ESPN Expands Coverage of NCAA Division I Softball Championship
Doubles Regional Site Coverage; Set to Air Every Super Regional and WCWS Game
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Longhorn Network (LHN) and ESPN3 will combine as the coverage home to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship with up to 97 games Friday, May 17 to Wednesday, June 5. The lineup will include telecasts of every Women’s College World Series (WCWS) contest for the 13th straight event, every game from all eight Super Regional sites for the sixth straight year and more coverage of the Regionals than ever before.
ESPN networks will air games from eight Regionals sites, doubling the previous year’s coverage and making it the most sites ever carried nationally. Up to 112 hours of games will be available over three days from: the Norman Regional (Marita Hynes Field), Austin Regional (Red and Charline McCombs Field), Tempe Regional (Alberta B. Farrington Stadium), Columbia Regional (University Field), Ann Arbor Regional (Wilpon Softball Complex), Lexington Regional (John Cropp Stadium), Mobile Regional (Jaguar Field) and College Station Regional (Olsen Field).
The 64-team field was revealed live during the NCAA Softball Selection Show presented by Capital One on ESPNU Sunday, May 12. Eight teams are making their first appearance in the tournament and the Southeastern Conference led all conferences with 11 teams selected. The Pac-12 placed eight, while the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference and Conference USA each had four qualifiers.
Additional 2013 NCAA Softball Championship Highlights:
- Regionals, Super Regionals and WCWS games will include the expert opinion and experience from at least six U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists, one of which was a three-time NCAA Champion:
o ESPN Softball Analysts at Regionals: Leah O’Brien-Amico (Arizona), Garland Cooper (Northwestern), Amanda Freed (UCLA), Jessica Mendoza (Stanford), Charlotte Morgan (Alabama), Michele Smith (Oklahoma St.), Amanda Scarborough (Texas A&M) and Tracy Warren (Trenton State College)
o ESPN Softball Analysts at Super Regionals: Leah O’Brien-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)
o ESPN Softball Analysts in Studio: Cheri Kemp (Missouri Western) and Jenny Dalton Hill (Arizona) for Regionals; Stacey Nuveman (UCLA) and Jenny Dalton Hill (Arizona) for Super Regionals
- For the second year, LHN will exclusively air every game involving No. 4 Texas from the Austin Regionals site. ESPN3 will carry all other Austin Regional site games.
- espnW.com will serve as the online destination for complete coverage of the Division I NCAA Softball Tournament. Contributor Graham Hays and others will provide extensive preview coverage, bracket analysis, power rankings, photos, videos and more. In addition, several players will be guest blogging for the site in Blogs From the Road. espnW is also collecting the best social photos during the tournament; fans are encouraged to join the gallery by tweeting their photos and using hashtag #WCWS
- ESPN International will provide the WCWS in: ESPN Australia, ESPN Africa, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Europe, ESPN Israel, ESPN Latin America, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Pacific Rim and ESPN Brazil.
Regionals Softball Schedule (Schedule Subject to Change):
|
Date |
Time (ET) |
Game |
Network |
|
Fri, May 17 |
3:30 p.m. |
College Station Regional: Arizona vs. Baylor |
ESPN2 |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
Tempe Regional: San Diego State vs. Georgia |
ESPNU |
|
|
4:30 p.m. |
Ann Arbor Regional: Central Michigan vs. California |
ESPN3 |
|
|
4:30 p.m. |
Mobile Regional: Mississippi State vs. Florida State |
ESPN3 |
|
|
5 p.m. |
Lexington Regional: Virginia Tech vs. Notre Dame |
ESPN3 |
|
|
5 p.m. |
Columbia Regional: Oregon State vs. Hofstra |
ESPN3 |
|
|
4 p.m. |
Austin Regional: South Carolina vs. Houston |
ESPN3 |
|
|
6 p.m. |
College Station Regional: Pennsylvania vs. No. 16 Texas A&M |
ESPN2 |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Tempe Regional: San Jose State vs. No. 5 Arizona State |
ESPNU |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Norman Regional: Fordham vs. Arkansas |
ESPN3 |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Ann Arbor Regional: Valparaiso vs. No. 8 Michigan |
ESPN3 |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Mobile Regional: Mississippi Valley State vs. No. 13 South Alabama |
ESPN3 |
|
|
7:30 p.m. |
Lexington Regional: Marshall vs. No. 12 Kentucky |
ESPN3 |
|
|
7:30 p.m. |
Columbia Regional: Stony Brook vs. No. 6 Missouri |
ESPN3 |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Austin Regional: Army vs. No. 4 Texas |
LHN |
|
|
8:30 p.m. |
Norman Regional: Marist vs. No. 1 Oklahoma |
ESPN3 |
|
Sat, May 18 |
noon |
Ann Arbor Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
noon |
Austin Regional: TBD |
LHN or ESPN3 |
|
|
1 p.m. |
Lexington Regional: TBD Cara Capuano & Leah O’Brien-Amico |
ESPN3 |
|
|
1 p.m. |
Columbia Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Norman Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Mobile Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
2:30 p.m. |
Ann Arbor Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
3 p.m. |
College Station Regional: TBD |
ESPN |
|
|
3 p.m. |
Austin Regional: TBD |
LHN or ESPN3 |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
Lexington Regional: TBD Cara Capuano & Leah O’Brien-Amico |
ESPN3 |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
Columbia Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
4:30 p.m. |
Norman Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
4:30 p.m. |
Mobile Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
5 p.m. |
Ann Arbor Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
5:30 p.m. |
College Station Regional: TBD |
ESPN |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Tempe Regional: TBD |
ESPNU |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Lexington Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Columbia Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Austin Regional: TBD |
LHN or ESPN3 |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Norman Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Mobile Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
8 p.m. |
College Station Regional: TBD |
ESPNEWS |
|
|
8:30 p.m. |
Tempe Regional: TBD |
ESPNU |
|
|
11 p.m. |
Tempe Regional: TBD |
ESPNU |
|
Sun, May 19 |
1 p.m. |
Lexington Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
1p.m. |
Ann Arbor Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Austin Regional: TBD |
LHN or ESPN3 |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Norman Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Columbia Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
College Station Regional: TBD |
ESPN2 |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
Lexington Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
Ann Arbor Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
5 p.m. |
Austin Regional: TBD |
LHN or ESPN3 |
|
|
4:30 p.m. |
Norman Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
4:30 p.m. |
Mobile Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
4:30 p.m. |
Columbia Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
6 p.m. |
College Station Regional: TBD |
ESPN2 |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Tempe Regional: TBD |
ESPNU |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Mobile Regional: TBD |
ESPN3 |
|
|
8:30 p.m. |
Tempe Regional: TBD |
ESPNU |
Super Regionals Schedule:
|
Date |
Time (ET) |
Game |
Network |
|
Thu, May 23 |
8 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 1): Game 1 |
ESPN2 |
|
|
10 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 2): Game 1 |
ESPN2 |
|
Fri, May 24 |
2 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 3): Game 1 |
ESPNU |
|
|
4 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 1): Game 2 |
ESPNU |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 2): Game 2 |
ESPNU |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 1): Game 2 |
ESPN |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 4): Game 1 |
ESPN2 |
|
|
9 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 5): Game 1 |
ESPNU |
|
|
9 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 2): Game 3* |
ESPN |
|
Sat, May 25 |
Noon |
Super Regional (Campus Site 3): Game 2 |
ESPN |
|
|
1 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 6): Game 1 |
ESPNU |
|
|
3 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 3): Game 3* |
ESPN |
|
|
3 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 5): Game 2 |
ESPNU |
|
|
5 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 4): Game 2 |
ESPN |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 5): Game 3* |
ESPNU |
|
|
8 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 4): Game 3* |
ESPN2 |
|
|
8 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 7): Game 1 |
ESPNU |
|
|
10 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 8): Game 1 |
ESPN2 |
|
Sun, May 26 |
Noon |
Super Regional (Campus Site 6): Game 2 |
ESPN |
|
|
3 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 6): Game 3* |
ESPN |
|
|
3 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 7): Game 2 |
ESPNU |
|
|
5 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 8): Game 2 |
ESPN |
|
|
6 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 7): Game 3* |
ESPNU |
|
|
8 p.m. |
Super Regional (Campus Site 8): Game 3* |
ESPN2 |
*If Necessary games
Women’s College World Series Schedule:
|
Date |
Time (ET) |
Game |
Network |
|
Thu, May 30 |
noon |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN2 |
|
|
2:30 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN2 |
|
|
9:30 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN2 |
|
Fri, May 31 |
7 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN2 |
|
9:30 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN2 |
|
|
Sat, June 1 |
noon |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN2 |
|
|
2:30 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN2 |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN |
|
|
9:30 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN |
|
Sun, June 2 |
1 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPN |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPNU |
|
|
9:30 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series |
ESPNU |
|
Mon, June 3 |
8 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series Finals |
ESPN2 |
|
Tue, June 4 |
8 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series Finals |
ESPN |
|
Wed, June 5 |
8 p.m. |
Women’s College World Series Finals |
ESPN |
