ESPN to Present Record Number of Women's Championship Week Games
Five Women's Conference Champions to be Crowned on ESPN
ESPN's 2015 Championship Week Presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods will feature a record 112 exclusive women's college basketball games beginning Wednesday, March 4, to Sunday, March 15, across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN3 and SEC Network +. ESPN will be the home to five conference title games - the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC on Sunday, March 8, and the American Women's Championship on Monday, March 9.
The networks will combine to exclusively offer game action of 112 women's games, and will crown the champion from 21 Division I conferences. ESPN3 will have exclusive coverage of 80 conference tournament games, and will show another 20 contests available in local markets via syndication, for a total of 132 games.
The entire Championship Week coverage will also be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The Championship Week schedule includes a total of 280 exclusive men's and women's basketball games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, SEC Network, SEC Network + and ESPN3 from 26 conferences.
SPN will unveil a new and unique animation package and new theme music for Championship Week. The animation package features a rich gold color palette and utilizes a majestic arena environment with ascending lights and camera moves that reflect the rising aspirations of teams during this pivotal time of the season. The gold theme will also translate to commercial music selections with "Glitter & Gold" by Rebecca Ferguson and "Golden" by Parade of Lights.
Championship Week Highlights
· ESPN will be the home to four conference title games on Sunday, March 8 on ESPN:
· The ACC championship game will be shown at 1 p.m. with the semifinals airing on Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
· The SEC title game airs at 3:30 p.m., with the semifinals shown Saturday at 5 and 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
· The Big Ten title game airs at 7 p.m. and the nightcap at 9 p.m. features the Pac-12 semifinal winners.
· The American Women's Conference Championship can be seen exclusively on ESPN platforms - the first round and quarterfinal games will be on ESPN3 on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, respectively, with the semifinals airing Sunday on ESPNU and the title game on Monday on ESPN.
· Additional championship games live on ESPNU: America East, Atlantic 10, Horizon League, MAAC, Northeast Conference, Summit League, Western Athletic Conference and West Coast Conference.
SEC Network Coverage
· SEC Network will carry the first round, second round and quarterfinal games live from Little Rock, Ark., beginning Wednesday, March 4 through Friday, March 6.
· SEC Now courtside in Little Rock on Thursday with pregame and postgame coverage on Saturday.
· SEC Now features Host Maria Taylor and analyst Nell Fortner.
· Coach and player interviews, locker room access and coaches being mic'ed with be part of game and studio telecasts.
Studio Assignments
· Host Zubin Mehenti, along with analyst Kara Lawson, will be in ESPN's Bristol, Conn., studio on Sunday, March 8, for ESPN's airing of the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC title games.
· Adnan Virk and Lawson will be in studio for Monday's American Women's Conference championship game.
espnW Coverage
Top espnW writers - Mechelle Voepel and Michelle Smith - will report from key conference tournaments, while Charlie Creme will provide Bracketology updates as upsets occur and conference tournament champions are decided. Throughout Championship Week, espnW will also provide content through social channels, daily video highlights, game results and brackets for each of the 31 league tournaments.
Select games will also be available on the ESPN3 player on espnW.com
NCAA Women's Basketball Championship
ESP N will present the exclusive live announcement of the 64-team NCAA Championship field as part of Selection Monday on March 16, 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 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship will air on ESPN networks for the 10th consecutive year. ESPN and ESPN2 will present regionalized telecasts with home market protection through the first two rounds. ESPN3 and ESPN FULL COURT, the pay-per-view package, will offer first- and second-round games in their entirety as a supplement to ESPN and ESPN2's coverage. 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.
2015 ESPN Network's Champ Week Women's Basketball Schedule (subject to change)
Date Time (ET) Game / Commentator Network
Wed, Mar 4 1 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Quarterfinal 1 - #1 UT martin vs. #8 Eastern Illinois
Justin Seamon, Brittany Jackson ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Quarterfinal 2 - #2 SIUE vs. #7 Austin Peay
Justin Seamon, Brittany Jackson ESPN3
7 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): First Round Game 1 - #12 Florida vs. #13 Auburn
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network Alternate / SEC Network +
9 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): First Round Game 2 - #11 Vanderbilt vs. #14 Alabama
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network Alternate / SEC Network +
Thu, Mar 5 Noon Big South Quarterfinals (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Quarterfinal 1 - #8/9 vs. #1 Liberty
Evan Leplar, Nate Ross ESPN3
1 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Quarterfinal 3 - #4 Belmont vs. #5 Jacksonville
Justin Seamon, Brittany Jackson ESPN3
SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Second Round Game 1 - #8 Ole Miss vs. #9 Arkansas
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
2 p.m. Big South Quarterfinals (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Quarterfinal 2 - #5 Campbell vs. #4 Winthrop
Evan Leplar, Nate Ross ESPN3
3 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Second Round Game 2 - #5 Texas A&M vs. Game 1 winner
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
3:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Quarterfinal 4 - #3 Tennessee State vs. #6 Morehead State
Justin Seamon, Brittany Jackson ESPN3
6 p.m. Big South Quarterfinals (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Quarterfinal 3 - #7/10 vs. #2 Radford
Mike Gleason, Kelley Deyo ESPN3
7 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Second Round Game 3 - #10 Georgia vs. #7 Missouri
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
8 p.m. Big South Quarterfinals (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Quarterfinal 4 - #6/10 vs. #3 High Point
Mike Gleason, Kelley Deyo ESPN3
9 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Second Round Game 4 - #6 Kentucky vs. Game 2 winner
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
Fri, Mar 6 11 a.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Semifinal 1
Darren Goldwater, Robin Muller, Dean Keener ESPN3
1 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Quarterfinal 1 - #1 South Carolina vs. Game 3 winner
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal 1
Justin Seamon, Brittany Jackson ESPN3
Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Semifinal 2
Darren Goldwater, Robin Muller, Dean Keener ESPN3
3 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Quarterfinal 2 - #4 LSU vs. Game 4 winner
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
3:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal 2
Justin Seamon, Brittany Jackson ESPN3
4 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): First Round Game 1
Bob Picozzi, Katie Smith ESPN3
6 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): First Round Game 2
Bob Picozzi, Katie Smith ESPN3
7 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Quarterfinal 3 - #2 Tennessee vs. Game 5 winner
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
Atlantic Sun Championship: Quarterfinal 1 - #5 Kennesaw State at #4 Jacksonville ESPN3
Atlantic Sun Championship: Quarterfinal 2 - #6 USC Upstate at #3 Northern Kentucky ESPN3
Atlantic Sun Championship: Quarterfinal 3 - #8 North Florida at No. 1 Florida Gulf Coast ESPN3
Atlantic Sun Championship: Quarterfinal 4
#7 Lipscomb at #2 Stetson ESPN3
9 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Quarterfinal 4 - #3 Mississippi State vs. Game 6 winner
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen SEC Network
Sat, Mar 7 Noon ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Semifinal 1
Pam Ward, Debbie Antonelli ESPNU
American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal 1
Bob Picozzi, Brooke Weisbrod ESPN3
America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal 1 - #1 Maine vs. #8 Binghamton ESPN3
2 p.m. ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Semifinal 2
Pam Ward, Debbie Antonelli ESPNU
American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal 2
Bob Picozzi, Brooke Weisbrod ESPN3
Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Final
Robert Harper, Justin Seamon ESPN3
America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal 2 - #4 New Hampshire vs. #5 Hartford ESPN3
5 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Semifinal 1
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Cara Capuano ESPNU
6 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal 3
John Brickley, Katie Smith ESPN3
America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal 3 - #2 Albany vs. #7 Vermont ESPN3
Big South Championship (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Semifinal 1
Evan Lepar, Kelley Deyo ESPN3
7 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Semifinal 2
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Cara Capuano ESPNU
8 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal 4
John Brickley, Katie Smith ESPN3
America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal 4 - #3 Stony Brook vs. #6 UMBC ESPN3
Big South Championship (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Semifinal 2
Evan Lepar, Kelley Deyo ESPN3
Sun, Mar 8 1 p.m. ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Final
Pam Ward, Debbie Antonelli ESPN
Atlantic 10 Championship (Richmond, Va.): Final
Jim Barbar, DeLisha Milton ESPNU
Southern Championship (Asheville, NC): Final ESPN3
2:30 p.m. America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Semifinal 1
Eric Frede, Kim Adams, Dani Klupenger ESPN3
3:30 p.m. SEC Tournament (Little Rock, Ark.): Final
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Cara Capuano ESPN
4:30 p.m. America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Semifinal 2
Eric Frede, Kim Adams, Dani Klupenger ESPN3
5 p.m. Big South Championship (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Final
Mike Hogewood, Kelley Deyo ESPN3
5:30 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Semifinal 1
Bob Picozzi, Brooke Weisbrod ESPNU
7 p.m. Big Ten Tournament (Hoffman Estates, Ill.): Final
Clay Matvick, Stephanie White ESPN
7:30 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Semifinal 2
Bob Picozzi, Brooke Weisbrod ESPNU
9 p.m. Pac-12 Tournament (Seattle, Wash.): Final
Roxy Bernstein, Mary Murphy ESPN
Mon, Mar 9 11 a.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round, Game 1 ESPN3
1:30 pm. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round, Game 2 ESPN3
4 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round, Game 3 ESPN3
4:30 p.m. MAAC Championship (Albany, N.Y.): Final
Doug Sherman, Juianne Viani ESPNU
7 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Final
Bob Picozzi, Rebecca Lobo ESPN
Tue, Mar 10 Noon MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round, Game 6 ESPN3
2 p.m. Summit League Championship (Sioux Falls, S.D.): Final
Clay Matvick, Brooke Weisbrod ESPNU
2:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round, Game 7 ESPN3
4 p.m. West Coast Championship (Las Vegas, Nev.): Final
Beth Mowins, Katie Smith ESPNU
9 p.m. Big West Tournament (Fullerton, Calif.): First Round, Game 1 ESPN3
11:30 p.m. Big West Tournament (Fullerton, Calif.): First Round, Game 1 ESPN3
Wed, Mar 11 TBD Atlantic Sun Championship (school site): Semifinal 1 ESPN3
TBD Atlantic Sun Championship (school site): Semifinal 1 ESPN3
Noon MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Quarterfinal 1 ESPN3
12:30 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Quarterfinal 1
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen ESPN3
2:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Quarterfinal 2 ESPN3
3 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Quarterfinal 2
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen ESPN3
6 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Quarterfinal 3
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen ESPN3
8:30 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Quarterfinal 4
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen ESPN3
9 p.m. Big West Tournament (Fullerton, Calif.): Quarterfinal 1 ESPN3
11:30 p.m. Big West Tournament (Fullerton, Calif.): Quarterfinal 2 ESPN3
Thu, Mar 12 Noon MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Quarterfinal 3 ESPN3
12:30 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Semifinal 1
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen ESPN3
2:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Quarterfinal 4 ESPN3
3 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Semifinal 2
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen ESPN3
5 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): First Round, Game 1 ESPN3
8 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): First Round, Game 2 ESPN3
Fri, Mar 13 Noon MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Semifinal 1 ESPN3
1 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): Quarterfinal 1 ESPN3
2:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Semifinal 2 ESPN3
3 p.m. Big West Tournament (Anaheim, Calif.): Semifinal 1 ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): Quarterfinal 2 ESPN3
4:30 p.m. America East Championship (campus of higher seed after semifinals): Final
Eric Frede, Sue Bird ESPNU
5:30 p.m. Big West Tournament (Anaheim, Calif.): Semifinal 1 ESPN3
7 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): Quarterfinal 3 ESPN3
9:30 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): Quarterfinal 4 ESPN3
Sat, Mar 14 2 p.m. Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): Semifinal 1
David Saltzman, Van Chancellor, Randy McIlvoy ESPN3
2:30 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): Semifinal 1 ESPN3
3 p.m. SWAC Championship (Houston, Texas): Final
Brett Dolan, Brenda Milano ESPN3^
3:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Final
Melissa Lee, LaChina Robinson ESPN3*
4 p.m. WAC Tournament (Las Vegas, Nev.): Final
Steve Quis, Katie Smith ESPNU
4:30 p.m. Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): Semifinal 2
David Saltzman, Van Chancellor, Randy McIlvoy ESPN3
5 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): Semifinal 1 ESPN3
8 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Final
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen ESPN3$
Sun, Mar 15 1 p.m. NEC Tournament (campus of higher seed): Final
Mike Couzens, Nell Fortner ESPNU
2:30 p.m. Atlantic Sun Championship (school site): Final ESPN3
3 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed after quarterfinals): Final
Jim Barbar, Brooke Weisbrod ESPNU
Missouri Valley Championship (St. Louis, Mo.): Final ESPN3
$ - Tape delay on ESPNU at 1 a.m. on Sunday, March 15
^ - Tape delay on ESPNU at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 15
* - Tape delay on ESPNU at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 15
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