ESPN Continues to Air Record Number of Women’s Championship Week Games

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ESPN Continues to Air Record Number of Women’s Championship Week Games

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Four Conference Champions to be crowned on ESPN on Sunday, March 6

ESPN’s 2016 Championship Week Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods will feature an industry-leading 141 exclusive women’s college basketball games beginning Wednesday, March 2 to Sunday, March 13, across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ESPN3. ESPN will be the home to four conference title games on Sunday, March 6 – the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC.

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and will offer 29 games, while ESPN3 will have exclusive coverage of 112 conference tournament games, and will show another 23 contests available in local markets via syndication, for a total of 164 games. ESPN networks will crown the champion from 23 Division I conferences.

Women’s Champ Week coverage will culminate with the exclusive live announcement of the 64-team NCAA Championship field as part of Selection Monday presented by Capital One on March 14, 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.

The Champ Week schedule includes a total of 333 men’s and women’s basketball games – including 289 exclusive contests – across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, SEC Network and ESPN3 from 26 Division I conferences.

All Champ Week telecasts will be streamed live on WatchESPN, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

Championship Week Highlights

  • ESPN will be the home to four conference title games on Sunday, March 6 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 on 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 networks– the first round and quarterfinal games will be on ESPN3 on Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5, respectively, with the semifinals airing Sunday on ESPNU and the title game on Monday on ESPN2.
  • Additional championship games live on ESPNU: America East, Atlantic 10, Horizon League, MAAC, Northeast Conference, Summit League, Western Athletic Conference and West Coast Conference.

Studio Assignments

  • Host Doug Kezerian will be joined on Sunday, March 6 in ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios by analyst Rebecca Lobo for 1 and 3:30 p.m. games and analyst Kara Lawson for the 7 and 9 p.m. windows.
  • Kezerian and Lawson will be in studio for Monday’s American Women’s Conference championship game.

SEC Network Coverage

  • SEC Network will carry the first-, second- and quarterfinal-round games live from Jacksonville, Fla., beginning Wednesday, March 2 through Friday, March 4.
  • SEC Now is courtside in Jacksonville throughout the tournament pregame and postgame coverage.
  • SEC Now features Host Maria Taylor and analysts Nell Fortner and Andy Landers.
  • Unseen vantage points and sounds from the court and locker room air in SEC Inside: Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m.

espnW Coverage
Top espnW writers will report from key conference tournaments, while Charlie Creme will provide Bracketology updates as upsets occur and conference tournament champions are decided. Throughout Champ 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

Champ Week Music
In addition to commercial music selection from last year’s Champ Week – “Glitter & Gold” by Rebecca Ferguson – additional music includes “Get Up” by Dorothy, “Victorious” by Panic! At the Disco and “Golden” by Travie McCoy ft. Sia.

Postseason Coverage
ESPN networks will continue to carry all 63 games of the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Capital One, culminating with the NCAA Women’s Final Four from Indianapolis, on April 3 and 5.

The exclusive live announcement of the 64-team NCAA Championship field as part of Selection Monday presented by Capital One will be unveiled March 14, 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 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship will air on ESPN networks for the 11th 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.

2016 Women’s College Basketball Champ Week Schedule (subject to change)

Date Time (ET) Games / Commentators Network
Wed, Mar 2 11 a.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): First Round
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  1 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): First Round
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round ESPN3
  3:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round ESPN3
Thu, Mar 3 11:30 a.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Quarterfinal #1 ESPN3
  Noon SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Second Round
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  1 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round ESPN3
  1:45 p.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Quarterfinal #2 ESPN3
  3 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Second Round
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  3:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): First Round ESPN3
  4:30 p.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Quarterfinal #3 ESPN3
  6 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Second Round
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  6:45 p.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Quarterfinal #4 ESPN3
  9 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Second Round
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
Fri, Mar 4 11 a.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  Noon SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Quarterfinal #1
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  1 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  1:15 p.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  3 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Quarterfinal #3
Cara Capuano, Gail Goestenkors, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  3:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  4 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): First Round
Ted Emrich, Katie Smith
ESPN3
  6 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Quarterfinal #3
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
  American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): First Round
Ted Emrich, Angel Gray
ESPN3
  7 p.m. Atlantic Sun Championship (campus of higher seed): Quarterfinal #1 ESPN3
  Atlantic Sun Championship (campus of higher seed): Quarterfinal #2 ESPN3
  Atlantic Sun Championship (campus of higher seed): Quarterfinal #3 ESPN3
  Atlantic Sun Championship (campus of higher seed): Quarterfinal #4 ESPN3
  8 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): First Round
Ted Emrich, Angel Gray
ESPN3
  9 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Quarterfinal #4
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Steffi Sorensen
SEC Network
Sat, Mar 5 Noon ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Semifinal #1
Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli
ESPNU
  America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal #1 ESPN3
  American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal #1
Ted Emrich, Katie Smith
ESPN3
  1 p.m. Ohio Valley Championship (Nashville, Tenn.): Final ESPN3
  2 p.m. America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal #2 ESPN3
  Gulf South Tournament (campus of higher seed): Final ESPN3
  American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal #2
Pam Ward, Katie Smith
ESPN3
  2:30 p.m. ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Semifinal #2
Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli
ESPNU
  5 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Semifinal #1
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Cara Capuano
ESPNU
  6 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal #3
Ted Emrich, Angel Gray
ESPN3
  America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal #3 ESPN3
  7 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Semifinal #2
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Cara Capuano
ESPNU
  8 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Quarterfinal #4
Ted Emrich, Angel Gray
ESPN3
  America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Quarterfinal #4 ESPN3
Sun, Mar 6 11 a.m. MAAC Championship (Albany, N.Y.): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  Noon Atlantic 10 Championship (Richmond, Va.): Final
Melissa Lee, Sue Bird
ESPNU
  12:30 p.m. ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.): Final
Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli
ESPN
  1 p.m. Southern Conference Tournament (Asheville, NC): Final ESPN3
  1:30 p.m. MAAC Championship (Albany, N.Y.): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  2:30 p.m. SEC Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.): Final
Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck, Cara Capuano
ESPN
  America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  4:30 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Semifinal #1
Pam Ward, Katie Smith
ESPNU
  America East Championship (Binghamton, N.Y.): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  7 p.m. Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis, Ind.): Final
Tiffany Greene, Stephanie White
ESPN
  American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Semifinal #2
Pam Ward, Katie Smith
ESPNU
  9 p.m. Pac-12 Tournament (Seattle, Wash.): Final
Roxy Bernstein, Mary Murphy
ESPN
Mon, Mar 7 11 a.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round ESPN3
  1:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round ESPN3
  2:30 p.m. MAAC Championship (Albany, N.Y.): Final
Doug Sherman, Julianne Viani
ESPNU
  3:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round, Game 1 ESPN3
  7 p.m. American Championship (Uncasville, Conn.): Final
Pam Ward, Rebecca Lobo, Brooke Weisbrod
ESPN2
  MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
  MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
  MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
  MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
Tue, Mar 8 Noon MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round ESPN3
  2 p.m. Summit League Championship (Sioux Falls, S.D.): Final
Clay Matvick, Steffi Sorensen
ESPNU
  2:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): First Round ESPN3
  4 p.m. West Coast Championship (Las Vegas, Nev.): Final
Roxy Bernstein, Chiney Ogwumike
ESPNU
  9 p.m. Big West Tournament (Irvine, Calif.): First Round ESPN3
  11:30 p.m. Big West Tournament (Irvine, Calif.): First Round ESPN3
Wed, Mar 9 Noon MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Quarterfinal #1 ESPN3
  MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): 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
  MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): Quarterfinal #2 ESPN3
  3 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Quarterfinal #2
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen
ESPN3
  5 p.m. MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): Quarterfinal #3 ESPN3
  6 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Quarterfinal #3
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen
ESPN3
  7 p.m. NEC Tournament (campus of higher seed): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  NEC Tournament (campus of higher seed): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  Atlantic Sun Championship (campus of higher seed): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  Atlantic Sun Championship (campus of higher seed): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  7:30 p.m. MAC Tournament (campus of higher seed): Quarterfinal #4 ESPN3
  8:30 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Quarterfinal #4
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen
ESPN3
  9 p.m. Big West Tournament (Irvine, Calif.): Quarterfinal ESPN3
  11:30 p.m. Big West Tournament (Irvine, Calif.): Quarterfinal ESPN3
Thu, Mar 10 Noon MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Quarterfinal #3 ESPN3
  Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): First Round ESPN3
  1 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
  2:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Quarterfinal #4 ESPN3
  Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): First Round ESPN3
  3:30 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
  5 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): First Round ESPN3
  6 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
  8 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): First Round ESPN3
  8:30 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): First Round ESPN3
Fri, Mar 11 Noon Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): Second Round ESPN3
  MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  Big South Tournament (Asheville, N.C.): Quarterfinal ESPN3
  12:30 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Semifinal #1
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen
ESPN3
  1 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): Quarterfinal #1 ESPN3
  2 p.m. Big South Tournament (Asheville, N.C.): Quarterfinal ESPN3
  2:30 p.m. Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): Second Round ESPN3
  MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  3 p.m. Big West Tournament (Irvine, Calif.): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Semifinal #2
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen
ESPN3
  3:30 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): Quarterfinal #2 ESPN3
  4:30 p.m. America East Championship (campus of higher seed): Final
Eric Frede, Katie Smith
ESPNU
  5 p.m. Big West Tournament (Irvine, Calif.): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  6 p.m. Big South Tournament (Asheville, N.C.): Quarterfinal ESPN3
  Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): Second Round ESPN3
  7 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): Quarterfinal #3 ESPN3
  8 p.m. Big South Tournament (Asheville, N.C.): Quarterfinal ESPN3
  8:30 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): Second Round ESPN3
  9:30 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): Quarterfinal #4 ESPN3
Sat, Mar 12 2 p.m. Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  Big South Tournament (Asheville, N.C.): Semifinal ESPN3
  2:30 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): Semifinal #1 ESPN3
  3 p.m. SWAC Championship (Houston, Texas): Final
Brett Dolan, Carol Ross
ESPN3*
  4 p.m. WAC Tournament (Las Vegas, Nev.): Final
Dave Flemming, Gail Goestenkors
ESPNU
  Big South Tournament (Asheville, N.C.): Semifinal ESPN3
  Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): Semifinal ESPN3
  4:30 p.m. MEAC Tournament (Norfolk, Va.): Final
Roy Philpott, LaChina Robinson
ESPN3#
  Southland Tournament (Katy, Texas): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  5 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): Semifinal #2 ESPN3
  6:30 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): Semifinal ESPN3
  8 p.m. Sun Belt Championship (New Orleans, La.): Final
Drew Fellios, Steffi Sorensen
ESPN3^
Sun, Mar 13 1 p.m. Horizon League Championship (campus of higher seed): Final
Lisa Byington, Chiney Ogwumike
ESPNU
  2 p.m. Big South Tournament (Asheville, N.C.): Final ESPN3
  3 p.m. Missouri Valley Championship (Moline, Ill.): Final ESPN3
  NEC Tournament (campus of higher seed): Final
Mike Couzens, Nell Fortner
ESPNU
  7 p.m. Atlantic Sun Championship (school site): Final ESPN3

^ – tape delayed on Sunday, March 13 (ESPNU, 1 a.m.)
* – tape delayed on Sunday, March 13 (ESPNU, 9 a.m.)
# – tape delayed on Sunday, March 13 (ESPNU, 11 a.m.)

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Rachel Margolis Siegal

A part of the Internal Communications team at ESPN, I began with the network in 2010 as part of the College Sports PR team. Always an avid sports fan and not an athlete – I grew up a huge fan of the Hartford Whalers, while also watching my brother compete at different levels. I became the manager of several high school sports teams and continued that hobby into college. While at Quinnipiac, I worked in the Sports Information Department, which led me to a summer internship at the New Haven Ravens, a AA baseball team, and an eventual job with the Athletic Communications Department at the University of Connecticut. After my five-year stint at Connecticut, I spent six years as Director of Communications at the BIG EAST Conference in Providence, R.I. before joining ESPN.
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