their first NIT appearance.

Schedule subject to change beyond first round: 

Date	Time (ET)	Game/Commentators	Network
Tue, Mar 13	7 p.m.	NIT First Round: Massachusetts at Mississippi State Brad Nessler and Jimmy Dykes	ESPN2
	7:15 p.m.	NIT First Round: Stony Brook at Seton Hall Mike Gleason and Tim O’Toole	ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	NIT First Round: Dayton at Iowa Bob Wischusen and Dan Dakich	ESPN
	8 p.m.	NIT First Round: Savannah State at Tennessee Mike Crispino and Bob Valvano	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	NIT First Round: Akron at Northwestern Mike Patrick and Fran Fraschilla	ESPN2
	9:15 p.m.	NIT First Round: Marshall at Middle Tennessee State Adam Amin and Brooke Weisbrod	ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	NIT First Round: LSU at Oregon Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham	ESPN
	10 p.m.	NIT First Round: UT Arlington at Washington Justin Kutcher and Tim McCormick	ESPNU
	11 p.m.	NIT First Round: Cleveland State at Stanford Roxy Bernstein and Mark Adams	ESPN2
Wed, Mar 14	7 p.m.	NIT First Round: Minnesota at La Salle John Saunders and Stephen Bardo	ESPN2
	7:15 p.m.	NIT First Round: UCF at Drexel Mike Gleason and Paul Biancardi	ESPN3
	7:15 p.m.	NIT First Round: Northern Iowa at St. Joseph’s Noah Coslov and Rob Kennedy	ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	NIT First Round: Valparaiso at Miami Mark Jones and Tim Welsh	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	NIT First Round: Bucknell at Arizona Carter Blackburn and Miles Simon	ESPN2
	9:15 p.m.	NIT First Round: Nevada at Oral Roberts Mitch Holthus and Doc Sadler	ESPN3
	9:30 p.m.	NIT First Round: Illinois State at Ole Miss Clay Matvick and Joe Dean	ESPNU
Fri, Mar 16	9:30 p.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPNU
Sat, Mar 17	11 a.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPN
Sun, Mar 18	11 a.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPN
	3 p.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPNU
	5 p.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPNU
Mon, Mar 19	7 p.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPN2
	11 p.m.	NIT Second Round: TBD	ESPN2
Tue, Mar 20	7 p.m.	NIT Quarterfinal: TBD	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	NIT Quarterfinal: TBD	ESPN2
Wed, Mar 21	7 p.m.	NIT Quarterfinal: TBD	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	NIT Quarterfinal: TBD	ESPN2
Tue, Mar 27	7 p.m.	NIT SEMIFINAL: TBD Mike Patrick, Fran Fraschilla and Bill Raftery	ESPN2/ESPN3D
	9:30 p.m.	NIT SEMIFINAL: TBD Mike Patrick, Fran Fraschilla and Bill Raftery	ESPN2/ESPN3D
Thu, Mar 29	7 p.m.	NIT CHAMPIONSHIP: TBD Mike Patrick, Fran Fraschilla and Bill Raftery	ESPN/ESPN3D

*All games will be simulcast on ESPN3;

That is it.

ESPN Networks All Over Euro 2012 Championships

Four years ago, ESPN laid the groundwork for its highly praised international soccer coverage by doing a bang-up job with Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. While the games were called off a monitor in Bristol, CT, ESPN provided understated coverage that was widely praised. There was only one huge case of technical difficulty that affected the coverage not only in Bristol, but around the world.

But that incident asides, Euro 2008 gave ESPN a blueprint to cover the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and since then, soccer has had a home on the Alleged Worldwide Leader.

This year, ESPN will be all over Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. This is the 2nd biggest international soccer competition after the World Cup.

There will be 16 teams vying for the European Football Championship title. Spain which won the 2010 World Cup also took the Euro 2008 title and looks to defend its championship.

Traditional soccer powerhouses England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and Denmark will be among the 16 teams vying for the Euro 2012 Championship.

ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to air all 31 games of the tournament. This year’s coverage will include pregame, halftime and postgame studio programming.

ESPN Deportes will air 27 games throughout the month of June.

We have the ESPN press release.

ESPN Inc. Presents UEFA European Football Championship 2012

All matches live and in High Definition; ESPN3 to Simulcast all Matches in English and Spanish on ESPN3
All 31 Matches on ESPN Deportes – 27 Live; Extensive Surround Programming on ESPN Deportes

ESPN networks will combine to televise more than 200 hours of live coverage of the UEFA European Football Championship 2012™ beginning Friday, June 8, through Sunday, July 1, in eight cities across Poland and Ukraine.

ESPN Deportes, the company’s Spanish-language sports network, will lead the three television networks (ESPN and ESPN2) with 106 hours of programming featuring 27 live matches and four tape-delayed telecasts on concurrent match windows. ESPN will present 22 matches and surround programming – pregame, halftime and postgame shows – totaling 62 hours, and ESPN2 will feature 33 hours of coverage with nine matches and surround programming, all live.

All 31 matches will be available in high definition and carried on ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes Radio, and 25 matches live on ESPN Mobile TV. This will be the first time the UEFA European Football Championship will be available on ESPN Deportes HD.

This will mark the most comprehensive coverage of the three-week competition in the United States. In 2008, ESPN2, ESPN, ESPN Classic and ABC combined to present live all 31 matches of the UEFA European Football Championship. ESPN Deportes, the Spanish-language home of the championship, also televised all 31 matches – five on tape-delay.  Key programming highlights:

PREGAME, HALFTIME AND POSTGAME SEGMENTS

For the first time, ESPN match telecasts for the UEFA European Football Championship will include pregame, halftime and postgame studio segments. The pregame segments will include the teams walking onto the pitch, the national anthems and ceremonial handshakes – all symbolic traditions of signature international soccer competitions.

• ESPN/ESPN2: Every ESPN and ESPN2 match will feature a 15-minute pregame, halftime and a postgame shows. The opening and final matches will each have a 30-minute pregame program. ESPN’s flagship news and information program SportsCenter will air in-between matches on weekdays with two match windows.
• ESPN Deportes:  The Spanish-language home of the UEFA European Football Championship 2012 in the United States will provide the most-comprehensive coverage of the event with more than 6.5 live hours on days with two match windows, from June 9 – 15.  Highlights include a 30-minute pregame show beginning at 11:30 a.m.; a halftime program; a 30-minute program aired in-between matches; and a special one-hour postgame edition of Fuera de Juego at 5 p.m.  Daily coverage will be on ESPN Deportes SportsCenter at 6 p.m., Juego Cruzado at 7 p.m. and Cronometro at 7:30 p.m.  On opening day, Friday, June 8, the pregame program will expand to one hour beginning at 11 a.m., and on Sunday, July 1, the title match will be preceded by a 90-minute pregame show. (Note: On days with single match windows, coverage will begin at 2 p.m. ET)
• ESPN Deportes programming vice president Freddy Rolón discussed the network’s planned coverage of UEFA EURO 2012 on ESPN Front Row.

ESPN3

ESPN’s signature broadband network will provide live online simulcasts of all 31 matches in Spanish and English. The service will also feature ESPN and ESPN2’s English-language presentation of live pregame, halftime and postgame segments, as well as ESPN Deportes’ live surround programming around the 31 matches.

Additionally, all 31 matches will be archived and can only be accessed on ESPN3 through July 31, 2012, and non-exclusively through the end of the calendar year (Dec. 31, 2012). All matches will be available for replay on ESPN3 shortly after completion.

ABOUT UEFA EURO 2012

With 13 of the 16 national teams in the championship ranked among top 20 teams in the FIFA World Rankings, the UEFA European Football Championship is arguably the most prestigious and competitive international soccer tournament in the world. The first championship was in 1960, hosted by France.

Teams representing the 16 nations compete in the Championship. Of these, 14 earned spots in the three-week tournament following a two-year qualification process among 50 UEFA member nations while the host nations – Poland and Ukraine – received automatic berths.

Current 2010 FIFA World Cup champion, Spain, won the last European Championship – UEFA EURO 2008 – hosted by Austria and Switzerland.

UEFA EURO 2012 – Groups:

GROUP A	GROUP B	GROUP C	GROUP D
Poland (#70)	Netherlands (#3)	Spain (#1)	Ukraine (#59)
Greece (#14)	Denmark (#10)	Italy (#8)	Sweden (#18)
Russia (#13)	Germany (#2)	Republic of Ireland (#20)	France (#17)
Czech Republic (#29)	Portugal (#6)	Croatia (#9)	England (#5)

Key matchups in the group stage:

• Netherlands vs. Germany (Wed., June 13 at 2:45 p.m.): Traditional European rivals and two of the top teams in the world playing in the second of three matches in Group B – the tournament’s “group of death”.
• Spain vs. Italy (Sun., June 10 at 12 p.m.): A matchup between the last two FIFA World Cup champions in their first Group C match, where both teams are favored to advance.
• France vs. England (Mon., June 11 at 12 p.m.): Traditional powers in European soccer entering the tournament with a recent history of underachieving in marquee tournaments.
• Germany vs. Portugal (Sat., June 9 at 2:45 p.m.): Germany has beaten Portugal in their last two matches – at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2008.  Each team needs a result in the first of their three Group matches.

Match schedule (Subject to change):

Date	Time (ET)	Match	Site	Networks
Friday, June 8	12 p.m.	Poland vs. Greece	Warsaw	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Russia vs. Czech Republic	Wroclaw	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, June 9	12 p.m.	Netherlands vs. Denmark	Kharkiv	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Germany vs. Portugal	Lviv	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Sunday, June 10	12 p.m.	Spain vs. Italy	Gdansk	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Republic of Ireland vs. Croatia	Poznan	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Monday, June 11	12 p.m.	France vs. England	Donetsk	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Ukraine vs. Sweden	Kiev	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Tuesday, June 12	12 p.m.	Greece vs. Czech Republic	Wroclaw	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Poland vs. Russia	Warsaw	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Wednesday, June 13	12 p.m.	Denmark vs. Portugal	Lviv	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Netherlands vs. Germany	Kharkiv	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Thursday, June 14	12 p.m.	Italy vs. Croatia	Poznan	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Spain vs. Republic of Ireland	Gdansk	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Friday, June 15	12 p.m.	Ukraine vs. France	Donetsk	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Sweden vs. England	Kiev	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, June 16	2:45 p.m.	Czech Republic vs. Poland	Wroclaw	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Greece vs. Russia	Warsaw	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 17	2:45 p.m.	Portugal vs. Netherlands	Kharkiv	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Denmark vs. Germany	Lviv	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes at 5:30 p.m.
Monday, June 18	2:45 p.m.	Croatia vs. Spain	Gdansk	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Italy vs. Republic of Ireland	Poznan	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes at 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 19	2:45 p.m.	England vs. Ukraine	Donetsk	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
	2:45 p.m.	Sweden vs. France	Kiev	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 21	2:45 p.m.	Quarterfinal I – 1A vs. 2B	Warsaw	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Friday, June 22	2:45 p.m.	Quarterfinal II – 1B vs. 2A	Gdansk	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, June 23	2:45 p.m.	Quarterfinal III – 1C vs. 2D	Donetsk	ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Sunday, June 24	2:45 p.m.	Quarterfinal IV – 1D vs. 2C	Kiev	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Wednesday, June 27	2:45 p.m.	Semifinal I – Winners QF I vs. QF III	Donetsk	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Thursday, June 28	2:45 p.m.	Semifinal II – Winners QF II vs. QF IV	Warsaw	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes
Sunday, July 1	2:45 p.m.	Final – Semifinal Winners	Kiev	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes

*** ESPN Deportes match coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
*** ESPN and ESPN match coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

That will do it.

College Basketball Viewing Picks For 03/03 & 03/04/12, All Times Eastern

Men’s Schedule courtesy of Matt’s College Sports

Saturday, March 3

Men’s Schedule

College GameDay live from Durham, NC — ESPNU, 10 a.m./ESPN, 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Atlantic Sun Championship, Macon, GA
Belmont vs. Florida Gulf Coast — ESPN2, 7 p.m.

Big South Championship, Asheville, NC
VMI vs. UNC-Asheville — ESPN, noon

Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, Richmond, VA
Quarterfinals
Drexel vs. UNC-Wilmington — Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic & New England)/The Comcast Network, noon
Old Dominion vs. Delaware — Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic Plus & New England)/The Comcast Network, 2:30 p.m.
VCU vs. William & Mary — Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic Plus & New England)/CSS/The Comcast Network, 6 p.m.
George Mason vs. Georgia State — Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic Plus & New England)/The Comcast Network, 8:30 p.m.

Horizon League Tournament, Valparaiso, IN
Semifinals
Detroit vs. Cleveland State — ESPN3, 6 p.m.
Butler vs. Valparaiso — ESPNU, 8:30 p.m.

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, St. Louis, MO
Semifinals
Wichita State vs. Illinois State — Fox College Sports Central/Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports Midwest, 2:30 p.m.
Creighton vs. Evansville — Fox College Sports Central/Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports Midwest, 5 p.m.

Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Nashville, TN
Murray State vs. Tennessee State — ESPN2, 2 p.m.

Patriot League Tournament (Home Sites)
Semifinals
Lafayette at Bucknell — CBS Sports Network, 2 p.m.
American at Lehigh — CBS Sports Network, 4:30 p.m.

Summit League Tournament, Sioux Falls, SD
Quarterfinals
Oral Roberts vs. IPFW — Fox College Sports Central, 7 p.m.
South Dakota State vs. IUPUI — Fox College Sports Central, 9:30 p.m.

West Coast Conference Tournament, Las Vegas, NV
Semifinals
San Francisco vs. St. Mary’s — ESPN2, 9 p.m.
BYU vs. Gonzaga — ESPN2, 11:30 p.m.

noon
Wake Forest at Georgia Tech — ACC Network
West Virginia at South Florida — Big East Network: Bright House/MASN/MSG Network/Root Sports Pittsburgh
Memphis at Tulsa — CBS
George Washington at Dayton — CBS Sports Network
Pittsburgh at UConn — ESPN

12:30 p.m.
Nebraska at Minnesota — Big Ten Network

1:30 p.m.
Oklahoma State at Kansas State — Big 12 Network
South Carolina at Georgia — SEC Network

2 p.m. 
Charlotte at Xavier — A-10 Network: Fox Sports Ohio
Georgetown at Marquette — Big East Network: MASN/SNY
LSU at Auburn — CBS
Washington at UCLA — CBS
Cincinnati at Villanova — ESPN
Southern Mississippi at Marshall — Fox Sports Net (national)

2:30 p.m.
Boston College at Miami — ACC Network
Northwestern at Iowa — Big Ten Network

4 p.m.
URI at UMass — A-10 Network: Comcast SportsNet (New England & Philadelphia)/CSS
Missouri at Texas Tech — Big 12 Network
Texas A&M at Oklahoma — Big 12 Network
Louisville at Syracuse — CBS
Vanderbilt at Tennessee — ESPN
Colorado at Oregon State — Fox Sports Net (national)
Boise State at New Mexico — NBC Sports Network
Alabama at Mississippi — SEC Network
Colorado State at Air Force — the mtn.

5 p.m.
Arkansas at Mississippi State — Fox Sports Net (regional): Fox Sports South/Sun Sports

6 p.m.
Seton Hall at DePaul — Big East Network: Altitude/MASN/MSG Network

7 p.m.
North Carolina at Duke — ESPN
San Diego State at TCU — the mtn.

8 p.m.
St. John’s at Rutgers — Big East Network: MASN/MSG Network

9 p.m.
Texas at Kansas — ESPN

10 p.m.
Wyoming at UNLV

Women’s Schedule

ACC Tournament, Greensboro, NC
Semifinals
Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina State — ESPNU, 11 a.m.
Maryland vs. Wake Forest — ESPNU, 1:30 p.m.

Big Ten Tournament, Indianapolis, IN
Semifinals
Ohio State vs. Nebraska — Big Ten Network, 5 p.m.
Penn State vs. Purdue — Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m.

SEC Tournament, Nashville, TN
Semifinals
Kentucky vs. LSU — ESPNU, 4 p.m.
Tennessee vs. South Carolina — ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.

noon
Iowa State at Baylor — Fox Sports Net (national)

Sunday, March 4

Men’s Schedule

Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, Richmond, VA
Semifinals
Drexel vs. Old Dominion — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Plus/CSS/The Comcast Network, 2 p.m.
VCU vs. George Mason — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Plus/CSS/The Comcast Network, 4:30 p.m.

Missouri Valley Championship, St. Louis, MO
Creighton vs. Illinois State — CBS, 2 p.m.

Northeast Conference Tournament (Home Sites)
Semifinals
Robert Morris vs. Wagner — Fox College Sports Atlantic/MSG Network, noon
Quinnipiac vs LIU — Fox College Sports Atlantic/MSG Network, 6 p.m.

Summit League Tournament, Sioux Falls, SD
Quarterfinals
Western Illinois vs. North Dakota State — Fox College Sports Central/Fox Sports Detroit, 7 p.m.
Oakland vs. Southern Utah — Fox College Sports Central/Fox Sports Detroit, 9:30 p.m.

noon
Kentucky at Florida — CBS
Clemson at Florida State — ESPN2

1 p.m.
Illinois at Wisconsin — Big Ten Network
Michigan at Penn State — ESPN

2 p.m.
Virginia at Maryland — ACC Network

3:30 p.m.
Arizona at Arizona State — Fox Sports Net (national)

4 p.m.
Ohio State at Michigan State — CBS

5:30 p.m.
Cal at Stanford — Fox Sports Net (national)

6 p.m.
Purdue at Michigan — Big Ten Network
North Carolina State at Virginia Tech — ESPNU

Women’s Schedule

ACC Championship, Greensboro, NC
Maryland vs. Georgia Tech — ESPN2, 2 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Tournament, Philadelphia, PA
Semifinals
St. Bonaventure vs. St. Joseph’s — CBS Sports Network, noon
Temple vs. Dayton — CBS Sports Network, 2:30 p.m.

Big East Tournament, Hartford, CT
Quarterfinals
Georgetown vs. West Virginia — ESPNU, noon
Notre Dame vs. DePaul — ESPNU, 2:30 p.m.
St. John’s vs. Louisville — Big East Network: SNY, 6 p.m.
UConn vs. Rutgers — ESPNU, 8:30 p.m.

Big Ten Championship, Indianapolis, IN
Nebraska vs. Purdue — ESPN2, 4 p.m.

SEC Championship, Nashville, TN
LSU vs. Tennessee — ESPN2, 6 p.m.

1 p.m.
Texas A&M at Texas — Fox Sports Net (national)

ESPN’s College Basketball Schedule is Highlighted With North Carolina-Duke

This week wraps up the regular season for college basketball. Some conferences are starting their tournaments this week as well, so it’s an eclectic mix of games as we get ready for one of the best parts of sports calendar, March Madness. For me, my three favorite months of the sports calendar are January for the NFL playoffs, March for the conference tournaments and NCAA Tournament and October for the MLB Postseason and World Series.

So we have the beginning of what should be an exciting month of college basketball and it begins with this weekend’s mid-major conference tournaments and the jockeying for positioning for seeding in the “BCS” conferences and we have the 2nd North Carolina-Duke game on Saturday which ESPN will carry.

We have the schedule of games for the ESPN family of networks coming up, but first, ESPN tells us that College GameDay will be live in Durham, NC for Carolina-Duke and for the first time, the show will have a special Friday night presentation on ESPNU.

College GameDay Returns to Duke-UNC Rivalry on Saturday

ESPN’s College GameDay returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University on Saturday, March 3 (10 a.m., ESPNU & ESPN 3D; 11 a.m. & 6 p.m., ESPN & ESPN 3D). Rece Davis serves as the College GameDay host, and is joined by analysts Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps and Hubert Davis.

The weekly show originates from the site of ESPN’s Saturday Primetime telecast – this week, pitting the top two teams in the ACC – No. 6 North Carolina at No. 3 Duke (7 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3 & ESPN 3D). Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Erin Andrews will call the telecast. GameDay is at the site of the Duke-UNC rivalry for the fourth time since the show’s debut in 2005.

Coverage will begin with a special first-time Friday edition of College GameDay, March 2, at 11 p.m.  The following day, ESPNU will dedicate eight hours of Duke vs. UNC programming, including the recent thriller from February 8 when the Blue Devils stunned the Tar Heels with a last second, three-pointer from freshman Austin Rivers.

Date	Time (ET)	Program	Network
Fri, March 2	11 p.m.	College GameDay: North Carolina vs. Duke Special (Durham, N.C.)	ESPNU
Sat, March 3	3:30 a.m.	Re-air: College GameDay: North Carolina vs. Duke Special (Durham, N.C.)	ESPNU
	4 a.m.	Duke vs. North Carolina (Feb. 5, 1992)	ESPNU
	6 a.m.	North Carolina vs. Duke (Feb. 9, 2005)	ESPNU
	7:30 a.m.	Duke vs. North Carolina (Feb. 8, 2012)	ESPNU
	9 a.m.	Re-air: College GameDay: North Carolina vs. Duke Special (Durham, N.C.)	ESPNU
	9:30 a.m.	First Take: College Basketball	ESPNU
	10 a.m.	College GameDay (Durham, N.C.) Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps & Hubert Davis	ESPNU/ESPN 3D
	11 a.m. & 6 p.m.	College GameDay (Durham, N.C.) Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps & Hubert Davis	ESPN/ESPN 3D
	7 p.m.	Saturday Primetime: No. 6 North Carolina at No. 3 Duke Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale & Erin Andrews	ESPN/ESPN3/ESPN 3D

And here’s that ESPN schedule for the rest of the week.

Men’s College Basketball: No. 6 North Carolina at No. 3 Duke Showdown

ESPN’s men’s college basketball schedule will be highlighted by No. 6 North Carolina at No. 3 Duke in a showdown between the ACC rivals, which have identical 12-2 records in the conference. Duke defeated North Carolina in a thrilling 85-84 last-second victory on February 8.

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Network
Wed, Feb 29	7 p.m.	Maryland at No. 6 North Carolina John Saunders & Dick Vitale	ESPN/ESPN3
		No. 7 Marquette at Cincinnati Bob Wischusen & Bob Knight	ESPN2/ESPN3
		St. John’s at Pittsburgh Adam Amin & Bob Valvano	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	Oklahoma at Texas Jon Sciambi & Fran Fraschilla	ESPN2/ESPN3
		Iowa at Nebraska Mitch Holthus & Miles Simon	ESPNU
Thu, March 1	7 p.m.	No. 16 Michigan at Illinois Dave O’Brien, Stephen Bardo & Jalen Rose	ESPN/ESPN3
		No. 22 Florida State at Virginia Mike Patrick, Len Elmore & Jeannine Edwards	ESPN2/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	Georgia at No. 1 Kentucky Rece Davis & Hubert Davis	ESPN/ESPN3
		Villanova at Rutgers John Saunders & Tim Welsh	ESPN2/ESPN3
	11 p.m.	New Mexico State at Nevada Dave Flemming & Miles Simon	ESPN2/ESPN3
Fri, March 2	7 p.m.	Akron at Kent State TBD & Dan Dakich	ESPN2/ESPN3
Sat, March 3	Noon	Pittsburgh at Connecticut Dave Pasch & Doris Burke	ESPN/ESPN3
	2 p.m.	Cincinnati at Villanova TBD & TBD	ESPN/ESPN3
	4 p.m.	Vanderbilt at Tennessee Brad Nessler & Jimmy Dykesw	ESPN/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	No. 6 North Carolina at No. 3 Duke Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale & Erin Andrews	ESPN/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	Texas at No. 4 Kansas Brent Musburger & Bob Knight	ESPN/ESPN3
Sun, March 4	Noon	Clemson at No. 22 Florida State Mike Patrick & Len Elmore	ESPN2/ESPN3
	1 p.m.	No. 16 Michigan at Penn State TBD & Dan Dakich	ESPN/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	ACC Sunday Night Basketball: N.C. State at Virginia Tech Jon Sciambi, Hubert Davis & Jeannine Edwards	ESPNU

That will do it.

ESPN’s Championship Week Offers 88 Women’s Games Starting March 1

Early this morning, I posted the schedule for the men’s portion of ESPN’s Championship Week. Now, we give the women their turn. Overall, 88 games will offered from the various women’s basketball tournaments. Many will be presented on ESPN’s online service, ESPN3, but a good portion of games will be shown through ESPN2 and ESPNU.

We have the schedule below in an 1,858-word press release.

Championship Week: Women’s Basketball Coverage Begins Thursday, March 1

ESPN’s 2012 Championship Week will present a record 88 women’s college basketball conference tournament games from Thursday, March 1 to Sunday, March 11 across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. The networks will combine to offer game action from 21 Division I conferences championship games and action from 25 conferences overall, including the Division II CIAA Tournament and Gulf South final.

The exclusive national coverage of 28 women’s games includes action from 15 different conferences and 13 NCAA Championship berths will be secured on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. ESPN3 will show another 60 contests available in local markets via syndication.

Championship Week Coverage

• ACC and SEC Tournaments include semifinal rounds Saturday, March 3 on ESPNU and championship games the following day on ESPN2 and ESPN3
• Games from the last three rounds of the BIG EAST Championship, starting Sunday, March 4, with three quarterfinal and both semifinal games on ESPNU, and again, the only women’s title game to be televised on ESPN
• ESPN3 has six exclusive games, including two quarterfinals games from the Atlantic Sun, and the America East and MAAC semifinals
• Additional championship games on ESPN2 or ESPNU from the Atlantic 10, Big Ten, Horizon, MEAC, NEC, Sun Belt, Summit League, SWAC and West Coast Conference

The Championship Week schedule includes a total of 114 total men’s and women’s basketball games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU & exclusively on ESPN3 from 25 conferences, plus a total of 225 national and syndicated games on ESPN3.

Studio Coverage
Cindy Brunson, along with analyst Kara Lawson, will be in the studio Saturday-Tuesday, March 3-6 on ESPN and ESPN2 to preview the conference tournaments and recap the biggest storylines of Championship Week.

Abby Waner will provide expert analysis from the ESPNU studio Saturday, March 3 during the ACC and SEC semifinal rounds and also Saturday, March 10 during the MEAC and SWAC finals.

ESPN.com/espnW
Top writers from espn.com and espnW, including Mechelle Voepel, Kate Fagan, Michelle Smith and Graham Hays, will provide online pieces for all the top conferences, and keep a close watch on upset-minded teams throughout the nation. Charlie Creme will provide daily Bracketology updates leading up to Selection Monday.

WatchESPN
Viewers can also watch live ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 game action online at WatchESPN.com or on smart phones or tablets through the WatchESPN app. The service – available to video subscribers of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV – gives fans the ability to watch ESPN’s live networks, no matter where they are.

Championship Week Schedule (Subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network(s)
Thu, Mar 1	noon	Atlantic Sun Championship (Macon, Ga.): Quarterfinal 3	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	Atlantic Sun Championship (Macon, Ga.): Quarterfinal 4	ESPN3
Sat, Mar 3	9:30 a.m.	MAAC Championship (Springfield, Mass.): Semifinal 1 Dean Darling & Debbie Ryan	ESPN3
	11 a.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Semifinal 1 Pam Ward & Debbie Antonelli	ESPNU/ESPN3
	noon	MAAC Championship (Springfield, Mass.): Semifinal 2 Dean Darling & Debbie Ryan	ESPN3
	1:30 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Semifinal 2 Pam Ward & Debbie Antonelli	ESPNU/ESPN3
	4 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal 1 Cara Capuano & Carolyn Peck	ESPNU/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal 2 Cara Capuano & Carolyn Peck	ESPNU/ESPN3
Sun, Mar 4	11 a.m.	America East Championship (West Hartford, Conn.): Semifinal 1 Eric Frede & Leah Secondo	ESPN3
	noon	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Quarterfinal 1 Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod & Allison Williams	ESPNU/ESPN3
	1:30 p.m.	America East Championship (West Hartford, Conn.): Semifinal 2 Eric Frede & Leah Secondo	ESPN3
	2 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Final Pam Ward & Debbie Antonelli	ESPN2/ESPN3
	2 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Quarterfinal 2 Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod & Allison Williams	ESPNU/ESPN3
	4 p.m.	Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis, Ind.): Final Dave O’Brien & Stephanie White	ESPN2/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): Final Cara Capuano & Carolyn Peck	ESPN2/ESPN3
	8:30 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Quarterfinal 4 Bob Picozzi, LaChina Robinson & Allison Williams	ESPNU/ESPN3
Mon, Mar 5	noon	MAAC Championship (Springfield, Mass.): Final Doug Sherman & Julianne Viani	ESPNU/ESPN3
	3 p.m.	West Coast Conference Championship (Las Vegas): Final Dave Flemming & Kayte Christensen	ESPNU/ESPN3
	5 p.m.	Atlantic 10 Championship (Philadelphia): Final Pam Ward & Debbie Antonelli	ESPN2/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Semifinal 1 Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod & Allison Williams	ESPNU/ESPN3
	8 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Semifinal 2 Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod & Allison Williams	ESPNU/ESPN3
Tue, Mar 6	2 p.m.	Sun Belt Championship (Hot Springs, Ark.): Final Adam Amin & Tamika Raymond	ESPNU/ESPN3
	4 p.m.	Summit League Championship (Sioux Falls, S.D.): Final Clay Matvick & Abby Waner	ESPNU/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Final Beth Mowins, Rebecca Lobo & Allison Williams	ESPN/ESPN3
Sat, Mar 10	4 p.m.	MEAC Tournament (Winston-Salem, N.C.): Final TBD & Rosalyn Gold-Onwude	ESPNU/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	SWAC Championship (Garland, Texas): Final Adam Amin & Tamika Raymond	ESPNU/ESPN3
Sun, Mar 11	1 p.m.	Horizon League Championship: Final (campus of higher seed after quarterfinal) Jim Barbar & Julianne Viani	ESPNU/ESPN3
	3 p.m.	NEC Tournament: Final (campus of higher seed) Bob Picozzi & Christy Winters Scott	ESPNU/ESPN3

* – tape delay

Championship Week Syndicated-Game Schedule (Subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network(s)
Thu, Mar 1	11 a.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Opening Round Game 1 Tom Werme, Stephanie Ready & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	1 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round Game 1 Dave Neal & LaChina Robinson	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	West Coast Conference Championship (Las Vegas): Second Round Game 1	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Opening Round Game 2 Tom Werme, Stephanie Ready & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round Game 2 Dave Neal & LaChina Robinson	ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	West Coast Conference Championship (Las Vegas): Second Round Game 2	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Opening Round Game 3 Mike Hogewood, Debbie Antonelli & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round Game 3 Dave Baker & Van Chancellor	ESPN3
	8 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Opening Round Game 4 Mike Hogewood, Debbie Antonelli & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	10 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round Game 4 Dave Baker & Van Chancellor	ESPN3
Fri, Mar 2	11 a.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Quarterfinal 1 Tom Werme, Stephanie Ready & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	Noon	Atlantic Sun Championship (Macon, Ga.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	1 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): Second Round Game 1 Dave Neal & LaChina Robinson	ESPN3
	1 p.m.	Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	Atlantic Sun Championship (Macon, Ga.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	West Coast Conference Championship (Las Vegas): Quarterfinal 1	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.):Quarterfinal 2 Tom Werme, Stephanie Ready & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): Second Round Game 2 Dave Neal & LaChina Robinson	ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	West Coast Conference Championship (Las Vegas): Quarterfinal 2	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.):Quarterfinal 3 Mike Hogewood, Debbie Antonelli & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): Second Round Game 3 Dave Baker & Van Chancellor	ESPN3
	8 p.m.	ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.):Quarterfinal 4 Mike Hogewood, Debbie Antonelli & Christy Winters Scott	ESPN3
	10 p.m.	SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.): Second Round Game 4 Dave Baker & Van Chancellor	ESPN3
Sat, Mar 3	Noon	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Second Round Game 1 Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod & Allison Williams	ESPN3
	Noon	Atlantic Sun Championship (Macon, Ga.): Final	ESPN3
	2 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Second Round Game 2 Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod & Allison Williams	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	West Coast Conference Championship (Las Vegas): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	5 p.m.	CIAA Tournament (Charlotte, N.C.): Final	ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	West Coast Conference Championship (Las Vegas): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Final	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Second Round Game 3 Bob Picozzi, LaChina Robinson & Allison Williams	ESPN3
	8 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Second Round Game 4 Bob Picozzi, LaChina Robinson & Allison Williams	ESPN3
Sun, Mar 4	11 a.m.	Gulf South Championship (Niceville, Fla.): Final	ESPN3
	noon	Southern Conference Championship (Asheville, N.C.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	1 p.m.	Sun Belt Championship (Hot Springs, Ark.): Quarterfinal 1	ESPN3
	2 p.m.	Southern Conference Championship (Asheville, N.C.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	Sun Belt Championship (Hot Springs, Ark.): Quarterfinal 2	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship (Hartford, Conn.): Quarterfinal 3 Bob Picozzi, LaChina Robinson & Allison Williams	ESPN3
Mon, Mar 5	1 p.m.	Sun Belt Championship (Hot Springs, Ark.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	Sun Belt Championship (Hot Springs, Ark.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	5 p.m.	Southern Conference Championship (Asheville, N.C.): Final	ESPN3
Thu, Mar 8	1 p.m.	Southland Conference Tournament (Katy, Texas): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	Southland Conference Tournament (Katy, Texas): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
Fri, Mar 9	noon	Mid-American Tournament (Cleveland, Ohio): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	2 p.m.	Mid-American Tournament (Cleveland, Ohio): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	WAC Tournament (Las Vegas, Nev.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	5:30 p.m.	WAC Tournament (Las Vegas, Nev.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	8 p.m.	Southland Conference Tournament (Katy, Texas): Final	ESPN3
Sat, Mar 10	noon	CAA Championship (Upper Marlboro, Md.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	1 p.m.	Mid-American Tournament (Cleveland, Ohio): Final	ESPN3
	1:30 p.m.	Big South Championship (High Point, N.C.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	Missouri Valley Championship (St. Charles, Mo.): Semifinal 1	ESPN3
	2:30 p.m.	CAA Championship (Upper Marlboro, Md.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	3:30 p.m.	Big South Championship (High Point, N.C.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	5 p.m.	Missouri Valley Championship (St. Charles, Mo.): Semifinal 2	ESPN3
	6 p.m.	WAC Tournament (Las Vegas, Nev.): Final	ESPN3
Sun, Mar 11	12:30 p.m.	CAA Championship (Upper Marlboro, Md.): Final	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	Missouri Valley Championship (St. Charles, Mo.): Final	ESPN3
	4 p.m.	Big South Championship (High Point, N.C.): Final	ESPN3

ESPN will present the exclusive live announcement of the 64-team NCAA Championship field as part of Selection Monday on March 12, at 7 p.m., with ESPNU offering a bonus hour of coverage on the NCAA Women’s’ Basketball Selection Special: Extended Coverage at 8 p.m. All 63 games of the 2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will air on ESPN networks for the eighth consecutive year. ESPN and ESPN2 will present its telecasts in a whip-around format with home market protection through the first two rounds. ESPN FULL COURT, the pay-per-view package, will offer first- and second-round games in its entirety as a supplement to ESPN and ESPN2’s coverage. ESPN3 will offer complete telecasts of all 63 games, while ESPNU will offer select ESPN and ESPN2 early-round games in their entirety. The final 15 games, beginning with the Regional Semifinals, will have national telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2. The complete schedule will be announced at a later date.

That will do it.

ESPN’s Championship Week To Air 137 Men’s Games Starting March 1

ESPN’s Championship Week which actually lasts more than seven days starts March 1 and lasts until March 11. It begins with the Atlantic Sun and Big South Tournaments on ESPNU and ESPN3 on Thursday and then will end on Sunday, March 11 with the ACC and SEC Championships on ESPN and ABC respectively.

ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will combine for 86 games exclusively. ESPN3 will simulcast another 51 games that are aired in local markets via syndication.

Overall, a this is a 3,265-word press release so I’ll stop writing and let you read.

Championship Week: Coverage of a Record 137 Men’s Games Begins March 1

Record-setting Schedule includes Entire ACC Tournament for First Time Ever and Crowning of 23 Champions

ESPN’s 2012 Championship Week will showcase a record 137 men’s college basketball conference tournament games from Thursday, March 1 to Sunday, March 11, surpassing last year’s record-setting 126 contests. Coverage highlights:

• Overall, ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will combine to offer exclusive coverage of 86 games, while ESPN3 will simulcast another 51 matchups available in the local markets via syndication.
• The networks will combine to offer coverage of 23 Division I conference title games and action from 25 conferences overall, plus the Division II CIAA tournament.
• For the first time, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will televise the entire ACC Tournament, including no local market blackouts on any of the 11 games.
• This season will mark ESPN’s 27th, ESPN2’s 18th and ESPNU’s seventh year of comprehensive coverage. ESPN will televise 20 games, ESPN2 27, ESPNU 22 and ABC three games, while ESPN3 will offer 14 exclusive contests.
• In addition to all 15 BIG EAST games and the entire ACC Tournament, ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will combine to provide action of multiple men’s games from several top conferences, including all 11 of the SEC, all nine from the Big 12 and four from the Big Ten.

ESPNU and ESPN3 will tip off Championship Week with two exclusive games each on Thursday, March 1: Atlantic Sun quarterfinals on ESPN3 at 2:30 and 8:30 p.m. ET and Big South semifinals on ESPNU at 6 and 8 p.m. Championship Week will conclude on Sunday, March 11 with the ACC (ESPN) and SEC (ABC) title games at 1 p.m. Additional platform coverage:

• ESPN Buzzer Beater – available to Time Warner Cable Sports Tier, Bright House Networks Customers and Verizon FiOS TV Ultimate HD and Extreme HD Customers – will provide live cut-ins, highlights and up-to-the-minute commentary from numerous Championship Week games from across the ESPN networks Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9.
• The entire Championship Week coverage will also be available via WatchESPN, which delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN Buzzer Beater/Goal Line on PCs, smartphones and tablets to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription from Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV. WatchESPN is available free for Android devices from the Android Market and for Apple devices from the App Store, as well as online via WatchESPN.com.
• ESPN 3D will offer coverage of every BIG EAST Conference tournament matchup.
• ESPN International will offer extensive coverage, reaching 208 million households in 224 countries and territories on ESPN America – Great Britain (25 games), ESPN America – Europe (25 games), ESPN America -Middle East (23 games), ESPN2 Caribbean (23 games), ESPN Pac Rim (11 games), ESPN2 Australia (23 games), ESPN Atlantic (15 games), ESPN Middle East (16 games), ESPN Dos Venezuela (four games), ESPN Dos Mexico (four games), and on ESPN China, ESPN Hong Kong, ESPN India, ESPN Malaysia, ESPN Philippines, ESPN Asia and ESPN Taiwan.

Week Concludes with Extensive Day-Long Coverage
The final day of Championship Week –- Selection Sunday, March 11 — will begin at noon with College GameDay on ESPN, followed by the ACC Championship (on ESPN) and SEC Championship (on ABC), both at 1 p.m. Extensive coverage of the men’s NCAA Championship selection will include a three-hour Bracketology at 3 p.m. and a two-hour edition at 7 p.m., both on ESPN. ESPN will also offer selection coverage during SportsCenter at 6 p.m.ESPNU will televise an hour look at the final moments of some of the best games during Championship Week with Crunch Time: Championship Week Special at 8 p.m., followed by the sixth annual NIT Selection Show at 9 p.m. and a three-hour Tournament Countdown edition of The Experts at 9:30 p.m.

Commentator Notes

• BIG EAST: Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery, who will pair up to call nine BIG EAST games, will work the semifinals and championship with Doris Burke reporting from the sidelines. Burke will also serve as an analyst on six BIG EAST games with commentator Dave Pasch. Beth Mowins will report on eight of the telecasts and Andy Katz will report from four.
• ACC: Dan Shulman will call seven of the ACC games, including the semifinals and championship. He will work four games with analyst Fran Fraschilla, a semifinal with Len Elmore and a semifinal and championship with Dick Vitale. Mike Patrick and Elmore will pair up on four games. Jeannine Edwards will report on eight while Erin Andrews will work the semifinals and championship.
• Big 12 & SEC: Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes and Shannon Spake will call nine SEC games including semifinals and title game on ABC, while Brent Musburger, Bob Knight and Holly Rowe will work five Big 12 telecasts.
• Six Games & Two Titles: Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham will pair up to work six games together: five from the West Coast Conference and the WAC championship.
• In addition to…: In addition to his four ACC games, Fraschilla will work the Ohio Valley Conference semifinals and championship with Bob Wischusen. Wischusen will also work the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Mid-American Conference title games.
• Big Ten: Dave O’Brien and Dan Dakich will call the four Big Ten telecasts.
• Multiple Titles: Several analysts will work multiple championships, including LaPhonso Ellis on the Big South, Southern and America East; Stephen Bardo on the Horizon League and Mid-American Conference; and Miles Simon on the Big West and Big Sky.

ESPN.com
ESPN.com’s Championship Week index page will feature news, analysis, information and results for every conference tournament as well as previews, in-depth expert examination and key storylines for select conferences. ESPN.com’s Bubble Watch with writer Eamonn Brennan will give fans an in-depth look at teams on the bubble and the latest developments on NCAA tournament selection status. In addition, writers will file stories from several tournament sites, including the ACC, Big 12, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC. ESPN.com’s Bracketologist Joe Lunardi will also update and adjust his Bracketology projections and outlook daily.

ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio will present comprehensive Championship Week coverage with updates, guests, and reports from the sites of key matchups, as well as projecting the field of 68. Play-by-play coverage will include the Big 12 Semifinals and Championship for the third straight season (March 9-10), and for the first time every game of the ACC Tournament (March 8-11). Additionally, regularly scheduled ESPN Radio programming will include previews and reviews of key games, analysis by ESPN experts, and interviews with coaches and players preparing for the NCAA Tournament.

Championship Week Schedule

Date	Network	Time (ET)	Game/Commentators	Site
Thursday, 3/1	ESPN3	2:30 p.m.	Atlantic Sun Tournament: Quarterfinal	Macon, GA
	ESPNU/ESPN3	6 p.m.	Big South Tournament: Semifinal #1 Justin Kutcher & LaPhonso Ellis	Asheville, NC
	ESPNU/ESPN3	8 p.m.	Big South Tournament: Semifinal #2 Justin Kutcher & LaPhonso Ellis	Asheville, NC
	ESPN3	8:30 p.m.	Atlantic Sun Tournament: Quarterfinal	Macon, GA
Friday, 3/2	ESPNU/ESPN3	7 p.m.	Ohio Valley Conference Tournament: Semifinal #1 Bob Wischusen & Fran Fraschilla	Nashville, TN
	ESPNU/ESPN3	9 p.m.	West Coast Tournament: Quarterfinal #1 Dave Flemming & Sean Farnham	Las Vegas, NV
	ESPN3/ESPNU*	9 p.m.	Ohio Valley Conference Tournament: Semifinal #2 Bob Wischusen & Fran Fraschilla	Nashville, TN
	ESPNU/ESPN3	11 p.m.	West Coast Tournament: Quarterfinal #2 Dave Flemming & Sean Farnham	Las Vegas, NV
Saturday, 3/3	ESPN2/ESPN3	Noon	Big South Tournament: Championship Justin Kutcher & LaPhonso Ellis	TBD
	ESPN3	Noon	Southern Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Asheville, NC
	ESPN2/ESPN3	2 p.m.	Ohio Valley Conference Tournament: Championship Bob Wischusen & Fran Fraschilla	Nashville, TN
	ESPN3	2 p.m.	Southern Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Asheville, NC
	ESPN3	2:30 p.m.	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Springfield, MA
	ESPN3	4:30 p.m.	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Springfield, MA
	ESPN3	6 p.m.	Southern Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Asheville, NC
	ESPN3/ESPNU**	6 p.m.	Horizon League Tournament: Semifinal #1 Mark Jones & Stephen Bardo	TBD
	ESPN2/ESPN3	7 p.m.	Atlantic Sun Tournament: Championship	Macon, GA
	ESPN3	7:30 p.m.	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Springfield, MA
	ESPN3	8 p.m.	Southern Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Asheville, NC
	ESPN3/ESPNU***	8 p.m.	CIAA Tournament: Championship	Charlotte, NC
	ESPNU/ESPN3	8:30 p.m.	Horizon League Tournament: Semifinal #2 Mark Jones & Stephen Bardo	TBD
	ESPN2/ESPN3	9 p.m.	West Coast Tournament: Semifinal #1 Dave Flemming &  Sean Farnham	Las Vegas, NV
	ESPN3	9:30 p.m.	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal	Springfield, Mass.
	ESPN2/ESPN3	11 p.m.	West Coast Tournament: Semifinal #2 Dave Flemming & Sean Farnham	Las Vegas, NV
Sunday, 3/4	ESPN3	2 p.m.	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament: Semifinal #1	Springfield, MA
	ESPN3	4 p.m.	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament: Semifinal #2	Springfield, MA
	ESPN3	5 p.m.	America East Tournament: Semifinal #1	West Hartford, CT
	ESPN3	7 p.m.	America East Tournament: Semifinal #2	West Hartford, CT
Monday, 3/5	ESPN/ESPN3	7 p.m.	Colonial Athletic Association Championship: Championship Mike Patrick & Dan Dakich	Richmond, VA
	ESPN2/ESPN3	7 p.m.	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship: Championship Bob Wischusen & Len Elmore	Springfield, MA
	ESPN/ESPN3	9 p.m.	West Coast Championship: Championship Dave Flemming & Sean Farnham	Las Vegas, NV
	ESPN2/ESPN3	9 p.m.	Southern Championship: Championship Jon Sciambi & LaPhonso Ellis	Asheville, NC
Tuesday, 3/6	ESPN2/ESPN3	Noon	BIG EAST Championship: First Round #1 Dave Pasch, Doris Burke & Andy Katz	New York, NY
	ESPN2/ESPN3	2 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: First Round #2 Dave Pasch, Doris Burke & Andy Katz	New York, NY
	ESPN2/ESPN3	7 p.m.	Sun Belt Tournament: Championship Adam Amin & Mark Adams	Hot Springs, AR
	ESPNU/ESPN3	7 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: First Round #3 Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Andy Katz	New York, NY
	ESPN/ESPN3	9 p.m.	Horizon League Tournament: Championship Mark Jones & Stephen Bardo	TBD
	ESPN2/ESPN3	9 p.m.	Summit League Tournament: Championship Clay Matvick & Bob Valvano	Sioux Falls, SD
	ESPNU/ESPN3	9 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: First Round #4 Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Andy Katz	New York, N.Y.
Wednesday, 3/7	ESPN/ESPN3	Noon	BIG EAST Championship: Second Round #1 Dave Pasch, Doris Burke & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPN/ESPN3	2 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Second Round #2 Dave Pasch, Doris Burke & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPN/ESPN3	7 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Second Round #3 Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPN2/ESPN3	7 p.m.	NEC Tournament: Championship Jon Sciambi & TBD	TBD
	ESPN/ESPN3	9 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Second Round #4 Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPN2/ESPN3	9 p.m.	Big Sky Championship: Championship Roxy Bernstein & Miles Simon	TBD
Thursday, 3/8	ESPN/ESPN3	Noon	BIG EAST Championship: Quarterfinal #1 Dave Pasch, Doris Burke & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPNU/ESPN3	Noon	ACC – First Round #1 Dan Shulman, Fran Fraschilla & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
	ESPN2/ESPN3	12:30 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: Quarterfinal #1 Brent Musburger, Bob Knight & Holly Rowe	Kansas City, MO
	ESPN/ESPN3	2 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Quarterfinal #2 Dave Pasch, Doris Burke & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPNU/ESPN3	2 p.m.	ACC – First Round #2 Dan Shulman, Fran Fraschilla & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
	ESPN2/ESPN3	2:30 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: Quarterfinal #2 Brent Musburger, Bob Knight & Holly Rowe	Kansas City, MO
	ESPN2/ESPN3	5:30 p.m.	Big Ten Tournament: Second Round #3 Dave O’Brien & Dan Dakich	Indianapolis, IN
	ESPN/ESPN3	7 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Quarterfinal #3 Sean McDonough,  Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPNU/ESPN3	7 p.m.	ACC Tournament: First Round #3 Mike Patrick, Len Elmore & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
	ESPN2/ESPN3	7:30 p.m.	Big Ten Tournament: Second Round #4 Dave O’Brien & Dan Dakich	Indianapolis, IN
	ESPN/ESPN3	9 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Quarterfinal #4 Sean McDonough,  Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Beth Mowins	New York, NY
	ESPNU/ESPN3	9 p.m.	ACC Tournament: First Round #4 Mike Patrick, Len Elmore & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
Friday, 3/9	ESPN/ESPN3	Noon	Big Ten Tournament: Quarterfinal #1 Dave O’Brien & Dan Dakich	Indianapolis, IN
	ESPN2/ESPN3	Noon	ACC Tournament: Quarterfinal #1 Dan Shulman, Fran Fraschilla & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
	ESPNU/ESPN3	1 p.m.	SEC Tournament: Quarterfinal #1 ^ Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake	New Orleans, LA
	ESPN/ESPN3	2 p.m.	Big Ten Tournament: Quarterfinal #2 Dave O’Brien & Dan Dakich	Indianapolis, IN
	ESPN2/ESPN3	2 p.m.	ACC Tournament: Quarterfinal #2 Dan Shulman, Fran Fraschilla & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
	ESPNU/ESPN3	3 p.m.	SEC Tournament: Quarterfinal #2 ^ Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake	New Orleans, LA
	ESPN/ESPN3	7 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Semifinal #1 Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Doris Burke	New York, NY
	ESPN2/ESPN3	7 p.m.	ACC Tournament: Quarterfinal #3 Mike Patrick, Len Elmore & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
	ESPNU/ESPN3	7:30 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: Semifinal #1 ^ Brent Musburger, Bob Knight & Holly Rowe	Kansas City, MO
	ESPN/ESPN3	9 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Semifinal #2 Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Doris Burke	New York, NY
	ESPN2/ESPN3	9 p.m.	ACC Tournament: Quarterfinal #4 Mike Patrick, Len Elmore & Jeannine Edwards	Atlanta, GA
	ESPN3/ESPNU****	9:30 p.m.	Big West Tournament: Semifinal #1 * Mark Jones & Miles Simon	Anaheim, CA
	ESPNU/ESPN3	10 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: Semifinal #2 ^ Brent Musburger, Bob Knight & Holly Rowe	Kansas City, MO
	ESPNU/ESPN3	11:59 p.m.	Big West Tournament: Semifinal #2 Mark Jones & Miles Simon	Anaheim, CA
Saturday, 3/10	ESPN2/ESPN3	11 a.m.	America East Tournament: Championship TBD & LaPhonso Ellis	TBD
	ESPN/ESPN3	1 p.m.	ACC Tournament: Semifinal #1 Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale or Len Elmore, & Erin Andrews	Atlanta, GA
	ABC	1 p.m.	SEC Tournament: Semifinal #1 Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake	New Orleans, LA
	ESPN2/ESPN3	1 p.m.	MEAC Tournament: Championship Justin Kutcher & TBD	Winston-Salem, NC
	ESPN/ESPN3	3 p.m.	ACC Tournament: Semifinal #2 Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale or Len Elmore, &  Erin Andrews	Atlanta, GA
	ABC	3 p.m.	SEC Tournament: Semifinal #2 Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake	New Orleans, LA
	ESPN2/ESPN3	3 p.m.	Southland Tournament: Championship Carter Blackburn & Dereck Whittenburg	Katy, Texas
	ESPN/ESPN3	6 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: Championship Brent Musburger, Bob Knight & Holly Rowe	Kansas City, MO
	ESPN2/ESPN3	8 p.m.	Mid-American Conference Tournament: Championship Bob Wischusen & Stephen Bardo	Cleveland, OH
	ESPNU/ESPN3	8 p.m.	SWAC Tournament: Championship	Garland, TX
	ESPN/ESPN3	9 p.m.	BIG EAST Championship: Championship Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery & Doris Burke	New York, NY
	ESPN2/ESPN3	10 p.m.	Big West Tournament: Championship Mark Jones & Miles Simon	Anaheim, CA
	ESPN2/ESPN3	11:59 p.m.	Western Athletic Conference: Championship Dave Flemming & Sean Farnham	Las Vegas, NV
Sunday, 3/11	ESPN/ESPN3	1 p.m.	ACC Tournament: Championship Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale & Erin Andrews	Atlanta, GA
	ABC	1 p.m.	SEC Tournament: Championship Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake	New Orleans, LA

*Live on ESPN3, tape delay on ESPNU Saturday, March 3, at 1:30 a.m.
**Live on ESPN3, tape delay on ESPNU Saturday, March 3, at 10:30 p.m.
*** Live on ESPN3, tape delay on ESPNU Sunday, March 4, at 12:30 a.m.
**** Live on ESPN3, tape delay on ESPNU Saturday, March 10, at 2 a.m.
^ Outermarket only

All Times Eastern Standard
Schedule Subject to Change

ESPN3 schedule of Simulcasts

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Site
Thursday, 3/1	1 p.m.	CIAA Tournament: Quarterfinal #1	Charlotte, NC
	3 p.m.	CIAA Tournament: Quarterfinal #2	Charlotte, NC
	7 p.m.	CIAA Tournament: Quarterfinal #3	Charlotte, N.C.
	7 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament: First Round	St. Louis, MO
	9 p.m.	West Coast Tournament: Second Round	Las Vegas, NV
	9 p.m.	CIAA Tournament: Quarterfinal #4	Charlotte, NC
	9:30 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament: First Round	St. Louis, MO
	11:30 p.m.	West Coast Tournament: Second Round	Las Vegas, NV
Friday, 3/2	1 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament: Quarterfinal #1	St. Louis, MO
	3:30 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament: Quarterfinal #2	St. Louis, MO
	6 p.m.	Horizon League Tournament: Second Round	TBD
	6 p.m.	Atlantic Sun Tournament: Semifinal #1	Macon, GA
	7 p.m.	CIAA Tournament: Semifinal #1	Charlotte, NC
	7 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament : Quarterfinal #3	St. Louis, MO
	8:30 p.m.	Horizon League Tournament: Second Round	TBD
	8:30 p.m.	Atlantic Sun Tournament: Semifinal #2	Macon, GA
	9 p.m.	CIAA Tournament: Semifinal #2	Charlotte, NC
	9:30 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament: Quarterfinal #4	St. Louis, MO
Saturday, 3/3	Noon	Colonial Athletic Tournament: Quarterfinal #1	Richmond, VA
	2:30 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament: Semifinal #1	St. Louis, MO
	2:30 p.m.	Colonial Athletic Tournament: Quarterfinal #2	Richmond, VA
	5 p.m.	Missouri Valley Tournament: Semifinal #2	St. Louis, MO
	6 p.m.	Colonial Athletic Tournament: Quarterfinal #3	Richmond, Va.
	8:30 p.m.	Colonial Athletic Tournament: Quarterfinal #4	Richmond, VA
Sunday, 3/4	2 p.m.	Colonial Athletic Tournament: Semifinal #1	Richmond, VA
	4:30 p.m.	Colonial Athletic Tournament: Semifinal #2	Richmond, Va.
	6 p.m.	Southern Conference Tournament: Semifinal #1	Asheville, NC
	7 p.m.	Sun Belt Tournament: Quarterfinal #3	Hot Springs, AR
	8:30 p.m.	Southern Conference Tournament: Semifinal #2	Asheville, NC
	9:30 p.m.	Sun Belt Tournament: Quarterfinal #4	Hot Springs, AR
Monday, 3/5	7 p.m.	Sun Belt Tournament: Semifinal #1	Hot Springs, AR
	9:30 p.m.	Sun Belt Tournament: Semifinal #2	Hot Springs, AR
Wednesday, 3/7	7 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: First Round	Kansas City, MO
	7 p.m.	Mid-American Conference Tournament: Second Round	Cleveland, OH
	9:30 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: First Round	Kansas City, MO
	9:30 p.m.	Mid-American Conference Tournament: Second Round	Cleveland, OH
Thursday, 3/8	1 p.m.	SEC Tournament: First Round	New Orleans, LA
	3:30 p.m./td> SEC Tournament: First RoundNew Orleans, LA
	7 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: Quarterfinal #3	Kansas City, MO
	7 p.m.	Southland Tournament: Semifinal #1	Katy, TX
	7 p.m.	Mid-American Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal #3	Cleveland, OH
	7:30 p.m.	SEC Tournament: First Round	New Orleans, LA
	9:30 p.m.	Big 12 Championship: Quarterfinal #4	Kansas City, MO
	9:30 p.m.	Southland Tournament: Semifinal #2	Katy, TX
	9:30 p.m.	Mid-American Conference Tournament: Quarterfinal #4	Cleveland, OH
	10 p.m.	SEC Tournament: First Round	New Orleans, LA
Friday, 3/9	7:30 p.m.	SEC Tournament: Quarterfinal #3	New Orleans, LA
	9 p.m.	Western Athletic Tournament: Semifinal #1	Las Vegas, NV
	9:30 p.m.	Mid-American Conference Tournament: Semifinal #2	Cleveland, OH
	10 p.m.	SEC Tournament: Quarterfinal #4	New Orleans, LA
	11:30 p.m.	Western Athletic Tournament: Semifinal #2	Las Vegas, NV

That will do it.

ESPN’s “Judgement Week” Starts Monday

As the conference races tighten up and we get ready for some exciting conference tournament action in two weeks, ESPN ramps up what it calls “Judgement Week” airing key matchups in the major conferences.

The ESPN Family will have games from the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, and others in the early part of next week.

We have your games listed below.

Men’s College Basketball: Judgment Week Begins

ESPN’s Judgment Week — the pivotal week in the stretch run for conference supremacy — will tip off Monday, Feb. 20, and conclude Sunday, February 27. The early part of the schedule will be highlighted by No. 1 Kentucky at ranked SEC rival No. 23 Mississippi State on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

In addition, ESPN and ESPN2 will offer telecasts of the top three Big 12 teams: No. 3 Missouri against Kansas State (Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2), No. 5 Kansas at Texas A&M (Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 9 p.m. on ESPN2) and No. 10 Baylor at Texas (Monday, Feb. 20, at 9 p.m. on ESPN).

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Network
Mon, Feb 20	7 p.m.	Connecticut at Villanova Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas & Bill Raftery	ESPN/ESPN3
		Texas Southern at Mississippi Valley State Adam Amin & Dereck Whittenburg	ESPNU
	7:30 p.m.	East Tennessee State at Lipscomb	ESPN3
	9 p.m.	No. 10 Baylor at Texas Dave Pasch, Bob Knight & Holly Rowe	ESPN/ESPN3
		DePaul at St. John’s Carter Blackburn & Tim Welsh	ESPNU
Tue, Feb 21	7 p.m.	Illinois at No. 6 Ohio State Mike Tirico & Dan Dakich	ESPN/ESPN3
		Kansas State at No. 3 Missouri John Saunders & Doug Gottlieb	ESPN2/ESPN3
		Auburn at No. 12 Florida Dari Nowkhah & Dino Gaudio	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	No. 1 Kentucky at No. 23 Mississippi State Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake	ESPN/ESPN3
		No. 22 Virginia at Virginia Tech Carter Blackburn & Jay Williams	ESPNU
Wed, Feb 22	7 p.m.	West Virginia at No. 25 Notre Dame Rece Davis, Bob Knight & Digger Phelps	ESPN2/ESPN3
		James Madison at Drexel Adam Amin & LaPhonso Ellis	ESPNU
		George Mason at Northeastern	ESPN3
		Hofstra at William & Mary	ESPN3
		Delaware at Towson	ESPN3
	9 p.m.	No. 5 Kansas at Texas A&M Jon Sciambi & Fran Fraschilla	ESPN2/ESPN3
		Texas Tech at Iowa State Mitch Holthus & Miles Simon	ESPNU
	11 p.m.	UC Santa Barbara at Long Beach State Roxy Bernstein & Sean Farnham	ESPN2/ESPN3

That will do it.

ESPN Family of Networks’ College Basketball Games For Rest of The Week

I gave you the ESPN BracketBusters schedule. Here’s the rest of the ESPN Family of Networks schedule for the rest of this week through Sunday. And it includes the BracketBusters games as well. Plenty of games.

Some of the highlights include: Wisconsin at Michigan State on ESPN tonight, Ohio State at Michigan on ESPN Saturday night and St. Mary’s at Murray State on ESPN early Saturday evening.

Here’s the schedule for you.

Ranked Teams in Big Ten Square Off; No. 3 Missouri in Rematch with Oklahoma State

ESPN’s upcoming men’s college basketball schedule includes ranked Big Ten teams squaring off and No. 3 Missouri against Oklahoma State, one of two teams to defeat them this year.

ESPN has two Big Ten matchups between ranked teams beginning Thursday, Feb. 16, with No. 17 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan State at 7 p.m. The other conference game pits No. 6 Ohio State at No. 19 Michigan in a Saturday prime-time matchup Feb. 18 at 9 p.m.

ESPN2 and ESPN3 will showcase the Big 12 rematch pitting No. 3 Missouri against Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 9 p.m. ET. Oklahoma State defeated Missouri 79 -72 on Jan. 25.

In addition, the 10^th annual Bracketbusters – 13 games with NCAA Championship hopeful teams – Friday and Saturday – takes place Friday and Saturday.  ESPN analyst Dick Vitale will work No. 16 Saint Mary’s at one-loss No. 14 Murray State on ESPN on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m.

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Network
Thu, Feb 16	7 p.m.	No. 17 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan State Dave O’Brien & Stephen Bardo	ESPN/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Virginia Tech at No. 21 Florida State Mike Patrick, Len Elmore & Jeannine Edwards	ESPN2/ESPN3
	8 p.m.	Iowa at Penn State Jim Barbar & Tim McCormick	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	West Virginia at Pittsburgh Marc Kestecher & Bob Knight	ESPN/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	Vanderbilt at Mississippi Rece Davis & Hubert Davis	ESPN2/ESPN3
	10 p.m.	BYU at San Francisco Mark Neely & Miles Simon	ESPNU
	11 p.m.	No. 24 Gonzaga at Santa Clara Dave Flemmin & Bob Valvano	ESPN2/ESPN3
Fri, Feb 17	7 p.m.	Northern Iowa at Virginia Commonwealth Bob Wischusen & Dan Dakich	ESPN2/ESPN3
	7 p.m.	Columbia at Princeton Doug Sherman & Tim O’Toole	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	BracketBusters: Valparaiso at Loyola Marymount Mark Neely & Miles Simon	ESPNU
Sat, Feb 18	11 a.m.	BracketBusters: Drexel at Cleveland State Adam Amin & Brooke Weisbrod	ESPNU
	Noon	No. 13 Marquette at Connecticut Dave Pasch & Doris Burke	ESPN/ESPN3
	Noon	BracketBusters: Wichita State at Davidson Marc Kestecher & LaPhonso Ellis	ESPN2/ESPN3
	1 p.m.	BracketBusters: Buffalo at South Dakota State Mike Crispino & Bob Valvano	ESPNU
	2 p.m.	No. 3 Missouri at Texas A&M Dave Flemming & Fran Fraschilla	ESPN/ESPN3
	2 p.m.	BracketBusters: Akron at Oral Roberts Rich Hollenberg & Mark Adams	ESPN2/ESPN3
	3 p.m.	BracketBusters: Drake at New Mexico State Dan Gutowsky & Paul Biancardi	ESPNU
	4 p.m.	Clemson at No. 7 North Carolina Mike Patrick & Len Elmore	ESPN/ESPN3
	4 p.m.	BracketBusters: Nevada at Iona Doug Sherman & Sean Farnham	ESPN2/ESPN3
	4 p.m.	Lamar at George Mason	ESPN3
	5 p.m.	BracketBusters: Old Dominion at Missouri State Justin Kutcher & Ron Thompson	ESPNU
	6 p.m.	BracketBusters: No. 16 Saint Mary’s at No. 14 Murray State Dave O’Brien & Dick Vitale	ESPN/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	No. 12 Florida at Arkansas Brad Nessler & Jimmy Dykes	ESPN2/ESPN3
	6:30 p.m.	Florida Atlantic at Middle Tennessee State	ESPN3
	7 p.m.	BYU at Santa Clara Mark Neely & Miles Simon	ESPNU
	7 p.m.	Sears BracketBusters: UNC Asheville at Ohio Jim Barbar & Ronnie Rankin	ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	USC Upstate at Lipscomb	ESPN3
	8 p.m.	BracketBusters: Texas-Arlington at Weber State Greg Heister & Bill Herenda	ESPN3
	9 p.m.	No. 6 Ohio State at No. 19 Michigan Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas & Erin Andrews	ESPN/ESPN3
	9 p.m.	No. 25 Notre Dame at Villanova Beth Mowins & Tim Welsh	ESPNU
	10 p.m.	BracketBusters: Long Beach State at Creighton Roxy Bernstein & Stephen Bardo	ESPN2/ESPN3
Sun, Feb 19	1 p.m.	No. 2 Syracuse at Rutgers Bob Wischusen & Doris Burke	ESPN/ESPN3
	6 p.m.	ACC Sunday Night Basketball: No. 4 Duke at Boston College Jon Sciambi & Hubert Davis	ESPNU
	7 p.m.	South Florida at Pittsburgh TBD & LaPhonso Ellis	ESPN2/ESPN3